Canadian International Minerals (CIMI-C) has acquired the Solar silicon claims, holding about 900 hectares, 2 km northeast of Golden, B.C., for $45,000 and 875,000 shares. The claims are adjacent to the Moberly silica mine, which is owned by Heemskirk Consolidated, and which has been producing since 1980. Another property, the Hunt silica mine, is located 12 km south of the solar claims.
The claims cover 5-6 km of Mt. Wilson Formation, which consists of fine-grained white quartzites, and are on strike with the Moberly mine. Canadian International Minerals says that the Moberly and Hunt mines shipped metallurgical-grade silica to a ferrosilicon refinery in Washington state during the 1980’s and 1990’s.
The company says that silica exploration in the Golden area is relatively simple as the formations are continuous and in strata that are easily recognizable. The claims are accessible by road, and infrastructure in the area is good. The town of Golden is serviced by the Trans Canada Highway and a railway.
Canadian International Minerals says that the Mt. Wilson Formation is recognized for hosting world-class quartzite deposits of greater than 99.5% silicon dioxide. This material is known as high purity quartz (HPQ), and the company says that it is in short supply, as most known sources face depletion or shutdowns because of environmental issues. In addition, new smelting technologies to replace old smelters, especially in Europe, are being planned. Most quartz-to-silicon smelters are dated, producing material of insufficient purity that needs expensive refining to meet the demands of the solar and electronic industries.
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