Buxton drilling hints at new graphite province in Murchison

Buxton Resources drilling at its Narryer project in WA’s Murchison region has intercepted 20m at a grade of 9.06 per cent total graphitic carbon (TGC) in a 60m thick zone, indicating a possible new graphite province.

The discovery, accompanied by recently-acquired electromagnetic (EM) signatures, indicates the existence of near-surface graphite and may have unveiled a new graphite province within the company’s ground.  

Buxton’s 100 per cent-owned Narryer Project lies just 100km south of Buxton’s other 100 per cent-owned Graphite Bull project with both properties enjoying direct year-round access by roads north from Mullewa via Murchison and Glenburgh Stations.

The latest exploration result detailed in the first analyses received from the company’s reverse-circulation (RC) drilling at its Ranger target is based on composited intersections, which include 20m at 9.06 pr cent TGC within an overall mineralised zone of 60m at 4.34 per cent TGC.  True thicknesses for the two intercepts are 19.2m and 57.7m, respectively.

The maximum grade reported for an individual 1m sample was 14.95 per cent TGC from 240m depth. The hole ran to a total depth of 252m and ended in graphitic mineralisation.

Interestingly, the top of mineralisation coincides almost exactly with the location of a recently acquired 920m–by-383m modelled EM conductor, which almost mirrors a previous, but significantly smaller 800m-by-150m conductor from an EM model that was based on late-time channels only. 

The inclined 27degree plane of the EM conductor plate is interpreted to extend upwards to within 60m of the surface. If it were projected further upwards it would break surface about 400m from the drillhole collar.

Buxton has recently had its ground EM coverage at its Ranger prospect and at Oculus - about 2km south-west of Ranger - re-modelled by an independent consultant to incorporate additional early-time channels and its latest model is about 2.9 times more extensive than previous modelling.

The EM geophysics at Buxton’s Oculus ground has also been reviewed and the conductors have also been found to project to shallower depths.

The company believes the graphite mineralisation in both models could project further upwards to the interface between the recent transported sedimentary cover and the Archean rocks which host the graphite mineralisation, which sits only about 20m below ground level at the Ranger drillhole collar

Results from Buxton’s airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey coverage points to a cluster of seven linear conductors which stretch south-westwards from  Ranger in the north for a total of 19.1km of strike, each of which the company figures have high potential to host good graphite mineralisation.

The AEM anomalies coincide with legitimate bedrock sources at both Ranger – now drilled and proven by the headline hole - and at Oculus, with both also highlighted in ground EM models.

Looking at the nature and scale of the mineralisation in this first batch of results and the string of seven new AEM targets, Buxton could easily be sitting on a string of large. shallow graphite resources.  

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au