LATEST NEWS  

17 June 2013 Ceasing to be a substantial holder for MAU

31 May 2013 Total Resources at Boonanarring now 21.5Mt at 8.3% HM

30 April 2013 Quarterly Activities and Cashflow Report - For the Quarter Ended on 31 March 2013

15 April 2013 Higher Grade Resource Extension at Boonanarring

2 April 2013 Further High VHM Grade Extension

18 March 2013 Mines and Money Hong Kong – March 2013

15 March 2013 Half-Year Financial Report for the period ending 31 December 2012

14 March 2013 Another Major Milestone for Image as Mining Lease Over the Key Northern Section of Boonanarring is Granted

8 March 2013 Boonanarring Development Plans Boosted

14 February 2013 Boonanarring Drill Sample Assays Confirm High Grades Over More Than 7km Strike Length

12 February 2013 Progressing Towards Heavy Mineral Sands Production

Privacy & Disclaimer Policy

Image Resources is a diversified mineral explorer with a major landholding and an expanding mineral sands resource base in the North Perth Basin of Western Australia as well as major mineral sands projects in the Eucla Basin.

Figure 1: Image Resources NL’s projects in Western Australia

In the last few years there has been extensive exploration for heavy mineral sands deposits in WA, particularly for those rich in zircon. The main focus for Image Resources has been in the Cooljarloo area in the mid-west coastal plain of the Perth Basin (Fig. 1) with deposits such as Atlas and the Hyperion deposit at Cooljarloo North being extremely prospective. Other areas of interest include the Gingin prospect, as well as mineral sands targets around Bidaminna and Bootine. The newly discovered zircon-rich Cyclone and Cyclone Extended mineral sand deposits are contained within the Wanna Lakes in the Eucla Basin, close to the border with South Australia.

The titanium mineral sands industry (heavy mineral sands) is the most important sector of the industrial minerals suite in Western Australia, and includes ilmenite, synthetic rutile (upgraded ilmenite), leucoxene and rutile, together with zircon and staurolite mineral sands.

Titanium minerals

Ilmenite, leucoxene and rutile are oxides of titanium and used primarily as a feedstock for the TiO₂ pigment industry, and are the source for titanium metal. Titanium pigments are used in a wide range of products such as paints and sunscreens to plastics, paper, textiles and food. The high strength combined with its lightness makes titanium metal ideal for engineering, particularly in the aerospace industry, as well as in jewellery. About 10 Mt is consumed globally per annum. Ilmenite typically comprises 40–80% of a heavy mineral suite, leucoxene 5–30% and rutile 2–15%.

Zircon

Zircon or zirconium silicate (ZrSiO₄) is used in the production of ceramics, as a refractory, in foundry applications and specialised glass. It is also the source for zirconia (zirconium dioxide, ZrO₂), which is used in many high-end industrial applications. Zirconium metal has a high melting point and is chemically resistant which makes it ideal for use in specialized metal alloys and nuclear fuel roads. About 1.3 Mt is consumed globally per annum. Zircon typically comprises 5–15% of a heavy mineral suite. The Eucla Basin projects contain 25–50% zircon in the heavy minerals.

As well as the mineral sands projects, Image retains interests in a diverse package of gold and nickel tenements through joint ventures with Emu Nickel NL, Meteoric Resources NL, Magnetic Resources NL, Catalpa Resources Ltd and Sipa Resources Ltd.

Last updated: 17 June 2013