American West taps Washington muscle ahead of US indium push

American West Metals has focused its US critical minerals push by hiring a top Washington advisory firm to steer the company’s West Desert project into becoming the nation’s first end-to-end indium supplier. 

The company says the engagement underscores its project’s potential in tackling America’s independence from overseas metal sources, particularly after China’s export curbs last year threw global supplies into disarray. 

The newly appointed Ervin Graves Strategy Group is a heavyweight in government relations, a move set to deepen the company’s ties with US agencies and potential downstream partners. 

The firm’s crew brings deep experience from senior US Government officials, having helped steer major critical minerals funding deals, including the Pentagon’s recent multi-billion-dollar package for MP Materials. 

West Desert stands out as a near-term development thanks to a hefty indium resource, clocking in as the largest in the US, alongside solid hauls of zinc, copper, gold and silver byproducts. 

American West says a major drilling push is set to roll out soon, eyeing expansions that could swell the strategic asset even further, including fresh targets for gallium. 

Indium plays a core role in US industries from aerospace and defence to energy and telecoms, however, the supply chain took a hit in 2025 when China slapped restrictions on exports. 

With zero domestic output, the US sources all its indium from abroad, creating a glaring vulnerability that West Desert aims to plug as a homegrown producer. 

American West is dialling up efforts for US backing, including chasing potential funding through the Defence Production Act and a spot in the Department of Energy’s Critical Minerals Innovation Hub, which has a remit to finance breakthroughs in processing. 

The company says to date, just 35 per cent of drill samples from the historical and current resource at West Desert have been tested for indium, hinting at a much larger eventual tally post-assays. 

Adding to the draw, the Utah Geological Survey snagged a US$300,000 federal grant back in 2022 to assess the indium setup at West Desert, mapping how the metal formed and spreads through the district.

American West Metals managing director David O’Neill said: “Ervin Graves’ expertise and successful track record in the critical minerals policy space underscore its capability to strengthen American West’s emerging position as an important player in the US critical minerals supply chain. The West Desert Project is located in Utah, one of the lowest risk mining jurisdictions globally. We have engaged with the State government, which is very supportive of the development of West Desert.” 

The West Desert inferred resource currently sits at 33.7 million tonnes grading 20g/t indium for 23.8 million ounces – a standout volume globally. 

The project sprawls across 32 square kilometres, blending private land with mining claims and a state lease, all in the Sevier Orogenic Belt – home to giant deposits such as Bingham Canyon and the Tintic district.

West Desert is interpreted as a mammoth zinc-copper skarn and carbonate replacement, with mineralisation that leans heavily on sphalerite, a form of zinc sulphide and chalcopyrite - a copper sulphide - in carbonate lenses.

The sulphides come loaded with silver, indium, gold and other critical metals, while lead and molybdenum hug the edges. 

With the US continually prioritising domestic mines and stockpiles for critical metals, a prime US source of indium and other key metals could go a long way towards closing critical supply gaps. 

Management says its recent chats with Governor Spencer J. Cox in Sydney reaffirmed the mining state’s enthusiasm for West Desert’s progress. 

Elsewhere, the company’s North American portfolio continues to go from strength to strength. Its Storm copper project in Nunavut is basking in the glow of a fresh resource bump, now with more than  28 million tonnes of mineralisation grading 1 per cent copper and 3.3g/t silver.

Spanning a vast 2200-square-kilometres, the rigs have barely tested five per cent of its 110-kilometre-long copper belt, leaving eight prime prospects in waiting. 

Storm is shaping up as a low-capex starter with hefty upside, building on a scoping study that flagged strong economics. 

As US policy sharpens on critical supply chains, West Desert is now pushing Storm to lead American West’s North American portfolio charge. 

The added US ties have West Desert well and truly primed to one day perhaps deliver essential gallium, indium and other key metals for America’s defence needs and economic resilience. 

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au