Metallica Minerals (ASX:MLM) announces that assay results have been received for the 25 Hand Auger holes that were drilled in the western part of the Cape Flattery Silica (CFS) tenement (EPM 25734) in August 20222.
The hand auger holes were drilled (WA145 to WA169) comprising 123m of drilling in the western part of the EPM. The auger holes were designed to determine the possible ariel extent of silica sand in the western part of the tenement and to determine the quality of the silica sand.
Addressing the results, Metallica Executive Chairman Theo Psaros said: “We are pleased with these initial auger results as they indicate that additional high purity silica sand is located on the western part of our EPM.
The sand samples appear at this stage, to be of a very high quality. Our focus remains on developing the MLA area to the east.
“The sand samples appear at this stage, to be of a very high quality. Our focus remains on developing the MLA area to the east”
However, it is important we start to identify the silica sand potential located in the Western Area.”
The holes were augured vertically into individual sand dunes to a maximum depth of 5m, which was the physical limit that the auger was capable of drilling.
Metallica reports that ‘high quality’ silica sand was intersected at the base of 23 of the 25 holes, indicating that there is likely to be depth extensions to the high-quality silica sand mineralisation.
Future drill testing of the Western Area will determine the maximum depth extent of the mineralisation in each of the sand dunes tested by the auguring.
Samples were collected at 1m intervals down each hole. Each hole was logged at 1m intervals and the colour, grain size and the presence of any contaminants recorded.
A representative sample of each one-meter interval was placed in a chip tray, which was then photographed to provide a digital record of each hole. These photographs are stored in a database with the relevant assay results so visual comparisons can be made between grade and sand quality.
All the samples were submitted to ALS in Brisbane where they were assayed for silica, iron oxide, aluminum, and titanium content.
The majority of the auger holes intersected clean high purity white silica sand with low contaminants. The quality of the sand also appears to increase away from the coast with the highest grade silica holes with the lower iron contents located in the western part of EPM257634.
Metallica notes the results from the auger program are expected to be included in a maiden resource estimate for the Western Area to determine if a mineral resource estimate can be obtained in Q4 2022.
Future work on the Western Areas is expected to involve a tractor mounted vacuum rig drilling program to test the western sands dunes to a depth of greater than 5m and benchtop metallurgical test work to determine the final product grade than can be achieved after running the sand through a processing circuit.
Metallica’s 100% owned Cape Flattery Silica Sand (CFS) Project is located in the Cape Flattery area, on the eastern coastline of Cape York Peninsula, 220km north of Cairns, and 55km from Cooktown.
The company is developing the CFS Project adjacent to the Cape Flattery Silica Sand mining and shipping operation owned by the Mitsubishi Corporation.
Initial exploration drilling in late 2019 confirmed the presence of ‘high purity’ silica sand within EPM 25734.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Metallica Minerals Limited
