IBC Advanced Alloys receives State permits to begin drilling on Utah properties

Rare metals-based alloys manufacturer IBC Advanced Alloys (CVE:IB) (OTCQX:IAALF) said Thursday it has received permits and approvals from the Utah State Office to begin its planned drill program at its beryllium-prospective properties in Juab County, Utah.

The claims hailed from the state's office of the US Bureau of Land Management and the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining.

The company's properties in Juab County cover 371 claims totaling around 7,630 acres, and are located right next to the large Spor Mountain beryllium mine.

The proposed drill program, to consist of up to 35 holes, is due to begin later this month, once a contractor is assigned to complete the work and rig mobilization. Drilling is expected to be concluded within 90 days, with results following shortly after.

IBC previously completed a detailed 7,495-line kilometre airborne geophysical survey of these properties in 2010, which identified several high-priority target zones. These areas will be the focus of the exploration program. 

"The Company's focus is to quantify the potential beryllium mineralization," said vice president of exploration, Lee Rice, "which we hope will underpin continued downstream manufacturing growth, as well as provide a strategic upstream resource to support our R&D efforts, such as our nuclear fuels initiative, which has the potential to drive future consumption."

The upcoming drill campaign will comprise of holes in the Topaz Mountain West and Sand Pass quadrangles, totalling as much as 5,250 metres of reverse circulation drilling.

Vancouver, BC-based IBC's rare metal alloys are used in a variety of industries, including nuclear energy, automotive, telecommunications, and a range of industrial application. It has 80 employees, with production facilities in Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Missouri.

Additionally, IBC owns prospective beryllium properties in the Western US, covering approximately 9,500 hectares.

The company, together with Purdue Univeristy and Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), a member institution of the Texas A&M University System, has also been engaged in a mission to develop a nuclear fuel enhanced with beryllium oxide, a rare metal, for commercial use in nuclear power reactors.

In an effort to improve the efficiency and safety of the nuclear industry, IBC announced in February that it had completed the first phase of its research and development project on nuclear fuels - with positive results.