American West Metals has engaged a high-powered Washington D.C. consultancy to help progress its West Desert critical minerals project in Utah, home to the largest deposit of indium in the United States and one of the biggest in the world.
The move to bring in strategic advisory group GreenMet comes as the US scrambles to secure its own supply lines for minerals vital to its defence, energy and technology sectors. The US is currently 100 per cent reliant on imports for indium, a situation made more precarious after China imposed export restrictions on the metal in 2025.
The geopolitical squeeze on indium, a rare soft silvery-white metal which is essential for semiconductors, defence systems and telecommunications, has only tightened since. Reports indicate Chinese exports of the metal have fallen sharply, with the White House flagging indium as a key material in the semiconductor supply chain as recently as May this year.
Leading the charge for GreenMet is Drew Horn, a former senior US critical minerals and energy security official whose resume includes stints at The White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Energy. Horn, also a former US Army Special Forces and Marine Corps officer, has experience shaping US supply chain and national security strategy.
GreenMet acts as a vital American conduit between private capital, government, and critical mineral innovation and appears well-positioned to represent private sector interests that strengthen US supply chains of critical minerals. Specifically for American West, GreenMet's engagement is intended to connect the company with US government funding initiatives, strategic partners and potential offtake agreements to fast-track its West Desert development.
American West Metals managing director Dave O’Neill said: "Partnering with GreenMet represents an important step forward for American West Metals as we seek to unlock the strategic potential of the West Desert Project. Indium is a critical metal for the US economy and national security, yet the United States currently relies entirely on imports, highlighting the significance of establishing a secure domestic supply."
The West Desert project, 160 kilometres southwest of Salt Lake City in Utah, is already estimated to contain a JORC-compliant inferred resource of 33.7 million tonnes grading 20 grams per tonne (g/t) indium, for a massive 23.8 million ounces of the critical metal. The deposit also contains a significant zinc-copper-silver resource of 33.7 million tonnes at 3.83 per cent zinc, 0.15 per cent copper and 9.08 g/t silver.
However, the real blue-sky potential may lie in what hasn’t yet been tested. The company says only 35 per cent of the historical drill samples that were used to build the existing mineral resource were ever assayed for indium, suggesting the true scale of that metal's endowment could be much larger.
Recent drilling has already hinted at the project’s growth potential. One drillhole completed earlier this year hit a whopping 108 metres at 25.1 g/t indium from 471m downhole, including 0.4m grading 140.5 g/t indium from 480.7m downhole, only 400m east of the existing deposit, hinting at significant room for expansion.
Adding to the project's appeal is that it sits on private land wholly owned by American West, a factor the company believes offers a clear and potentially fast-track pathway for development approvals compared with other projects on federal lands. The project's location in Utah also helps, with the state being consistently ranked by the Fraser Institute as one of the most mining-friendly in the US.
While the company's primary focus is now on progressing West Desert, it is also pushing ahead on its Storm copper project at Nunavut in Canada, which is currently at the advanced prefeasibility study (PFS) stage. Work is being finalised in collaboration with highly regarded external engineering and project delivery consultants Sacre Davey, Ausenco, and the Nuna Group, alongside mine permitting, environmental field work and community engagement liaison.
The company expects to complete its PFS work on the Storm project to be finalised during Q3 2026.
With a Washington insider now in its corner, a world-class indium resource that continues to grow and some powerful geopolitical tailwinds, American West appears to be making a serious play to become a key part of America’s domestic critical minerals solution.
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By Doug Bright
