Victory Nickel Inc. announced that its subsidiary Victory Silica Ltd.’s initial application to have the Short Grass Ranches Ltd. property under an exploration and option agreement has not been approved.
The municipal planning commission cited concerns with regard to the impact of traffic, noise and dust on the local community.
The company is continuing to examine its options to identify is own source of domestic sand as well as revisiting the permitting of the Short Grass property. The expectation is the company will reapply for a permit in the spring of 2022 and in the intervening months will work diligently with the local community to address the concerns detailed in the decision.
Third-party testing confirms the Short Grass property deposit as one of the best quality in-basin sand resource in Western Canada. In the meantime, the company will continue to purchase from local domestic sand and gravel operations to supply its customers, it said.
“The Short Grass property is a high-quality sand resource. With it, and access to current domestic sand resources, Victory Silica is positioned to be a low-cost producer of in-basin frac sand for Southern Alberta and Southern Saskatchewan, well-located to capitalize on the increased oilfield activity expected in the 2022,” said Ken Murdock, CEO of Victory Silica.