VRX Silica (ASX:VRX) is proceeding with the development of its Muchea Silica Sand Project following confirmation of Western Australian Government support for a land swap proposal.
Located 50km north of Perth, the project contains a JORC-compliant total mineral resource estimated at 208 million tonnes of silica sand @ 99.6% silica.
The Muchea project has also been included in Austrade’s Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus since 2022.
As part of the proposal terms, VRX has applied for a replacement mining lease over 712 hectares of land currently within a restricted file notation area (FNA).
Following the granting of the replacement lease, the company will relinquish its existing mining lease, freeing 818 hectares from the current lease area.
The company says the newly available 818 hectares are expected to be incorporated into the FNA area, substantially increasing the tonnage of ‘high-grade’ silica sand available for mining.
CEO Tony Swiericzuk says the decision “provides certainty for VRX at Muchea, allowing access to areas with substantially greater volume of very high grade silica sand than currently available under [VRX’s] granted mining lease”.
“It also allows us to select areas for mining with a lower environmental impact,” Swiericzuk adds.
VRX says government support for the Muchea land swap proposal also supports the potential establishment of a specialist ultra-clear glassmaking industry, alongside other ‘high-value’ downstream industries in Australia.
The company is now in talks with the Department of Mines, Petroleum, and Exploration to outline the formal steps required and timing to implement the proposal.
VRX has also conducted baseline environmental surveys for the Muchea project, which are currently under review.
The company plans to submit referrals for environmental, mining, and other regulatory approvals to support targeted surveys planned for Q1 2027.
It also expects to release an updated Bankable Feasibility Study during the same period.
VRX Silica is a pure-play silica sand developer focused on its wholly owned Arrowsmith, Muchea, and Boyatup projects in Western Australia.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: VRX Silica
