Monax confirms high-grade coarse-flake graphite at Waddikee
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Monax Mining (ASX:MOX) has received laboratory assay and petrology results from samples provided from the Wilclo South prospect at the company’s Waddikee project located on the northern Eyre Peninsula of South Australia.
Location of the Waddikee project, central Eyre Peninsula,
highlighting other graphite and iron projects within the region. Source:
Company announcement
Monax claims the results have confirmed both the high-grade and coarse flake size of graphite at the site.
After receiving encouraging results from a forty hole regional drilling program conducted in early August, Monax submitted a sample from an outcrop for geochemical analysis and petrology, and a further four samples from the drill holes for petrology.
Two holes from the Wilclo prospect reported intersections of high-grade graphite.
The best intersections from each hole returned:
– 15 metres at 16.3 per cent total graphitic carbon (TGC) from 90 metres to 105 metres; and
– 9m at 14.8 per cent TGC from 59m to 68m.
(Company Note: these lengths are downhole lengths, true width unknown).
The outcrop sample sent for geochemical analysis and petrology reported 22.9 per cent TGC and the petrology showed that the sample contained very coarse graphite flakes up to a maximum of two millimetres and a mean length of 1.3mm.
Coarse flake graphite is anything greater than 0.177mm or 177 microns.
Other results included:
– An interval of 13.4 per cent TGC and petrology demonstrating coarse graphite with a mean size of 0.5mm;
– Coarse flake graphite from 66m to 67m downhole, which assayed 29.9 per cent TGC. This sample was up to 1.5mm in length with a mean flake length of 1mm; and
– A sample from 102m to 103m downhole, which assayed 24.9 per cent TGC of coarse graphite up to 1.5mm with a mean flake size of 0.5mm.
“Monax is excited by the high-grade assay and the confirmation from petrology that the graphite visible in hand specimen and drill chips is dominantly coarse with a mean flake size of greater than or equal to 0.5mm,” the company said in its ASX announcement.
“The company is currently finalising details for further testing to determine the flake size distribution, recovery and grades prior to undertaking a follow-up drilling program.
“Monax believes the Wilclo South area has shown that it has the grade and the flake size to be a significant graphite prospect.”
Monax has recently completed drilling programs at the Lacroma and Balumbah prospects – also part of the Waddikee Project – which it said emphasised both prospects also warrant further exploration.
The company is also planning more exploration at Waddikee’s Argent prospect – where it has already confirmed high-grade, coarse flake graphite at the surface.
