Far North Queensland silica miner Diatreme Resources has upgraded the quality of the silica sand resource at its Cape Flattery project, with a 17 per cent increase in the indicated resource and the establishment of a maiden 49.5 million tonnes measured resource.
The ASX-listed company made the market announcement about its Northern Silica Project (NSP) on 17 April, with chief executive officer Neil McIntyre saying the upgrade provided confidence ahead of an upcoming pre-feasibility study (PFS).
“It is pleasing to report a further enhancement in the quality of the resource estimate for our flagship NSP, with the establishment of its first measured category mineral resource, and significant increase in its indicated category mineral resource,” he said.
“The enhanced resource allows us to advance our PFS with greater confidence, providing a deeper understanding of the extraordinary potential for commercialisation contained within the Si2 dune complex at the NSP.”
The latest data showed an increase in indicated resource to 120.5 million tonnes.
The company’s total low-iron, high-purity silica resource base exceeds 402 million tonnes.
Mr McIntyre said Diatreme Resources was aiming to delivery the PFS by mid-2024.