Australia: Allup Silica, the owner of Pink Bark project located 110km from Esperance in Western Australia, has successfully completed a 26-hole maiden air-core drilling program. The 421-meter campaign aimed to explore Silica sands and other potential clay-hosted rare earths and used holes drilled to an average depth of 16.5m.

The management of Allup Silica anticipates the results of this drilling program to be available by the end of next month.

Allup Silica, a mining company, has successfully completed a maiden air-core drilling program at its fully owned Pink Bark project. The project is located 110 km away from the town of Esperance in Western Australia. The campaign consisted of 26 holes drilled to an average depth of 16.5m, covering a total distance of 421 meters. The drilling program aimed to explore Silica sands and other potential rare earths. Allup Silica's management expects to receive the results by the end of the next month.

As part of the Esperance Sands exploration project, the company is currently reviewing recorded drill hole logging data to map potential mineralised zones in the target areas. The project covers two granted licenses - Pink Bark and Dune Buggy - and Pink Bark has already received heritage approval.

Located within Western Australia's beautiful Goldfields-Esperance region, the project is conveniently situated within 20km of rail infrastructure.

Pink Bark has added a fourth strategic high-purity Silica sand project to its portfolio in Western Australia, as the company aims to establish itself as a major player in the Silica sands industry. The project, named "Pink Bark," joins the company's three other projects in the region. Each project boasts a location that makes trucking to regional ports highly convenient, as well as high-purity Silica with low levels of impurities, including iron.

One of Pink Bark's sister projects, Allup's Sparkler project, has already defined a substantial mineral resource estimate. The Sparkler project is located roughly 200km away from the port of Albany in Western Australia's Great Southern region and is estimated to have 73 million tonnes of high-purity Silica with an average grade of 96.6%.

High-grade Silica sands have long been integral to several industries including automobile, electronics, and photovoltaic, as well as high-end glass production. Recently, the demand for this industrial material has risen with the emergence of new advancements in Lithium-battery technology. Research suggests that incorporating high-grade Silica into Lithium-ion batteries could potentially enhance their endurance, making it a critical component for the sector.