TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – TSX-V-listed explorer Graphite One Resources this week reported that its most recent exploration campaign at its Graphite Creek project, in Alaska, had returned visible graphite in each of the 22 holes drilled.

During its 2014 summer field programme, the company sank 20 diamond core drill holes to evaluate the vertical and lateral continuity of the graphite mineralisation and two metallurgical diamond drill holes to provide samples for bench-scale testwork to be undertaken.

In total, twenty-two diamond drill holes were completed and combined amounted to 2 296.6 m. Drill holes were typically spaced about 50 m apart horizontally along the strike of the mineralised beds, with two or more holes drilled on 11 sections through the mineralisation.

The 2014 drill programme was designed to infill between previous drill holes used in the current inferred resource to increase the confidence in the continuity and distribution of the graphite mineralisation. All drill holes would be logged and sampled from top to bottom, while all drill holes were noted as having visible graphite mineralisation.

The results of the 2014 drilling would be used to update the existing resource estimate for Graphite Creek and to refine the existing inferred resource of 284.71-million tonnes, grading 4.5% graphite, including 37.68-million tonnes at 9.2% graphite and 8.63-million tonnes at 12.8% graphite.

The deposit remained open along strike to the east and west, and at depth. Graphite One had its own core-logging and sample-preparation facility in Nome, Alaska, managed by Activation Laboratories (Actlabs), of Ancaster, Ontario.

Graphite One said the two holes that were drilled to provide metallurgical samples would be used to evaluate milling parameters of differing styles of mineralisation seen at Graphite Creek, as well as to test various potential head grades of the ore.

The highest grade and near surface Zone 1 mineralisation ranged from 3% to 12% graphite and was hosted by the garnet/graphite/sillimanite/biotite schist and was the largest of the mineralised zones. Zone 2 ranged from 3% to 7% graphite and consisted of biotite/graphite/schist.

Metallurgical testwork would include optimisation flotation studies at varied head grades and mineralisation styles, followed by additional upgrading testwork on several graphite product lines for both high-end spherical graphite and large-flake graphite.

“We are pleased to have completed another successful drill campaign and look forward to increasing our understanding of the already impressive resource at the Graphite Creek deposit. It is the largest flake graphite deposit in North America and the US’ only advanced large-flake graphite deposit.

“Completing this programme puts us in the position to finalise our preliminary economic assessment to demonstrate to the market how robust the project will be,” president and CEO Anthony Huston said on Monday.

Graphite One in March announced that it had consolidated ownership in its flagship Graphite Creek project, after making a final option payment of $250 000.

A 20-year lease with automatic renewal provisions now governed the project. The lease agreement allowed for a 5% net smelter royalty, which could be reduced to 3% by paying $2-million for each per cent bought.