Why $50 million is being spent restarting a WA zircon mine Image Resources has invested more than $50 million to bring its Atlas mineral sands project back into full production, around 180 kilometres north of Perth in Western Australia. The Atlas project replaces the company’s earlier Boonanarring operation and began production in 2025, reaching full capacity shortly after commissioning. What the Atlas project produces The mine produces heavy mineral concentrate (HMC), a mix of minerals that includes zircon, ilmenite and rutile. Zircon is the key revenue driver, historically accounting for the majority of value generated at Image Resources’ operations. Zircon is used in ceramics, foundry casting, refractory materials and a range of industrial and high-temperature applications. Why the economics stack up Atlas was developed using existing infrastructure from the Boonanarring mine, keeping capital costs relatively low. The project also has a short mine life, meaning capital recovery is targeted over a shorter timeframe rather than across decades. With global zircon supply tightening and few new mines coming online, the restart is positioned as a near-term cashflow operation rather than a long-dated expansion. Is zircon back on the radar? Zircon has received less attention than lithium or rare earths in recent years, but steady demand and constrained supply are pushing prices and margins into focus again. For Image Resources, the Atlas restart is a measured bet: limited capital, defined mine life and exposure to a mineral quietly regaining strategic importance. Whether zircon continues to justify new investment will depend on market conditions — but for now, the numbers appear to make sense. — ASX:IMA| ASX Mining News & Discussion
Lykeshares Official
$IMA Why $50 million is being spent restarting a WA zircon mine

Image Resources has invested more than $50 million to bring its Atlas mineral sands project back into full production, around 180 kilometres north of Perth in Western Australia.

The Atlas project replaces the company’s earlier Boonanarring operation and began production in ...
Why $50 million is being spent restarting a WA zircon mine

Image Resources has invested more than $50 million to bring its Atlas mineral sands project back into full production, around 180 kilometres north of Perth in Western Australia.

The Atlas project replaces the company’s earlier Boonanarring operation and began production in 2025, reaching full capacity shortly after commissioning.

What the Atlas project produces

The mine produces heavy mineral concentrate (HMC), a mix of minerals that includes zircon, ilmenite and rutile. Zircon is the key revenue driver, historically accounting for the majority of value generated at Image Resources’ operations.

Zircon is used in ceramics, foundry casting, refractory materials and a range of industrial and high-temperature applications.

Why the economics stack up

Atlas was developed using existing infrastructure from the Boonanarring mine, keeping capital costs relatively low. The project also has a short mine life, meaning capital recovery is targeted over a shorter timeframe rather than across decades.

With global zircon supply tightening and few new mines coming online, the restart is positioned as a near-term cashflow operation rather than a long-dated expansion.

Is zircon back on the radar?

Zircon has received less attention than lithium or rare earths in recent years, but steady demand and constrained supply are pushing prices and margins into focus again.

For Image Resources, the Atlas restart is a measured bet: limited capital, defined mine life and exposure to a mineral quietly regaining strategic importance.

Whether zircon continues to justify new investment will depend on market conditions — but for now, the numbers appear to make sense.

Lykeshares Official
Berkshire is hoarding so. much. cash.
Berkshire is hoarding so. much. cash.
Lykeshares Official
Intel’s been lagging behind for years, while AMD has pulled far ahead in both consumer and professional-grade chips, it’s really not a close race anymore.

There’s this idea floating around that throwing enough cash at Intel will suddenly turn them into the next TSMC. But semiconductor manufacturing isn’t something you can ...
Intel’s been lagging behind for years, while AMD has pulled far ahead in both consumer and professional-grade chips, it’s really not a close race anymore.

There’s this idea floating around that throwing enough cash at Intel will suddenly turn them into the next TSMC. But semiconductor manufacturing isn’t something you can rush, it’s a complex, slow-moving process that takes years of precision and experience.

Intel could recover some ground eventually, but framing them as the savior of American chipmaking feels more like a political talking point than a practical reality.
Lykeshares Official
Buffet indicator is showing some wild times ahead perhaps, combine that with Berkshires record high cash hoard of 30%... chart via barchart.com / Longtermtrends
Buffet indicator is showing some wild times ahead perhaps, combine that with Berkshires record high cash hoard of 30%... chart via barchart.com / Longtermtrends
Lykeshares Official
Looks like we're going through something, but who would have thought with all these tarrifs, inflation and trade wars going on
Looks like we're going through something, but who would have thought with all these tarrifs, inflation and trade wars going on
Lykeshares Official
Where does this end up long term with small stocks suffering white giant caps are taking all the coin?
Where does this end up long term with small stocks suffering white giant caps are taking all the coin?
Lykeshares Official
🔺 Student Loan Delinquencies Hit Record 12.9%...
The spike in red reflects financial strain returning fast. Credit card delinquencies are rising too, hinting that lower-income consumers might be nearing a breaking point. What's going on...
🔺 Student Loan Delinquencies Hit Record 12.9%...
The spike in red reflects financial strain returning fast. Credit card delinquencies are rising too, hinting that lower-income consumers might be nearing a breaking point. What's going on...
Lykeshares Official
$ASN Is Anson Resources’ US$330M Financing Deal the Key to Unlocking Utah’s Lithium Potential?
Is Anson Resources’ US$330M Financing Deal the Key to Unlocking Utah’s Lithium Potential?