Evolution Energy Minerals Ltd (ASX:EV1) has made a new graphite discovery east of its Chilalo mining licence in Tanzania.
The graphite stock has confirmed high-grade mineralisation over 1.6 kilometres of a possible 3.5-kilometre strike length, proving up the development-ready asset’s expansion potential.
Evolution managing director Phil Hoskins said: “The shallow depth, width, grade and close proximity to the existing Chilalo mineral resource make this an exciting discovery for Evolution.
“These results clearly demonstrate the scope to materially grow the Chilalo mineral resource and thereby potentially enable a production expansion, extension to mine life and reduction in mining costs.”
Beneath the surface
Evolution recently embarked on a 5,440-metre, 44-hole drilling campaign, designed to test some of Chilalo’s strongest electromagnetic conductors and confirm the project’s scale potential.
This is a tried-and-true strategy; since 2015, ground-based, time-domain, fixed-loop electromagnetic surveys have been used to identify conductive bedrock layers at Chilalo.
Thanks to this work, more than 17 kilometres worth of strong bedrock conductor trends were identified, which were subsequently plate modelled to facilitate drill planning.
Fast forward to today, and assays are in for 13 of those reverse circulation drill holes, covering 1,431 metres of prospective ground.
Some of the best results include:
- 26 metres at 9.0% total graphitic carbon (TGC) from 8 metres;
- 8 metres at 13.7% TGC from 50 metres;
- 6 metres at 10.3% TGC from 66 metres;
- 10 metres at 10.2% TGC from 80 metres; and
- 8 metres at 9.70% TGC from 90 metres.
Notably, the eastern end of the Chilalo East discovery shows high-grade graphite mineralisation over good widths from surface.
Most encouragingly, high-grade graphite along this trend appears to coincide with a range of electrical conductances, not just the zones of highest conductance.
This could mean that any of the FLEM conductor trends may be related to significant graphite deposits, indicating Chilalo’s sizable scale potential.
What now?
Several drill holes have been cased for down-hole electromagnetic surveys in Chilalo’s key regions.
In essence, this program will help differentiate a drillhole’s mineralised layers, identify off-hole graphite layers that were not intersected and assist with additional drill planning and resource modelling.
As a result, follow-up drilling is on the cards as Evolution investigates graphite layers that may have been missed in the early stage campaign.