BlackEarth has large flake graphite in Madagascar

BlackEarth Minerals has further vindicated its belief in the Razafy graphite prospect in southern Madagascar after initial metallurgical test work produced a high grade concentrate with plenty of large flake graphite.

Initial flotation tests produced a concentrate with more than 96% total graphitic carbon from composite material obtained from Razafy, which is located within the broader Maniry project.

Notably, more than 52% of the concentrate was represented by large flake graphite, which should allow the product to tap the high value lithium ion battery and fire-retardant building material markets.

BlackEarth added the initial comminution results indicate low to moderate ore hardness, which could potentially reduce processing costs.

Test work is ongoing on both oxide and primary ore mineralisation from Razafy to establish a preliminary flow sheet design for the current scoping study.

This is expected to deliver improvements in both concentrate grade and coarse flake size distribution and allow optimisation of the preliminary process flowsheet.

In addition, the results will be used for initial geo-metallurgical modelling.

The test work program is expected to be completed by late November.

Razafy’s mineral resource estimate currently sits at 11.2 million tonnes grading 7.1% total graphitic carbon.

BlackEarth Managing Director Tom Revy said: “These preliminary results provide additional hard data, that materials from the Razafy Resource produces a high-quality, large flake size product, which currently attracts a premium price in global graphite markets.”

“This complements, and vindicates, our detailed mineralogical and petrological assessment carried out earlier this year. The company is now fast tracking the Scoping Study due to be completed in December 2018.”

Earlier this month, rock chip sampling returned jaw dropping grades of up to 48% total graphitic carbon from new high grade target zones located in the underexplored northwest corner of the Maniry project.

These high grade zones, which are located within 2km of Razafy, will be tested during the trenching program that is due to start this month.

The trenching program is aimed at increasing the size of the current Razafy mineral resource and delineating further high-grade resources within the broader area.