International Graphite says it is just weeks away from a revised mineral resource at its Springdale graphite project near Hopetoun, after receiving a slew of positive results from its infill drill campaign.
Assay highlights from the company’s Eastern prospect returned an 18m hit going 13 per cent total graphitic carbon (TGC) from 47m, including 1m at 25.1 per cent TGC from 56m and 4m grading an impressive 28.4 per cent TGC from 59m. Additional results from Eastern show 7m at 16.3 per cent TGC from 58m, including 2m reading 26 per cent TGC from 58m, while a deeper section of the same hole recorded 6m going 12.6 per cent TGC from 78m, including 2m grading 26 per cent TGC from 79m.
The company also returned positive results from drilling at its Western prospect, with 13m at 9.6 per cent TGC from just 21m, including 1m going 21.2 per cent TGC from 31m. Another hole at the target delivered 12m reading 11.4 per cent TGC from 49m, including 4m at 19.8 per cent TGC from 55m.
International Graphite’s latest results come from 74 reverse-circulation (RC) holes drilled through about 5150m at an average depth of about 70m. More than 270 holes were completed during the company’s 2022-23 drill campaign, with assays from a dozen holes still pending.
Springdale currently holds an inferred mineral resource of 15.6 million tonnes at 6 per cent TGC. The figure also includes a high-grade component of 2.6 million tonnes at an impressive 17.5 per cent TGC.
These drill holes provide additional data that will be used to upgrade confidence in the existing Springdale Mineral Resource estimate from inferred to indicated status. We have completed some 9-10,000 metres of infill drilling at the existing Springdale Mineral Resource over the past 12 months. This more than doubles the drill data base that supports the existing Mineral Resource estimate. International Graphite managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Worland
Management says about 5000m of drilling at its Springdale Central discovery and 3200m at its Mason Bay discovery will add further inventory to the upcoming revised resource estimate. The project is a near-surface, potentially open-pit mining operation that is strategically located on WA’s south coast and offers a well-developed infrastructure of roads and ports.
The company plans to process its Springdale-sourced ore at its Collie processing facility, about 450km from the deposit. The procedure will allow it to transform the raw graphite material into a substance appropriate for use in the construction of lithium-ion batteries.
Preliminary testing has already shown that the Springdale graphite is well suited for battery anode material, but the next stage of assessment will see the laboratory produce about 100kg of graphite concentrate from 1.5 tonnes of sample material. The company says the results will add important data into the design of the Springdale concentrator plant.
With International Graphite continuing to return impressive results from its infill definition drilling campaign at Springdale, ASX punters will have their eyes peeled for what the company reveals when it completes its updated mineral resource.
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