VRX Silica Limited (ASX: VRX) has released an update to the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and Ore Reserve Statement (ORS) for its Arrowsmith North Silica Sand Project, located 270km north of Perth.
The Maiden Proved Ore Reserve is now 9.2Mt and updated total Ore Reserve is now 221Mt, while the updated Mineral Resource is 768Mt @ 98.0% SiO2, including a Measured Resource of 10Mt @ 95.9% SiO2
Pilot plant test work has confirmed product specifications for marketing and offtakes.
The MRE update is based on an additional 130 close spaced grade control holes. These holes were drilled as a pre-production activity to increase the resource confidence in the initial years of mining, and to produce a bulk sample for pilot scale metallurgical test work and the generation of bulk samples for potential offtake partners.
The pilot plant test work of a 3.3 tonne bulk metallurgical composite is complete. In combination with market analysis a suite of 5 saleable products have been determined that will be produced from Arrowsmith North.
Process and Engineering design of the proposed Process Plant has been guided by the chemical and physical specifications of these products. The declaration of these five products is used to define the saleable Ore Reserve declared in this Statement.
This updated Mineral Resource and Reserve is a culmination of significant metallurgical test work and evaluation of the Resource to determine the premium products we can produce,” Managing Director Bruce Maluish said.
“These products include sought after foundry sand as well as glassmaking sand suitable for flat glass, including automobile glass and container glass.
“We have despatched large samples to a number of foundry and glassmaking companies in Korea, Japan and Taiwan for evaluation and subsequent discussions for offtake.”
The creation of this proved ore reserve has led to a high confidence schedule of the final products that will be available for sale for the initial six years of mining. This will allow for a proactive marketing effort to return the best economic outcomes from the project. Future grade control programmes and ore reserve updates will occur within five years of the commencement of mining.
