New data released by the Minns Labor Government reveals promising prospects across NSW for the mining of high-purity silica, an essential ingredient in high-tech and clean energy products.
Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos launched the findings at the WB Clarke Geoscience Centre in Londonderry, where cutting-edge analysis has identified significant exploration opportunities across the Broken Hill, New England and Lachlan regions.
High-purity silica is one of 21 critical minerals found in NSW and is used to produce silicon for high-tech products such as semiconductors (used in computer chips), solar panels and specialty optical equipment.
The WB Clarke Geoscience Centre played an important role in the study, offering world-class analytical tools and expertise to support this study. The centre, which recently underwent a $2 million uplift, is the first in the world to house the Hylogger 4, a powerful tool helping scientists understand the subsurface geology of the state.
The Hylogger 4 works by capturing high-resolution digital images and detailed mineralogical information at a millimetre scale, opening new avenues for research and exploration. The capability means that samples can be more precisely and deeply studied, helping to point to new areas in the state where critical minerals may lie underground.
Key Findings of the High Purity Silica project:
- Of 400 samples taken from across the state, 50 contained high purity silica exceeding 99.8% purity, with the highest recorded value reaching 99.96%.
- The study identified silica in a wide number of different forms across the state - including granitic quartz pipes, pegmatites, hydrothermal quartz bodies, and silica-rich sedimentary units - with purity levels that could be considered for use in high-purity silica applications, widening exploration opportunities and methods.
- NSW remains underexplored for high-purity silica, and renewed exploration could locate new opportunities with the potential to supply global markets.
Any dust and risks from the extraction of high-purity silica are managed through the robust regulatory framework overseen by the Resources Regulator.
The Minns Labor Government is committed to promoting the critical minerals and high-tech metals industry across NSW by:
- Launching an Australian-first $250 million royal deferral for new critical minerals projects,
- Partnering with industry to co-fund more than $5 million of investments in exploration funding,
- Creating the Critical Minerals Ministerial Advisory Committee to ensure collaboration with industry and unions to promote the sector, and
- Delivering more pre-competitive data to help explorers unlock the next big critical minerals deposit, including the recent annual release of more than 2,000 new exploration and geoscientific data reports which provide geological, geophysical and drill core data to support exploration.
The high-purity silica report, and the 2024-35 NSW Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy are available for download on the NSW Resources website: https://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/geological-survey/projects/high-purity-silica-project
Quotes attributable to Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos:
"NSW is rich in the critical minerals the world needs to power a clean energy future and support advanced technologies. The Minns Labor Government is partnering with industry and providing more opportunities for investment and innovation.
"It's initiatives like these that provide precompetitive data and de-risk exploration, which are instrumental in making NSW a great place to invest.
"This is another step towards delivering the Minns Labor Government's Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy, ensuring that NSW remains a global leader in sustainable exploration and mineral processing.
"The WB Clarke Geoscience Centre is an invaluable resource for the state. It has supported discoveries that have led to major operations like the Cadia gold mine, and it continues to provide the tools and data that industry leaders rely on."
Quotes attributable to Chief Geoscientist and Head of the Geological Survey of NSW Dr Phil Blevin:
"The important materials that are archived here from historical mines and drillcore have enabled us to go back and investigate for critical minerals such as high-purity silica.
"Some of these specimens are from mines that are no longer accessible. This gives us insight into critical minerals that in some cases had not even been identified at the times these mines were operating.
"Access to new and historical materials gives NSW a head start in identifying critical mineral opportunities across the state.
"With the Geological Survey of NSW celebrating 150 years in 2025, this is a great chance for us to reflect on our rich history while embracing the advances in technology being harnessed right here in NSW."
