Buxton Resources is poised to launch a drilling campaign to pump up the 2014 mineral resource at its Graphite Bull project in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region after securing clearance from a recent Aboriginal heritage survey.
The fourth survey at the project was completed over 1.5 square kilometres as management prepares for its first major upgrade to the resource in a decade. The company’s 100 per cent-owned Graphite Bull resource consists of 4 million tonnes at 16.2 per cent total graphitic carbon (TGC), with a strike length of 460m and a depth to 220m.
It can now complete infill drilling along a 2.1km potential strike zone where drilling last year confirmed further high-grade graphite mineralisation at the project.
Results from Buxton’s 2023 scout drilling program comprised several stellar thick intersections of 33m at 18.7 per cent TGC from 11m, 32m going 17.7 per cent from 49m and 18m at 16.2 per cent from 145m. Narrow higher-grade intervals included 5m at 24.8 per cent from 20m and 5m at 24.5 per cent TGC from 123m.
The company is focused on testing for depth extensions to the mineralisation that have been defined by ground magnetic surveys. It is also concentrating on clearance works to the south and east of the existing resource.
Management believes there is scope to define additional high-grade tonnes by drilling at depth and further tonnes at reasonably shallow depths to the south and east.
Buxton Resources chief executive officer Martin Moloney said: “This is a fantastic outcome which provides clearances to support a resource upgrade and prefeasibility study. We are looking forward to seeing rigs turning again at Graphite Bull. I'd like also to gratefully acknowledge the Burringurrah heritage custodians who undertook this work."
Management says additional follow-up heritage surveys are planned for later this year to support further work scheduled for next year.
Buxton acquired Graphite Bull in 2012 and within two years had run an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey, completed several drilling programs and provided two resource estimates. Management says work since 2022 has focused on metallurgical testwork through to final product (activated anode material), in addition to efforts aimed at increasing resource size and confidence.
The results from metallurgical work undertaken by German graphite specialists ProGraphite late last year on the first 11.6kg bulk concentrate sample sent by Australian Laboratory Services in Perth, were the cause of great optimism at Buxton.
ProGraphite reported lithium-ion battery quality benchmarks were exceeded by simple caustic bake purification of the feed product, with a yield of 99.97 per cent TGC being easily achieved. Importantly, spheronising produced excellent shape and size distribution with above average yield.
Buxton reported at the time that excellent early purified spheronised graphite (PSG) testwork results from ProGraphite supported the emergence of Graphite Bull as one of the premier deposits in Australia.
The company also has the highly-promising Copper Wolf project, with recent head-turning drill-hits of 405.38m at 0.7 per cent copper equivalent from 608.38m, including 105.77m at 0.86 per cent from 700.43m. The thick interval sits below a previously reported 83.76m at 0.9 per cent copper-equivalent from 527.91m.
Recently, anomalous rock chip results from its Sun Devil and Aztec prospects within Copper Wolf returned up to 3.08 per cent copper, 156 parts per million molybdenum and 9.34ppm silver. Management says geochemical results indicate that upper levels of a porphyry system are exposed, with potentially buried copper targets at depth.
Mining giant IGO is earning into the project as part of a joint venture (JV) agreement with Buxton.
With its fingers well and truly in the “critical minerals” pie as a result of its promising graphite and copper prospects and a more than just notable dance partner on its card, Buxton has lobbed itself into the “watch this space” domain.
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By Craig Nolan
