White Mountain Titanium Corp. reported that it has applied for an access license to draw sea water for a planned desalination plant. This plant will provide both industrial and potable water to the Cerro Blanco project and possibly to other users in the region as well. Process and design engineering work is currently underway on the planned desalination plant which, together with the access license, will be incorporated into the final project engineering design and environmental impact statement for submittal to the Chilean mining authorities. The company has also completed a ground geophysics study covering the central portion of the Cerro Blanco concessions. A grid totalling approximately 232 line kilometres, each line spaced 50 metres apart, was established over concessions encompassing the four known prospects. The purpose of the study was two-fold. The first, to assist exploration personnel to site and orient drill holes planned for the upcoming Las Carolinas and La Cantera drill program as well as to identify new exploration targets. The second, to assist engineering personnel to locate the crusher, process plant, waste dumps, tailings facility and site infrastructure away from mineralized areas. As a result of the geophysics study, a project footprint has been established for final engineering design purposes and possible extensions to Las Carolinas and La Cantera as well as two new exploration target areas have been identified. Initial mapping and sampling of the two new exploration target areas is underway and a diamond drilling work program for Las Carolinas and La Cantera incorporating results from the geophysics study has been prepared and budgeted. A 31 hole diamond drilling program - 7 drill holes in Las Carolinas and 24 in La Cantera - totalling approximately 5,200 metres, is planned for completion over 3 months. The company has received all necessary permits to undertake the drilling program and earth moving equipment has been assembled to start construction of drill roads and pads. In other developments, the market for titanium dioxide feedstock remains buoyant. Various recent public articles have reported contract rutile sales at prices of $2,700 per tonne and above. An article in the March 7, 2012, edition of Industrial Minerals stated that feedstock producers were warning that welding grade rutile prices could top $4,000 per tonne in the second half of 2012.