VRX Silica Ltd (ASX:VRX) will begin a 130-hole aircore grade control drilling program later this month aimed at upgrading the 11.3 million tonnes resource at Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project around 270 kilometres north of Perth in Western Australia.
This drilling campaign, which is expected to take 10 days with assay results to follow in late May 2021, is intended to upgrade the indicated and inferred resource estimate in the area drilled to a measured resource and proven reserve.
The company hopes the drilling program will confirm the continuity and homogeneity that has been demonstrated by previous drilling.
“Key production activity”
Managing director Bruce Maluish said: “The drilling of tight-spaced grade control holes at Arrowsmith North is another key pre-production activity being undertaken as we prepare for the commencement of mining.
“The area being grade control drilled is where we are planning to mine for the first 6-10 years.”
This targeted grade control area sits within the resource estimate of 771,000 million tonnes at 98% SiO2 for around 11.3 million tonnes of indicated and inferred resource.
Drilling will also generate a significant tonnage of additional raw material for VRX to conduct supplementary metallurgical test-work to fine-tune the design and operating parameters of the process plant and for approvals required by Mid-West Ports.
Silica sand potential to grow
Additionally, the program is set to generate further commercial samples for despatch to potential offtake partners as demand for VRX’s silica sand continues to grow.
Maluish continued: "Sources of supply of quality silica sand throughout the Asian region are shrinking at a rapid rate, and this has led to tremendous interest for VRX’s silica sand from potential customers who are acutely aware of the supply problem.
“We are well-positioned to fill this demand and, as we develop our silica sand projects, remain focused on delivering long-term offtake partnerships with significant participants in the Asian market.”