Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 2, 2023) - Northern Graphite Corporation (TSXV: NGC) (OTCQB: NGPHF) (FSE: 0NG) (XSTU: 0NG) (the "Company" or "Northern") is pleased to announce initial drill results from its Lac des Iles ("LDI") mine that point to the potential to extend the life of North America's only significant graphite producer.
Northern embarked on the new drilling program within the existing mine lease at Lac des Iles in May after a detailed review of historical studies and mine plans, and an airborne geophysical program identified a number of target zones on the LDI property. To date, 43 holes for 4,081 metres have been drilled.
"Lac des Iles has been producing graphite for over 30 years, but the previous owners of the property had underinvested in exploration. After looking at past data we decided to dive deeper, and we are discovering some very interesting prospects," said Northern Chief Executive Officer Hugues Jacquemin. "There is big potential here."
Northern acquired Lac des Iles in April 2022 and financed the drilling program with the proceeds of the Company's $2.25 million charity flow-through private placement completed on April 27, 2023. The program's target zones on the LDI property (located in Quebec, 180 kilometres northwest of Montreal) included the northern extension of the pit, mineralization in the west side of the pit wall and numerous electromagnetic conductors. Final assay results from the program are anticipated to be available in the fourth quarter.
"With nearly half the results in from our drilling campaign, preliminary findings show the potential to extend the life of the mine at Lac des Iles, meaning it could be around for a lot longer than what was indicated when we acquired the mine," said Northern Chief Operating Officer Kirsty Liddicoat. "There is a lot more drilling to be done and we won't know for sure until all the results are available, but we are optimistic that in coming months we will be able to say not only if, but for how long we can extend the life of this mine."
LDI has long been supplying traditional graphite markets - from refractory bricks for steelmaking to heat management in mobile phones and friction and lubrication products for brakes and brake linings for the global automobile industry. Graphite makes up nearly half of the critical mineral content of a Lithium-Ion battery and Northern is positioning itself to be an integrated mine-to-battery company, including plans to build North America's largest Battery Anode Material plant in Baie-Comeau, Quebec. The Lac des Iles mine produces some 15,000 tonnes per year of graphite in concentrate and has the capacity to produce 25,000 tonnes per annum.
"It's encouraging to see that Lac des Iles may be producing longer and at full capacity so it can continue to be a sustainable, key graphite supplier to the market while also feeding graphite into our planned battery anode material plant in Baie-Comeau," said Northern Chief Executive Officer Hugues Jacquemin. "As the EV market develops, we are building Northern to be a uniquely positioned cornerstone provider of graphite and graphite products to the cleantech and battery markets."
Highlights of the program include:
All results reported herein are true widths. A complete table of drill results and additional technical information on the exploration program are available on the Company's website here.
Early interpretation of the results shows the geology of Section B is similar to the Lac des Iles pit 2 reserve, while in Zone 4 the initial drilling indicates a larger mineralized zone to the West and below the current pit than the historically mined swarm of narrow mineralized zones within the pit.
Airborne Survey
A comprehensive geophysical survey was executed in 2023 by Prospectair Geoservices of Québec, Canada, using high-resolution heliborne magnetic (MAG) and time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) survey techniques. The survey covered a total of 92-line kilometres on the LDI property, utilizing advanced technology to identify shallow and deep geophysical targets and structures.
The survey has identified significant potential for graphite mineralization. The four most promising exploration targets are 5, 10, 15 and F2N and additional targets for future work include 7, 9 and between pits 6 and 12 .
The interpretation of the survey data highlights the influence of north-south structural trends on graphite-bearing mineralization within the property. The areas with potentially high concentrations of graphite mineralization coincide with the geological contact between the metasedimentary rocks and quartzofeldspathic gneisses. This trend is consistent with the geology of current operations. These areas also exhibit high conductivity or EM responses (High Tau Values).
The survey findings demonstrate the potential to host graphite mineralization to the West of the current and historic mine workings. The identified areas of interest, characterized by high magnetic gradients and EM conductivity, have been prioritized for further investigation and represent compelling opportunities for future graphite exploration outside of the current 2023 exploration program.
Quality Assurance - Quality Control (QA/QC)
Northern maintains an industry-standard analytical quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") and data verification program to monitor laboratory performance and ensure high quality assays. All core is logged and delineated for sampling by a qualified geologist. Samples of graphitic mineralization are taken at 2-metre intervals, adjusted with respect to lithological and/or mineralogical contacts. The core is subsequently halved by a geological technician using a diamond-bladed core saw, then one half is sawn again to create quarter sections. One of the quarter sections is placed in a bag with a unique sample identification number. The remaining three quarters of core are retained within the Company's secure storage facility at Lac-Des-Iles. Sample bags are sealed and then transported to the onsite laboratory where analysis is undertaken.
Certified standards, blanks and duplicates are inserted at defined intervals following the Company's QA/QC documented procedures, representing approximately 10% of all samples sent for assaying. Samples are analysed for Graphitic Carbon with ELTRA analyzer with HCI leaching. 5% of all samples assayed on site have pulps/duplicate samples sealed and shipped to SGS Lakefield laboratories at Lakefield, ON, a commercial laboratory that is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited and completely independent of Northern Graphite. The samples are analysed by SGS for Graphitic Carbon with IR (Leco) with calcination, HCI leaching and combustion to check and validate the results against those from the LDI lab.
Qualified Persons
All scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Yvan Bussieres, P.Eng. (planning) and Bernard-Olivier Martel, P.Geo. (geology), who are independent consultants for Northern and are qualified persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Northern Graphite
Northern is a Canadian, TSX Venture Exchange listed company that is focused on becoming a world leader in producing natural graphite and upgrading it into high value products critical to the green economy including anode material for lithium-ion batteries/EVs, fuel cells and graphene, as well as advanced industrial technologies.
Northern is the only significant graphite producing company in North America and will become the third largest producer outside of China when its Namibian operations come back online. The Company also has two large scale development projects, Bissett Creek in Ontario and Okanjande in Namibia, that will be a source of continued production growth in the future. All projects have "battery quality" graphite and are located close to infrastructure in politically stable jurisdictions.
For media inquiries contact
Pav Jordan, VP of Communications
Email: pjordan@northerngraphite.com
For additional information
Please visit the Company's website at , the Company's profile on , our Social Channels listed below or contact the Company at (613) 271-2124.
安大略省渥太華--（Newsfile Corp. — 2023 年 8 月 2 日）— 北方石墨公司 (TSXV: NGC) (OTCQB: NGPHF) (FSE: 0NG) (XSTU: 0NG) （那個”公司“或”北方“) 很高興地宣佈其Lac des Iles的初步鑽探結果 (“LDI”) 這表明有可能延長北美唯一重要的石墨生產商的壽命。
在對歷史研究和礦山計劃進行了詳細審查之後，Northern於5月在Lac des Iles的現有礦山租約中啓動了新的鑽探計劃，一項航空地球物理計劃在Lac des Iles物業上確定了許多目標區域。迄今爲止，已經鑽了43個長達4,081米的洞。
“Lac des Iles生產石墨已有30多年了，但該物業的前所有者對勘探的投資不足。在查看了過去的數據之後，我們決定更深入地研究，發現了一些非常有趣的前景。” 北方首席執行官休格斯·雅克明說。“這裏有很大的潛力。”
Northern 於 2022 年 4 月收購了 Lac des Iles，並利用該公司於 2023 年 4 月 27 日完成的 225 萬美元慈善流向私募的收益爲鑽探計劃提供資金。該計劃在LDI物業（位於魁北克，蒙特利爾西北180公里）上的目標區域包括礦坑的北部延伸、礦坑牆西側的礦化以及許多電磁導體。該項目的最終化驗結果預計將在第四季度公佈。
北方首席運營官Kirsty Liddicoat說：“由於我們的鑽探活動得出了將近一半的結果，初步發現表明有可能延長Lac des Iles礦的使用壽命，這意味着它的存在時間可能比我們收購該礦時所顯示的要長得多。”“還有很多鑽探工作要做，在所有結果出來之前我們無法確定，但我們樂觀地認爲，在接下來的幾個月中，我們不僅能夠說出是否可以延長這座礦的使用壽命，而且能延長多長時間。”
長期以來，LDI一直供應傳統的石墨市場，從用於鍊鋼的耐火磚到手機的熱管理，以及全球汽車行業用於制動器和制動襯片的摩擦和潤滑產品。石墨佔鋰離子電池關鍵礦物質含量的近一半，Northern正在將自己定位爲一家綜合礦對電池公司，包括計劃在魁北克的Baie-Comeau建造北美最大的電池陽極材料工廠。Lac des Iles礦每年生產約15,000噸石墨精礦，年產能爲25,000噸。
Northern首席執行官Hugues Jacquemin說：“令人鼓舞的是，Lac des Iles的生產時間可能更長，滿負荷運轉，因此它可以繼續成爲市場上可持續的關鍵石墨供應商，同時還可以向我們計劃中的Baie-Comeau電池陽極材料工廠供應石墨。”“隨着電動汽車市場的發展，我們正在將Northern打造成一家定位獨特的石墨和石墨產品的基石供應商，爲清潔技術和電池市場提供石墨和石墨產品。”
該計劃的亮點包括：
B 區（2 號坑和 6 號坑之間的西牆）
F4-23-02 洞在 7.3 米以上的石墨碳（“Cg”）的回報率爲 8.19%，
F4-23-04 洞在 260 萬美元以上的回報率爲 7.47% Cg，超過 12m 的 Cg 回報率爲 5.56%，超過 67m 的 Cg 回報率爲 5.14%，以及
F4-23-08 洞的回報率超過 5.8m，回報率爲 8.29%。
四區（二號坑西牆）
F4-23-28 洞在 16.95 米以上的回報率爲 9.85%，
F4-23-29 洞在 23.6 米以上的回報率爲 7.45% Cg，而且
F4-23-42 洞的回報率超過 14.2 米，回報率爲 9.43%。
此處報告的所有結果均爲真實寬度。完整的鑽探結果表和有關勘探計劃的其他技術信息可在公司網站上查閱。
對結果的早期解釋表明，B區的地質與Lac des Iles 2號礦坑保護區相似，而在4區，最初的鑽探表明，與礦坑內歷史上開採的狹窄礦化帶羣相比，西部和當前礦坑下方的礦化區更大。
空中測量
加拿大魁北克的Prospectair Geoservices於2023年使用高分辨率直升機載磁學（MAG）和時域電磁（TDEM）測量技術進行了全面的地球物理調查。該調查共涵蓋了LDI財產上的92線公里，利用先進技術確定了淺層和深層的地球物理目標和結構。
調查發現了石墨礦化的巨大潛力。四個最有前途的勘探目標是 5、10、15 和 F2N，未來工作的其他目標包括 7、9 以及第 6 號和 12 號礦坑之間。
對調查數據的解釋突顯了南北結構趨勢對礦產內含石墨的礦化的影響。石墨礦化濃度可能很高的區域與變沉積岩和石英岩石片麻岩之間的地質接觸相吻合。這一趨勢與當前業務的地質情況一致。這些區域還表現出高電導率或 EM 響應（高 Tau 值）。
調查結果表明，當前和歷史礦山的西部有可能出現石墨礦化。已確定的感興趣區域以高磁梯度和電磁導率爲特徵，已被優先進一步研究，這爲當前2023年勘探計劃之外的未來石墨勘探提供了令人信服的機會。
質量保證-質量控制 (QA/QC)
Northern 保持行業標準的分析質量保證和質量控制 (”QA/QC“）和數據驗證計劃，用於監測實驗室績效並確保高質量的檢測。所有岩心都經過記錄和劃定，以便由合格的地質學家進行採樣。每隔 2 米採集石墨礦化樣本，並根據巖性和/或礦物學接觸進行調整。隨後，地質技術人員使用金剛石刀片岩心鋸將岩心切成兩半，然後再次鋸掉一半以形成四分之一的截面。四分之一部分放在帶有唯一樣本識別號的袋子裏。其餘四分之三的核心保留在公司位於Lac-Des-Iles的安全存儲設施中。樣品袋經過密封，然後運送到現場實驗室進行分析。
根據公司的質量保證/質量控制記錄程序，按規定的間隔插入經過認證的標準、空白和副本，約佔所有送檢樣本的10％。使用具有HCI浸出功能的ELTRA分析儀對樣本進行石墨碳分析。在現場分析的所有樣本中，有5％的紙漿/重複樣本密封並運往位於安大略省萊克菲爾德的SGS Lakefield實驗室，該實驗室獲得ISO/IEC 17025認證，完全獨立於北方石墨。SGS對樣品進行紅外線石墨碳（Leco）分析，包括煅燒、HCI浸出和燃燒，以對照LDI實驗室的結果進行檢查和驗證。
合格人員
本新聞稿中包含的所有科學和技術信息均經過 P.Eng 的 Yvan Bussieres 的審查和批准。（規劃）和 P.Geo. Bernard-Olivier Martel(地質學), 他們是 Northern 的獨立顧問, 是 National Instrument 43-101 所定義的合格人員- 礦產項目披露標準。
關於Northern Graphite
Northern是一家加拿大多倫多證券交易所風險投資交易所上市公司，專注於成爲天然石墨生產領域的全球領導者，並將其升級爲對綠色經濟至關重要的高價值產品，包括鋰離子電池/電動汽車的陽極材料、燃料電池和石墨烯以及先進的工業技術。
Northern Graphite是北美唯一一家重要的石墨生產公司，當其納米比亞業務恢復運營後，它將成爲中國以外的第三大石墨生產商。該公司還有兩個大型開發項目，安大略省的Bissett Creek和納米比亞的Okanjande，這將是未來產量持續增長的來源。所有項目均採用 “電池質量” 石墨，位於政治穩定的司法管轄區的基礎設施附近。
媒體垂詢，請聯繫
Pav Jordan，傳播副總裁
電子郵件：pjordan@northerngraphite.com
欲了解更多信息
請訪問公司的網站，在我們的公司簡介上 社交渠道 下面列出或 請致電 (613) 271-2124 與公司聯繫。
