South Star Battery Metals Corp. (TSX-V:STS, OTCQB:STSBF) has completed its 2023 drilling campaign on the BamaStar graphite project in Coosa County, Alabama.
The program was designed to test continuity and limits of mineralization in support of the upcoming NI43-101 preliminary economic assessment, scheduled for completion at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Fifteen holes, totalling approximately 1,900 meters, were successfully completed at BamaStar, and all intercepted significant intervals of graphite mineralization.
During the drilling, several potentially promising zones were intersected.
"Our 2023 drilling campaign was extremely successful, and every hole has significant intervals with graphite mineralization,” said Richard Pearce, chief executive of South Star.
“We tested controls and limits at depth, across the ore body, as well as along strike. We discovered a significant deeper mineralized package below what we had previously drilled, and there are several holes that ended in mineralization. We are open at depth and in both directions along strike. These results will be incorporated into an updated resource definition as part of our upcoming PEA scheduled for March 2024, and this deliverable should complete our 75% earn-in requirements on the properties.”
Separately, the company is also on schedule to complete its feasibility study for a third phase of production at its Santa Cruz project in Brazil, where initial production is expected soon.
“Our goals are to have two mines producing a total of 100,000 tonnes per annum of concentrates, and between 60,000 and 70,000 tonnes per annum of vertically integrated graphite production including active anode materials and other critical graphite products in the US in 2027," Pearce added.