Metallica Minerals assay results confirm high purity silica sand at Cape Flattery Project

Metallica Minerals Ltd (ASX:MLM) has received positive assay results from its December 2020 maiden drilling program at its 100% owned Cape Flattery Silica Sands Project, confirming significant intervals of high purity silica sand The results are based on 22 Vacuum drill holes across the breadth of the dune complex totalling 505 meters of drilling and 554 assays and have confirmed significant intervals of high purity silica sand. Encouraged by the positive assay results, the company has also started resource estimation at the project. “Potential to materially increase resource” On 30 November 2020, the company achieved a maiden JORC inferred resource of 12.85 million tonnes at 99.28% SiO2 for the CFS, and believes this could potentially be increased. Metallica executive chairman Theo Psaros said: “The confirmation of the continuity of high purity silica sands in the Cape Flattery sand dune system gives us further confidence for the potential to materially increase the resource in both size and confidence. “The team at Ausrocks have now started their independent review of these results and we remain on track to announce an upgraded resource by the end of February 2021.” Metallurgical studies planned The company has commissioned IHC Robbins to undertake metallurgical studies on a representative silica sand bulk sample, which will determine the processing requirements and assist in understanding the marketability of a premium sand product. Psaros said: “Our team visited the IHC Robbins facility to not only see first-hand the silica sand samples that were sent from Cape Flattery but to be briefed on the metallurgical testing process that is now underway. “We appreciate we have much work to do but our enthusiasm for the potential of our project, being located so close to the largest silica sand mine in the world producing a well-recognised product and with growing demand for this commodity, has Metallica well positioned in our development of this mine.” Looking forwards Drilling has now confirmed that the dunes contain high purity silica sands with an in-situ quality which is understood to be comparable to Mitsubishi Corp’s (TYO:8058) (OTCMKTS:MSBHF) (FRA:MBI) Cape Flattery Silica Mine. Future drilling will target observable sand dune extension to the south and east of the current drilling grid when new tracks are cleared.