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Highlights
- Cobre Ltd has discovered high-purity quartz at its Perrinvale Project.
- The exploration target estimates range from 5.1 million to 28.3 million tonnes of quartz.
- Further testing and fieldwork are planned to convert the target into a mineral resource.
Cobre Ltd (ASX:CBE) has made a significant discovery of high-purity quartz at its Perrinvale Project in Western Australia. This discovery has defined a new exploration target with the potential to add significant value to the company’s portfolio. The quartz, identified through extensive fieldwork and testing by an ASX mining stock, could play a crucial role in the production of silicon metal, a key component in the drive toward net zero and electrification.
Quartz Discovery at Perrinvale
In late 2023, field mapping at the Perrinvale Project identified saccharoidal quartzite within the Mt Alfred area, hinting at the potential for high-purity quartz. Further work, including two fieldwork programs with analytical testing, confirmed the presence of significant quartz units, especially in the southern Panhandle area.
The identified quartz is of high purity, with silica assays ranging from 99.15% to 99.66% SiO2, making it suitable for silicon smelting feedstock. The exploration target has been estimated between 5.1 million tonnes and 28.3 million tonnes, with an initial SiO2 grade of 99.1% to 99.6%. This estimate is based on field observations, including the mapping of outcrop margins and strike extents.
CEO Insights and Project Outlook
Cobre CEO Adam Wooldridge highlighted the company’s focus on copper as a key growth area but emphasized the increasing importance of silicon as a critical metal. Wooldridge expressed excitement about the potential of the Perrinvale Project, stating that the project has the capacity to host large quartz resources.
While the company's core focus remains its Botswana interests, the Perrinvale discovery marks a promising addition to its portfolio. The next step in the process involves refining the quartz to ultra-high purity levels, which could be achieved with a relatively low-cost follow-on work program.
Path to Converting the Target to a Mineral Resource
To transition from an exploration target to a confirmed mineral resource, Cobre will conduct beneficiation testing and gather more field data. The refining process for high-purity quartz involves two main pathways: beneficiation to progressively strip contaminants, and the production of silicon metal through a submerged arc furnace.
The planned work includes bench-scale beneficiation testing to determine the material’s suitability for advanced refining. If contaminants are successfully removed, the quartz will undergo further testing to achieve the highest purity levels.
In addition, deportment analysis will help evaluate the distribution of impurities within the quartz, and thermal stability testing will assess its performance in silicon smelting processes.
Cobre is also preparing for additional fieldwork aimed at converting the exploration target into a mineral resource. The company plans to conduct heritage surveys and secure government approvals for drilling in the coming months.
The Perrinvale discovery positions Cobre Ltd as a potential player in the high-purity quartz market, with significant potential for resource expansion and refinement in the future.
