American West Metals Hires DC Insider Firm to Unlock US Funding for Indium Play
Key Takeaways
- American West Metals has appointed GreenMet, led by former White House and Department of Energy official Drew Horn, to pursue US government funding and offtake arrangements for the West Desert indium project in Utah.
- West Desert holds a JORC 2012-compliant inferred resource of 33.7Mt at 20g/t indium for 23.8 million ounces — the largest known indium deposit in the US — at a time when China's 2025 export restrictions have left America with zero domestic indium production.
- The 2026 drill hole WD26-01 intersected 108 metres at 25.1g/t indium more than 400 metres east of the existing deposit boundary, with only 35% of historical samples assayed for indium, suggesting the resource could be materially larger.
- West Desert sits on 330 acres of private land owned 100% by American West, providing a structurally faster approvals pathway than federal land projects in a jurisdiction rated among the best in the US by the Fraser Institute.
- The Utah Geological Survey has already received a $300,000 federal grant to study the West Desert deposit, reflecting prior government recognition of its national significance ahead of the GreenMet engagement.
American West escalates US government push to unlock indium supply chain opportunity
American West Metals (ASX: AW1) has engaged GreenMet, a Washington D.C.-based strategic advisory group, to advance the West Desert Project in Utah as a potential domestic source of indium for the US. The move comes as the US faces complete reliance on indium imports, with China adding indium to its export restriction list in 2025 and West Desert holding the largest known indium deposit in the country.
This is not a routine advisory appointment. GreenMet’s mandate is specifically focused on pursuing US government funding opportunities, strategic partnerships, and potential offtake arrangements that could support West Desert’s development. The engagement represents a deliberate escalation of American West’s government engagement strategy, creating a structured platform to access the policy and funding mechanisms now being mobilised across Washington for critical minerals supply chain security.
GreenMet (formally Greentech Mineral Holdings Inc) is led by Drew Horn, a former senior US official whose career spanned the White House, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Department of Energy, and Department of War. Horn is also a former US Army Special Forces and Marine Corps officer, with direct experience shaping interagency US supply chain and national security strategy.
Dave O’Neill, Managing Director, American West Metals
“GreenMet brings deep experience and relationships across the US Government and critical minerals sector, providing American West with a strong platform to engage with US initiatives focused on rebuilding domestic critical minerals supply chains…”
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Why indium matters, and why West Desert is uniquely positioned
Indium is a relatively obscure metal to most investors, but it sits at the intersection of some of the most strategically sensitive industrial applications in the world. Here is why it has moved rapidly up the US national security agenda:
- Indium is essential for aerospace, defence, energy, and telecommunications sectors
- The US currently has zero domestic production of indium, making it 100% import-reliant
- China’s 2025 export restrictions on indium directly disrupted the entire US supply chain
- West Desert holds a JORC 2012 compliant inferred resource of 33.7Mt @ 20g/t In for 23,763,978 ounces of indium, making it one of the largest undeveloped indium deposits in the world
- Only 35% of drill samples used in historical and JORC mineral resource estimates have been assayed for indium, suggesting the actual scale of the deposit could be significantly larger
- The 2026 drill hole WD26-01 intersected 108m @ 25.1g/t In, with grades up to 140.5g/t In, over 400m east of the existing deposit (ASX announcement: 9 June 2026)
- The Utah Geological Survey received a $300,000 federal grant to complete a detailed study on the West Desert indium deposit, reflecting prior recognition of its national significance
The West Desert critical metals discovery reported in mid-2026 provided the geological foundation underpinning the GreenMet engagement, with drill hole WD26-01 confirming high-grade indium mineralisation extending well beyond the existing resource boundary.
One additional differentiator is frequently overlooked when comparing West Desert to other critical minerals projects. The deposit sits on 330 acres of private land owned 100% by American West, providing a potentially fast-tracked development approval pathway compared to projects on federal land. Utah is also rated as one of the best mining jurisdictions in the US by the Fraser Institute.
The combination of resource scale, land tenure advantage, and strong jurisdictional standing is precisely what makes the GreenMet engagement credible. Government funding conversations and offtake negotiations require an asset of genuine scale. West Desert provides that foundation.
West Desert indium resource at a glance
The table below summarises the JORC 2012 compliant West Desert Indium and Gold Inferred Resource (Table 6 from the announcement):
| Material | Mine Type | Tonnes | In Grade (g/t) | Contained Indium (oz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxide | Open Pit | 15,531,071 | 10.8 | 5,916,698 |
| Sulphide | Open Pit | 3,140,102 | 23.89 | 2,646,148 |
| Sulphide | Underground | 14,996,864 | 28.73 | 15,198,136 |
| Total | 33,668,038 | 20.01 | 23,763,978 |
Indium is not the only value driver at West Desert. The deposit also hosts meaningful co-products across zinc, copper, silver, and gold. The total mineral resource stands at 33.7Mt @ 3.83% Zn and 0.15% Cu, with silver and gold credits across all material categories, adding further economic optionality to any future development scenario.
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What this means for investors
The GreenMet engagement is material to the investment case because it advances the project on multiple fronts simultaneously, not just the geological one. The key angles worth understanding:
- US government funding access: GreenMet’s mandate includes pursuing opportunities through the specific government mechanisms now active in critical minerals supply chain policy
- Strategic partnerships and offtake: The engagement is explicitly oriented toward connecting West Desert with US industrial partners who need a domestic indium supply, creating the framework for potential offtake arrangements
- Network depth: Drew Horn’s career spans the White House, ODNI, and Department of Energy, the precise agencies and offices most active in shaping US critical minerals policy and funding allocation
- Private land advantage: Projects on private land face a structurally different and potentially faster approvals pathway than federal land counterparts, a meaningful differentiator in the current regulatory environment
- Ongoing resource growth: Drilling continues to expand the resource footprint, with WD26-01 demonstrating high-grade indium mineralisation well beyond the current deposit boundary, and further news flow is expected
Drew Horn, Head of GreenMet
“…Our objective is to accelerate the creation of a US supply chain for indium and other critical metals capable of supporting many generations of advanced manufacturing in the US.”
Dave O’Neill noted that corporate and drilling activities are continuing, with the company flagging further news flow from West Desert ahead. The GreenMet engagement does not guarantee government funding or offtake outcomes, but it creates the structured platform through which those opportunities can be pursued with credibility and connection to the right decision-makers.
American West is simultaneously advancing the Storm copper discovery in Australia, giving the company a two-project portfolio that spans both a domestic US critical minerals play and a high-impact copper exploration program in one of the world’s premier mining jurisdictions.
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