Robert W Mosig: Potentially cheap and vast Australian supply to create big demand for scandium
----Interview with Robert W Mosig, CEO of Platina Resources Limited
Platina Resources is an exploration and development company which has been listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX code PGM) since 2006. Its focus is on precious and specialty metals, particularly platinum group metals and the strategic metal scandium. The company has 100% ownership of two advanced projects. The first is our flagship project, the Owendale Scandium and Platinum project in central New South Wales, Australia, and the second is a massive deposit of platinum group metals and gold on the remote eastern coast of Greenland.
Asian Metal: Robert, thank you very much for participating in this interview with Asian Metal. Would you like to give us a brief introduction to your company and your project?
Robert: Hi Vivian, many thanks for the opportunity to talk with you and readers of Asian Metal.
Our focus is on precious and specialty metals, particularly platinum group metals and the strategic metal scandium.
However, we are totally focused on our 100% owned flagship project—Owendale Scandium and Platinum project in central New South Wales, Australia, where we have plans to start producing 30 tonnes per annum of 99.9% purity scandium oxide and some associated small platinum production by the end of 2018. Owendale is one of the largest and highest grade scandium deposits in the world. We are currently completing environmental studies as part of our final feasibility Studies on the Owendale project, which contains over 9000 tonnes of scandium within a JORC compliant resource. The scandium and platinum mineralization at Owendale is a unique association which outcrops from the surface to a depth of about 40 metres. Accordingly, mining will be by simple open pit methods and the scandium and platinum will be extracted in two autoclaves using the conventional and well-known High Pressure Acid Leach method.
We are on track to become the first producer in Australia of scandium, an exciting and valuable metal for which we expect to see big demand from industry.
Asian Metal: Congratulations on reaching this stage. How would you summarize your company’ s key strengths at present?
Robert: Platina has always maintained a strong geological team within the company; our geologists discovered Owendale and developed it by drilling, sampling and development to the advanced stage that it is right now. In more recent times, we have identified the extremely high significance of scandium demand in Asia, and our local China representative, a graduate China law major, continues to help guide us throughout Asia for scandium offtakes, facilitating introductions and other corporate and marketing discussions. Of course, it also helps immensely when an emerging mining company such as Platina has a very experienced board of directors, as we do.
Asian Metal: I’m glad to hear that. I was wondering why you decided to enter the scandium industry and mining projects?
Robert: Well, that’s a very interesting question Vivian. I think it’s very fair to say that no one has ever really gone exploring for or wanted to develop a pure scandium deposit before….it’s such a rare commodity and until our discovery, scandium had only been produced as a by-product from other mines in places like Russia. However, as I mentioned earlier, Platina is unashamedly a platinum group metals explorer and developer. It just happens that at Owendale there is extremely high scandium accompanying our platinum mineralization. In fact, when we finally achieve production, Owendale will be a high grade scandium mine uniquely combined with some associated platinum credits.
And the reason we wish to remain involved in mining the Owendale scandium deposit is because we see some excellent monetary benefits and returns for shareholders from this highly strategic metal.
Asian Metal: Would you like to expand on the development of scandium projects in the global market?
Robert: Right now, as I have mentioned earlier, scandium is produced in small amounts as a by-product essentially from rare earth and uranium mines in Russia and China. Australia has a regular habit of turning up some very large and unique mineral deposits. The Argyle Diamond mine is a good example of Australia exhibiting a large and slightly (geologically) different type of diamond deposit. In the case of scandium, Australia has again demonstrated its unique geology with three advanced scandium deposits, all rapidly heading for production and all contained within a soft easily mineable rock termed a laterite. Our project, Owendale undoubtedly deserves the topmost position because of its very high scandium grade, its very large scandium resource, Owendale’s very low development capital and operating costs, and its accompanying platinum credits which potentially add more profits. I believe Australia will be the major scandium world supplier in the near term future, with Platina’s Owendale right at the forefront.
Asian Metal: Please give us your analysis regarding the supply of scandium within the global market.
Robert: Again, a very important question Vivian. There are no exact records kept for the scandium market globally. Platina’s fairly deep investigations over the past few years lead us to believe that the current global market for scandium is about 15 tonnes per annum. This is used to a lesser extent in production of lighting, bicycles, baseball bats etc. However, there are two emerging industries that threaten to use very large amounts of scandium…the aviation industry and the fuel cell industry, where the race is on with the latter to produce a cheap, environmentally friendly electricity supply which is not created from using up our finite fossil fuels.
So, whilst the current demand for scandium is relatively modest, the potentially cheap and vast Australian scandium supply will create a big demand for this metal. Estimations by reputable groups suggest supply will definitely increase from the current level.
Asian Metal: Scandium is mainly deployed in the scandium aluminum alloy and solid oxide fuel cell industries. Would you mind explaining in more detail its application in scandium aluminum alloys and solid oxide fuel cells?
Robert: Yes, these are the two industries which will grow from the development of a consistent Australian scandium supply. In the case of aluminium alloys, suffice to say that with the addition of scandium into aluminum a ‘super’ alloy is born. Scandium aluminium alloys already have direct value in the aircraft industry and the aerospace industry in general, where their addition creates a more robust and lighter aircraft.
And in the case of solid oxide fuel cells, essentially, if natural gas is passed through a medium of zirconia crystals coated with scandium oxide, water, carbon dioxide and electricity are produced. Remote regions of the world, like the isolated mining towns scattered over the vast dimensions of Western Australia, for instance, could greatly benefit from this cheap and environmentally friendly energy supply.
Asian Metal: May I ask your opinion on the development of the scandium aluminum alloy and solid oxide fuel cell industries in the coming ten years?
Robert: Well, with the aerospace industry, and no pun intended here, the sky is the limit for the demand increase for scandium aluminium alloys. This will be an exciting decade ahead for this industry. I suppose the aerospace industry has been waiting for a consistent supply of scandium to come along, and Australia (and particularly Owendale) can provide this.
In terms of the solid oxide fuel cell industry, scandium might have a slightly slower path to dominance, given that the fossil fuel price has become extremely competitively priced, and it remains a dominant alternative supplier of energy to the fuel cell industry despite its environmental issues. However, I also believe that the next decade will see scandium’s use in fuel cells as well.
Asian Metal: What do you think the outlook for scandium demand will be in the coming five to ten years?
Robert: Undoubtedly, in five to ten years from now we will all have witnessed the birth of the demand for a new metal, scandium…. And I’m very pleased at where our company Platina sits in supplying this blossoming scandium demand.
Asian Metal: Thanks again for your time, Robert. Looking forward to hearing more exciting news about Platina Resources.
Robert: Thanks Vivian, I look forward to keeping you and your readers updated on Owendale’s and scandium’s progress!
