JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Armadale has received the results of its 1 500 m, 28-hole reverse circulation drill programme, recently completed at the Mahenge Liandu graphite project, in Tanzania.
Wide high-grade mineralisation was consistently intersected at shallow, near-surface depths, with thick graphite intersected in 24 of the 28 holes completed.
Numerous holes returned exceptionally high-grade intercepts, making Mahenge Liandu one of the highest-grade graphite deposits in Tanzania, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The current resource is one of the largest high-grade deposits in Tanzania and work to date has demonstrated Mahenge Liandu’s potential as a commercially viable deposit thanks to its significant tonnage, high-grade coarse flake and near-surface mineralisation, which is contained within one contiguous orebody,” said director Nick Johansen.
He added that the company was beginning to see significant potential within the asset, and the results from the recent drill work were testament to this.
“With highs of 18.5% [total graphitic content (TGC)] and wide zones of mineralisation identified typically averaging between 8% and 10% TGC, we are very excited for the imminent increase in [Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant] resource, which we expect to be in a position to deliver by the end of the year.”
The near-surface high-grade zones confirmed by the current round of drilling points towards cost-effective production of a premium graphite product for sale to the market and is further validation of the company’s two-stage development plan.
The company expects to be able to complete a 400 000 t/y feasibility study in the second quarter of 2018.