PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Graphite developer Triton Minerals has reported an 87% increase in the graphite resource at its Ancuabe project, in Mozambique.
The total indicated and inferred mineral resource at Ancuabe has increased to 27.9-million tonnes, at an average grade of 6% total graphitic carbon, for 1.7-million ounces of contained graphite.
The upgraded mineral resource includes a maiden 8.4-million-tonne resource for the T16 deposit, which is located some 3 km from the flagship T12 deposit and will form a key part of any future mine plan.
Triton on Monday said that the company had also significantly improved the confidence of the T12 deposit, increasing the total mineral resource to 19.5-million tonnes, and moving 8.1-million tonnes of the resource into indicated status.
“This major resource upgrade is extremely pleasing in that it reaffirms our belief that the larger Ancuabe deposit is a potential long-term supplier of large flake, high-grade graphite concentrate,” said Triton MD Peter Canterbury.
“It is particularly pleasing to achieve an indicated resource at T16 within six months from first resource definition drilling and at an average grade greater than the T12 deposit.”
Canterbury said that the resource results formed the basis of a scoping study due for release next week, and supported feasibility studies that have started at Ancuabe.