Sarytogan Graphite Ltd (ASX:SGA) is confident of boosting the 209 million tonnes at 28.5% TGC inferred mineral resource at Sarytogan Graphite Project in Central Kazakhstan after intersecting thick, high-grade graphite outside the resource area.
The company’s optimism stems from the return of thick high-grade graphite intercepts in four diamond drill holes to the northeast of the Central Graphite Zone (CGZ) and outside the “giant” high-grade resource.
Thick, high-grade results
These holes each produced significant intercepts above 20% total graphitic carbon (TGC) with ST-71 returning 133.9 metres of graphite mineralisation in separate intervals including:
- 5.8 metres at 26.4% TGC from 41.4 metres;
- 10.7 metres at 20.6% TGC from 56.2 metres;
- 36.1 metres at 27.2% TGC from 142 metres including 12.9 metres at 35.8%; and
- 29.1 metres at 23.1% TGC from 189.7 metres.
“Systematic approach”
Sarytogan managing director Sean Gregory said: “These exceptional drilling results are continuing to expand what is already a giant graphite deposit.
"Sarytogan’s systematic approach is characterising the entire deposit area to identify the best location to be selected for future mining studies.”
Other strong extension results
ST-71 was the standout hole but others also returned strong results.
High-grade graphite was returned from surface in ST-70 and included:
- 14.3 metres at 28.5% TGC from surface;
- 32.5 metres at 32.0% TGC from 57.3 metres including 8.2 metres at 35.6% TGC; and
- 20.7 metres at 24.8% TGC from 123.7 metres.
- 8.0 metres at 27.5% TGC from 11.8 metres in ST-69; and
- 17.9 metres at 23.9% TGC from 8.7 metres including 5.5 metres at 38.3% in ST-69A.
Sarytogan also fielded more high-grade graphite results from within the CGZ.
High-grade graphite from surface in ST-68:
- 22.9 metres at 29.9% TGC from surface including 15.8 metres at 36.1% TGC; and
- 30.8 metres at 31.7% TGC from 73.1 metres including 19.6 metres at 36.9% TGC.
These results within the CGZ build on excellent results announced on August 15, 2022.
About Sarytogan Project
Sarytogan Graphite Project is in the Karaganda region of Central Kazakhstan. It is 190 kilometres by highway from the industrial city of Karaganda, the fourth largest city in Kazakhstan.
Assays are pending from completed drill holes targeting more intensively metamorphosed rocks in the south of the CGZ.
Identification of more intense contact metamorphism in this area, as evidenced by the presence of muscovite, sericite, tourmaline and turquoise minerals in outcrop, suggests the potential for well-developed graphite mineralisation.
Further drilling
Further infill drilling is underway within the CGZ on 200-metre-spaced drill lines with extensional drilling planned to extend the NGZ both to the south and north.
Drilling is on track to be completed by November 2022 thanks to the addition of a second diamond drill rig that has seen productivity improvements on site.
This work is expected to enable an updated mineral resource estimate in the first quarter of 2023 targeting some areas for reporting at the higher indicated resource classification.
Metallurgical test-work including floatation, sintering/roasting, and leaching is also underway at labs in Australia and Germany aimed at replicating the historical results where purities of up to 98.6% have been reported.