Bass Metals Ltd (ASX:BSM) (FRA:R2F) has completed a further 140 shallow auger holes to an average depth of 12 metres from surface at Graphmada Mining Complex in eastern Madagascar as it seeks to expand its current graphite resource of 20.2 million tonnes at 4% TGC.
At Ambatofafana-West, additional auguring has confirmed at least one graphite zone over a strike length of around 600 metres and widths of 100-450 metres and this is open-ended north-south.
Weighted averages up to 11.5 metres at 5.9% FC (including 4 metres at 9.8% FC) were obtained.
At Ambatofafana-East, auguring to date confirmed at least three graphite zones over strike lengths of about 250-450 metres and widths of 50-100 metres and open-ended north-south.
Weighted averages up to 11.5 metres at 5.2% FC (including 6 metres at 7.5% FC) were obtained with auger results to the north and south still pending.
One ‘wildcat’ drill hole, further to the northwest of Ambatofafana yielded a weighted average up to 11.5 metres at 9.6% FC (including 4.5 metres at 14.8% FC), which appears to be a part of the Mahela-South graphite zone and will need further investigation and augering.
Aiming to grow mineral resources
BSM chief executive officer Tim McManus said: “Bass, via successive drilling programs, has seen the overall mineral resource at Graphmada grow from 5.4 million tonnes at 4.1% TGC to 20.2 million tonnes at 4.0% TGC.
“From stage-1 mining of this mineral resource, the company produced premium quality concentrates which were sold globally into various markets without penalty or rejection.
“The company looks forward to updating the market further as the team aims to continue the growth of the company’s mineral resources to support large scale mining and processing operations (stage-2) while in parallel developing advanced materials utilising Graphmada concentrates.”
Drilling results
New drilling results include:
- 11.5 metres at 9.6% FC, including 4.5 metres at 14.8% FC;
- 9 metres at 6.6% FC, including 4 metres at 9.6% FC;
- 11.5 metres at 5.9% FC, including 4 metres at 9.8% FC; and
- 10.5 metres at 5.6% FC, including 8 metres at 6.8% FC.
Bass Metals drilled 140 shallow auger holes to an average depth of 12 metres from surface at the Ambatofafana Prospect for a total of 1,647 metres drilled.
Results of which continue to demonstrate the regolith hosted graphite mineralization footprint at Graphmada is extensive, both laterally and in width.
Areas remain untested
Ambatofafana is at the southernmost end of the company’s permits at Graphmada.
The prospect is divided into two known mineralization zones, Ambatofafana West and Ambatofafana East.
Bass Metals has yet to test the possible mineralisation between Ambatofafana West and Mahela, or the mineralization between Ambatofafana and Mahefedok.