Sovereign Metals produces excellent metallurgical results at Dedza

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Sovereign Metals (ASX: SVM) has reported results from an initial scoping level metallurgical program carried out on soft saprolite samples from the Dedza flake graphite prospect within the company’s 100 per cent-owned Central Malawi graphite project.

The company said the program had produced high-grade flake graphite, with a significant proportion of the concentrate mass reporting to the higher value Extra Large and Large Flake categories.

Highlights of the program include:

Favourable graphite flake distribution with a total of almost 48 per cent of the final concentrate reporting to the Extra Large (Jumbo) and Large Flake categories;

17.3 per cent of concentrate is +48 mesh (Extra Large Flake) with a purity of 96.5 per cent carbon; and

A further 30.5 per cent of concentrate is +80 mesh (Large Flake) with a purity of 95.9 per cent carbon.

Sovereign Metals made note that the saprolite material required no primary grind and that graphite was easily liberated by simple slurrying and scrubbing before the rougher flotation stage.

The company considers the results indicate the Saprolite mineralisation at Dedza may provide the basis for a low-cost flake graphite operation, with ‘free dig’ mineralised material that requires no primary crush and grind.

 

Location of Dedza metallurgical test-work sample. Source: Company announcement

 

“We are very pleased with the results of the initial metallurgical test-work program,” Sovereign Metals managing director Matt Syme said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“They demonstrate the potential for our second project at Dedza to have substantial opex and capex savings when compared to a hard rock operation.

“Additionally, Dedza is shown to contain an excellent proportion of high value Extra Large and Large Flake graphite, which is very encouraging.”

Email: info@sovereignmetals.com.au

Website: www.sovereignmetals.com.au