zircon demand

Looks like demand for minerals sands is still strong and growing, lets hope Image can capitalise on this demand...

Abbreviated from today's Australian....

Chinese demand powers zircon

* PURE SPECULATION: Robin Bromby
* From: The Australian
* May 24, 2010 12:00AM *

DAVID Harley is back from Shenzhen and the recent Global Zircon Conference with a bounce in his step.

He says even some of the analysts were startled by the shortage of this substance, used in ceramics such as bathroom and kitchen tiles and lavatory bowls. The Chinese, it seemed to those who attended the conference, cannot get their hands on nearly enough of it.

Iluka Resources (ILU) produced a fascinating briefing paper after the Shenzhen talkfest that's now on the company's website.

It backs up Harley's case that China has got some acute supply problems, and that alternatives to Australia and South Africa (such as Madagascar, Pakistan and Mozambique) don't yet have the scale of production needed.

Interestingly, last month Goldman Sachs named the three commodities where China has to import more than 60 per cent of its needs -- the platinum group of metals, iron ore and zircon.

...... Image Resources (IMA) has been making strong progress at its Gingin and Atlas heavy minerals projects in the West.