JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Exploration/development-stage company Next Graphite has started testing lump graphite for quality and purity, following the conclusion of a bulk sampling programme at its Aukam property, in Namibia.

The 25 t bulk sample was pulled from one of three existing adits at Aukam and testing was expected to further define the characteristics of the material and its suitability for added-value manufacturing applications.

"Vein graphite is in high demand in the market and our Aukam graphite project is one of the few lump graphite projects in the world," said Next Graphite CEO Cliff Bream in a statement on Thursday.

The company, which was targeting the growing global graphite production industry and market demand, highlighted that during a previous bulk-sampling and testing programme an average head grade of 42.5% was realised. Some flotation tests were also conducted on this material and the company was able to upgrade the lump graphite consecutively across all samples to 96% carbon.

"We have been meticulous in our sampling, testing and grading process to ensure we have all the approvals and certifications to offer our graphite to the market at the best price possible,” stated Bream.

He explained that the company’s cost-structure to process graphite in Namibia, combined with its mine still being able to provide access to graphite vein lodes, was a tremendous benefit for Next Graphite, its shareholders and future customers who required high-quality vein graphite for battery systems and consumer products.

“The financing commitment by our joint venture partner Micron Investments and their geologist team provide additional validation of our asset and the capital to begin processing in the near term," Bream added.

Next Graphite had announced in May that its geologists had began exploring its 125 000 acre Aukam property, which contained three underground adits that were mined periodically between 1940 and 1974. The mine produced a recorded 26 740 t of lump graphite, which equated to $30-million of graphite at today's prices. After 1974, the mine was closed owing to an adit fire