Sarytogan Graphite Ltd (ASX:SGA) has recorded thick high-grade assays from geotechnical drilling at Sarytogan graphite deposit in central Kazakhstan, providing further important input to the pre-feasibility study to be released later this year.
The company received assays from eight geotechnical drill holes drilled last year, totalling 471.3 metres, with high-grade graphite mineralisation reported in 92% of all metres drilled.
Sarytogan reported several significant intercepts of greater than 40% total graphitic carbon (TGC) and two individual assays higher than an “extraordinary” 50% TGC.
Sarytogan managing director Sean Gregory said: “These thick high-grade results, in many cases over the entire length of 60-metre drill holes drilled into the proposed initial pit walls, highlight the low strip-ratio and exceptionally high-grade mineralisation available at Sarytogan.
"This is another important input to the pre-feasibility study on track for completion no later than Q3 2024.”
The results included:
- 60.1 metres at 33.81% TGC from surface to end of hole (EOH) in GT01;
- 50.0 metres at 30.88% TGC from surface to EOH in GT02; and
- 60.0 metres at 30.46% TGC from surface to EOH in GT05.
Saytogan notes the significance of these results being that the initial pit walls will be constructed in high-grade mineralisation. This confirms that the selected initial mining areas have targeted only a very small proportion of the available mineral resource and have selected only the very highest grades at the lowest strip ratio.
What’s next for Sarytogan Graphite?
The company is continuing its battery testing with its American technology partner. This follows successful maiden battery results on Sarytogan uncoated spherical purified graphite (USPG) that delivered superior performance to many Chinese synthetic graphites used in lithium-ion batteries.
Long-cycle performance testing is continuing and testing of batteries with coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG) is also underway.
Additionally, further reserve definition drilling of the initial mining areas is planned for the 2024 field season, while the pre-feasibility study is on track for completion no later than in the third quarter of 2024.