big announcement - very soon

APG has been asked to Co - chair this years 2005 conference. This must go a long way to say that the APG technology is becomming accepted and of great interest to the industry.

The long waited transaction is almost here and with a bit of luck we will see a huge injection of capital into the company and funding for a plant or two. This should see the share price somewhat higher than it is now as most would agree with the value of the technology being worth in excess of $40m (10 cents/share) plus projects the stock is way undervalued.

This transaction ( reading between the lines) should secure the future of APG as it progress to commercialisation.

If the deal is not with Iluka (and I do not think it is ) then any other transaction between APG and other parties could put Iluka at a disadvantage in the industry as they need the technology for the CRL project and the Douglas project to stay competative.

This could make APG a target for Iluka as APG will be able to produce a better quality synthetic rutile with lower operating and capital costs than any other company in the world.

The Iluka technology as announced when they took over Basin Minerals has proven to be unsuitable for the Basin other deposits in Australia. It produces a black sludge and is very expensive to operate and run..

The 2005 Titanium conference is on in 10 days and my guess is that the announcement will happen while APG is at the conference so they can talk about the transaction and the results of all the test work that have been carried out.

Below is an extract from the 2005 broschure.

"TiO2 2005 is a must-attend event for anyone associated with the titanium dioxide industry.

Delegates at TiO2 2005 will engage in a comprehensive examination of issues facing this $8 billion industry. Speakers will address production and consumption in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America , and the ways in which industry rationalization and end-user developments are affecting pigment demand in paints, plastics, paper, inks and textiles. Trends in feedstock supply, such as value-added UGS, synthetic and natural rutile and ilmenite, will also be examined. Opportunities for specialty TiO2 grades and zircon will be discussed along with how other opacifiers, such as clays and precipitated calcium carbonates (PCC), affect TiO2 usage. The conference’s many social functions will facilitate informal discussion of the pigment’s current status and strategies for growth. Consequently, participants will obtain a complete picture of the market, and have the opportunity to discuss key issues with speakers and fellow attendees from around the world.

Co-chairs for this year’s conference are Gary L. Cianfichi, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Millennium Chemicals, Inc., and Michael J. Turbott, Managing Director of Austpac Resources NL. Keynote presentations will be given by Sam Severance, Vice President and General Manager of Dupont Titanium Technologies and Jim Cook, President and CEO of Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium, Inc. "

Good things come to those who wait