The results of a scoping study for a proposed openpit mine and graphite process plant at the Ancuabe graphite project, in north- eastern Mozambique, supports the advancement of feasibility studies on the project, graphite miner Triton Minerals announced last month.

“Our strategy remains focused on fast-tracking the Ancuabe project to enable an early investment decision,” says Triton MD Peter Canterbury.

Triton has started discussing offtake and marketing agreements through its cornerstone investor, China-based Shandong Tianye, and has initiated metallurgical and product testwork for feasibility studies, which are expected to be completed later this year.

Technical investigations to support other aspects of feasibility studies, including water and geotechnical investigations, process equipment selection investigations and continued environmental baseline studies, were scheduled for the second quarter of 2017.

The scoping study forms a preliminary technical and economic consideration of the potential viability of the Ancuabe T12 and T16 deposits and is based on low-level technical and economic assessments that are not sufficient to support the estimation of ore reserves.

Triton highlights that the scoping study, contributed to by international technical consultants Battery Limits, CSA Global and Knight Piésold, demonstrates a robust project with upside potential through optimised mine planning, a coarser grind size and process optimisation.

The study was undertaken to determine the potential feasibility of an openpit mine and graphite processing plant, constructed adjacent to the Ancuabe T12 and T16 deposits, and to reach a decision to proceed with the more definitive feasibility studies. Its results followed an announcement by Triton in April of a maiden indicated and inferred mineral resource for the T16 deposit – located just 3 km from the flagship T12 deposit – of 8.4-million tons at an average grade of 7.8% total graphitic carbon (TGC). The study was further supported by encouraging metallurgical testwork, which has shown an average of 59% large or jumbo flake size and average concentrate purity of more than 97% TGC for metallurgical samples tested to date, as of April.

“The highly successful completion of the major mineral resource upgrade and scoping study is a major step forward in establishing Triton as a supplier of premium-flake graphite with high concentrate levels to the expandable and battery markets globally.

Triton has also significantly advanced confidence in the T12 deposit, increasing the total mineral resource to 19.5-million tons at 5.2% TGC and moving 8.1-million tons into the indicated category. The total mineral resource estimate for the Ancuabe project now comprises 27.9-million tons, grading 6% TGC, for 1.68-million tons of contained graphite.

“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.”

The third and final phase of drilling at Ancuabe started last month, focusing on the T16 deposit, in conjunction with fixed-loop electromagnetic surveys of key targets.