Perpetual Resources Ltd (ASX:PEC) has applied for the Beharra West exploration licence (E70/5951), a tenement just 3 kilometres west of its flagship Beharra high-grade silica sand project and considered prospective for high-grade silica sand.
PEC is hoping to consolidate its landholding in the region, with Beharra West dominated by one private land holding and featuring numerous areas of cleared farming land, with potential for accelerated project development.
Regional location map showing Beharra West (E70/5951) tenement in yellow dotted outline and also showing Perpetual’s nearby silica sand tenements.
PEC is a focused explorer of silica sands, aiming to produce high purity silica and potentially construction sands for domestic and international markets.
Silica sands can be used as construction sand, proppant sand used in well fracturing and foundry sand.
Higher purity silica sand (>99.5% SiO2) can be used for glass making including clear glass, while uses for purity >99.8% include semi-conductor fillers, LCD screens and optical glass. Significant expansion of solar PV cell manufacturing capacity is also driving demand for silica sand with Fe2O3 content of <200ppm.
A Private Land Access Agreement with the dominant landowner at Beharra West will enable PEC to explore and appraise the tenement and outline the key working parameters for any future production scenario, should the project progress.
Could lead to rapid advancement
“Beharra West presents yet another an exciting opportunity for Perpetual, being proximal to our Beharra project and significant portions of the tenement already cleared for farming and grazing purposes,” PEC managing director Robert Benussi said.
“We have moved quickly to conclude commercial discussions with the dominant local landowner which paves the way for rapid assessment of this new land package, to determine its geological and economic potential and how it could sequence with development of our Beharra Project, which continues to advance rapidly.”
About Behara West
Beharra West is about 280 kilometres north of Perth, between the regional town of Dongara and Eneabba and is adjacent to the Brand Highway and nearby to the Geraldton-Eneabba Railway, which includes a rail connection direct to Geraldton Port.
Most economically significant silica sand deposits in WA are found in the coastal regions of the Perth Basin, where the project lies.
The project area contains a succession of Quaternary to Permian age deposits up to a total of 12,000 metres thick, locally up to 4,000 metres thick. It comprises a topographic high atop an aeolian sand dune system up to 15 metres thick from the western edge of the deposit with a gentle west and east sloping erosional surface from 80mRL to 60mRL.
PEC applied for the Beharra West licence on October 27, 2021, with the application now under consideration by the Department of Mines.
Regional mapping by the Geological Survey of Western Australia (1995) has delineated three discrete areas of exposed Qp formation across the project area, which can host white high purity silica sands in the region.
Adjacent deposits have identified the presence of additional white sand formations beneath yellow sand cover, which will be a priority target of exploration efforts by PEC.
What’s next?
PEC will undertake reconnaissance exploration activities and drilling in coming months.
The company intends to quickly assess the geological potential of the tenement.
Further updates will be provided once a formal exploration program is commenced.