Tellus has finalised an agreement with global commodities firm Traxys for the production, marketing, and sale of wet refined kaolin from its Sandy Ridge Facility in Western Australia.
As part of the agreement, Tellus will undertake a Feasibility Study to produce up to 100,000 tonnes of high-grade kaolin per annum from its Sandy Ridge holding.
Upon completion of the Feasibility Study, Traxys will purchase, market, and sell Tellus kaolin to its customers worldwide. This kaolin will be tailored for use in global ceramic manufacturing applications, including porcelain ware, sanitaryware, tiles, and white tableware.
Kaolin is a versatile industrial mineral used in a wide range of applications beyond ceramics. These include paint, rubber, plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and structural products such as bricks and roofing tiles. Its unique properties – such as whiteness, thermal stability, and plasticity – make it indispensable in industries requiring high-quality raw materials.
Tellus CEO Nate Smith says the partnership marks a significant milestone in the company’s strategy to expand its approved kaolin operations into global ceramic manufacturing markets.
“Our Sandy Ridge Facility produces high-grade kaolin as a byproduct of our waste management business and has existing backhaul connectivity to major export ports. The timing is perfect as the industrial minerals market continues to expand,” Smith says.
“A partnership with a respected and knowledgeable firm like Traxys will fast-track our kaolin project and provide upside for our investors.”
The Sandy Ridge deposit includes an estimated 51.3 million tonnes of kaolin across the indicated and inferred categories. The company’s wider tenement holding at Sandy Ridge contains over 300 million tonnes of kaolin as an exploration target, positioning the project as a significant kaolin deposit in Australia.
Traxys CEO Mark Kristoff says the international kaolin market continues to move on an upward trajectory and is now valued at more than US$4.5 billion per annum.
“We welcome the opportunity to work with Tellus, an innovative Australian company, to supply quality kaolin into a market projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.3 percent over the next five to ten years,” Kristoff says.
Tellus helps Australian companies to scale their transition to the green economy in a safe, sustainable, and innovative way. It partners to deliver ESG performance and stewardship while safeguarding corporate reputation and social license.
Sandy Ridge is both an open-cut kaolin mine and is touted as Australia’s only geological repository for the permanent disposal of hazardous chemical and low-level radioactive waste.
Traxys is a leading global physical trader and merchant in metals and natural resources, with a turnover exceeding US$10 billion annually. Traxys sources, trades, markets, and distributes non-ferrous metals, ferro-alloys, minerals, industrial raw materials, and energy, with operations covering the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Tellus
