Archer grows Sugarloaf exploration target

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Recent drilling conducted by Archer Exploration has confirmed the presence of an eastern graphite limb at the company’s Sugarloaf graphite deposit.

The Sugarloaf graphite deposit is located on Carappee Hill near Darke Peak on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.

 

Drill section superimposed on EM signature. Source: Company announcement

 

Three RC holes were drilled on the eastern side of the Sugarloaf Hill to confirm the presence of an eastern graphite limb to the Sugarloaf anticline as indicated by historic holes drilled for gold and EM data and two historic shafts,” Archer Exploration said in its ASX announcement.

“Archer’s previous drilling had only concentrated on the western graphite limb.

“The drilling confirmed that the Sugarloaf graphite deposit occurs in a broad open anticline.

“All three holes intersected graphite schist.”

The best graphite intervals reported from the recently completed drilling include:

–    20 metres at 7.8 per cent carbon from 54 metres and 7 metres at 10.6 per cent carbon from 76 metres;

–    34m at 6.3 per cent carbon from 55m and 23m at 10.6 per cent carbon from 96m, including 7m at 16.0 per cent carbon.

–    25m at 6.4 per cent carbon from 42m and 22m at 5.2 per cent carbon from 82m.

That latest results have led to Archer increasing its exploration target at Sugarloaf from 24 to 37 million tonnes grading 10 to 12 per cent carbon to 40 to 70 million tonnes at 10 to 12 per cent carbon.

Before Archer acquired the Sugarloaf tenement it had been subjected to drilling which had recorded numerous intercepts of graphite.

However, graphite was not a focus of the owners at that time and the intervals were never assayed for carbon.

Archer reviewed the historical drill logs noting graphitic intervals while geological logs had recorded intervals of graphite varying from 4m to 61m.

Archer has achieved an amorphous graphite product of 82 per cent Total Graphitic Carbon from a composite sample from one of the recent drill holes using conventional flotation techniques and standard reagents.

The Total Graphitic Carbon content rose to 85 per cent using an acid digest.
The concentrate had 91 per cent Total Organic Elemental Carbon and the sample head grade was 10 per cent carbon.
 
Archer said upcoming work will focus on testing several other sections of the deposit in order for the company to get a better understanding of the average flotation performance across the deposit.