Triton Minerals Limited Mozambique Projects Update
Triton Minerals Managing Director & CEO Brad Boyle said: "These latest results are another positive step forward for Triton in our goal of producing a large quantity of high grade graphite concentrates, in a wide range of flake sizes.
The average grade of the initial rock chips samples obtained from Ancuabe is 17.6% TGC, with a maximum grade returned of 22.3%TGC. These assay results, together with the extremely large flakes in excess of 2,000 um/5 to 10 mesh observed in hand specimens, are very encouraging.
Our focus for 2015 remains on the continued rapid development of the Nicanda Hill resource, however our exploration efforts this year will include the potential definition of a world-class jumbo-flake graphite resource at Ancuabe, which will complement the key proposed Nicanda Hill operation."
ANCUABE - NEW EXPLORATION PROSPECTS
A program comprising over 1,800 line km of the airborne geophysical (VTEM) survey was completed over the Ancuabe project licenses late in 2014. Whilst the majority of the survey data is still being processed and finalised, Triton is pleased to confirm that three (3) new large and significant conductive responses (typical of high grade graphite mineralisation) have been identified within License 5336 of the project area.
Prospect area 1 (Figure 2) is particularly significant as it appears to form a potential satellite mineralised body along strike north east from the historic Ancuabe graphite mine, which is currently held by Graphite Kropfmuehl (GK), the operational graphite division of AMG Mining. Further, this location is important given its close proximity to the small functioning graphite processing plant at the Ancuabe graphite mine site.
These prospects, which are supported by positive rock chip sampling results, offer Triton the opportunity to test for additional near-surface high-grade, high purity and very large flake graphite with similar liberation characteristics to those found in the resource material located at the Nicanda Hill deposit.
Triton is aiming to further test these new anomalies at Ancuabe in future exploration and drilling programs later this year.
Very large flake graphite sourced from Ancuabe, may provide Triton the ability to produce a broad flake size range of high quality graphite concentrates in order to cater for a variety of end-user requirements.
ANCUABE - SIGNIFICANT ASSAY RESULTS
Triton confirms the initial reconnaissance sampling at Ancuabe consisted of collecting rock chip samples from the southern portion of prospect Area 1. These samples have returned a number of encouraging assay results, averaging 17.6% total graphitic carbon (TGC) and including a maximum content of 22.3% TGC. These assay results are further and better defined in Table 1 in link below.
ANCUABE - JUMBO GRAPHITE FLAKE
As a results of the recent reconnaissance mapping and sampling, which was completed in the southern portion of prospect area 1 (Figure 2 in link below), a substantial amount of graphitic outcropping has been identified in several locations, over a distance of approximately 3.5kms.
The discovery of the graphitic mineralisation in this area, is additional to the original graphitic outcrops identified by the Company on License 5380 (announced on 23 April 2013). Triton also notes that previous mineralogical tests on the License 5380 graphite samples confirmed the presence of the large and jumbo graphite flakes of up 4mm (announced 31 October 2013).
Further, visual inspections of the rock samples taken from License 5336, also appear to contain a higher volume of large, jumbo and super-jumbo graphite flake, that appears to readily separate on the outer surface of the rock chip samples (Figures 4 and 5 in link below).
Figure 5 shows examples of super-jumbo graphite flakes liberated from rock chip samples found on License 5336. The scale clearly shows that the graphite flakes obtained from the Ancuabe samples are well in excess of the 2000 um (2mm).
The Company believes that, based on both visual inspections and assays of the rock chip samples obtained from License 5336, that there is a stronger presence of graphitic mineralisation in these samples, when compared to the samples recovered from License 5380.
Based on Triton's research on the previous Ancuabe mining operations, it appears that traditional flotation methods are required to separate the graphite flakes from the graphitic ore. Although, additional grinding may be required in order to separate the graphite flakes from the waste material, Triton does not expect this to have a detrimental impact on the quality of the graphite concentrate and the range of flake sizes that can be recovered from the ore.
ANCUABE - METALLURGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL TESTING
The Company has sent a 100kg composite bulk sample to Mintek, Johannesburg for flake size distribution analysis and to determine the optimum graphite recovery methods.
Triton expects to receive initial results from Mintek on the Ancuabe samples by late March 2015.
NICANDA HILL - BULK SAMPLE
Approximately 12tonnes of near-surface graphitic material has been excavated and stockpiled in preparation for shipment to Mintek (Johannesburg) for the planned pilot plant metallurgical test work program. In order to ensure that a representative sample was obtained from this location, individual samples of approximately 1.2tonne were collected from ten separate sites, across a 2km range of the Nicanda Hill resource (refer to Table 3 and Appendix 2 for locations).
Representative samples from each individual bulk sample were collected in order to provide grade control assays for the eventual composited bulk sample. The assay results for the bulk samples are shown in Table 3 below.
Key Observations
- Average control sample grade of 17.2%TGC
- Average grade control graphite grade exceeds the overall resource graphite grade of 10.7%TGC by 6.5%
Implications
The extra information provided by the grade control sampling program, indicates that the graphite grades may potentially exceed the average resource grade in the Nicanda Hill deposit by a substantial amount and could be achievable under actual mining conditions.
Therefore, this result has the potential of improving the overall economics of extracting and producing graphite concentrates at Nicanda Hill.
INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT PLAN
Triton is reviewing a number of development options in which the Ancuabe project may be incorporated into the Nicanda Hill operations, in order to provide a greater commercial flexibility by providing a varied range of high-purity graphite flake sizes for end users.
Triton is investigating whether the Ancuabe project could be developed as either a stand-alone operation in close proximity to Pemba port facilities or transporting the graphitic material for treatment to the proposed Nicanda Hill operation.
An option being reviewed by Triton is the creation of a Central Processing Plant (CPP) facility at Nicanda Hill. Under this proposal, Triton could supplement the Nicanda Hill material with graphite ore from both Ancuabe and, in the longer term, Balama South.
Ancuabe is located approximately 150kms East of Nicanda Hill and under the integrated development concept plan, Triton is reviewing the commercial economics associated with the use of back-loading trucks on return from the Port of Pemba to Nicanda Hill, with the Ancuabe large/jumbo flake graphitic ore.
The potential of the Ancuabe super jumbo flake operation is considered by Triton to be complimentary to the Nicanda Hill operation. An integrated Nicanda Hill-Ancuabe development plan offers Triton the option to provide a supplemental range of graphite flake sizes.
A more detailed study and analysis about the viability of the CPP will be completed by Triton and will be considered during the Nicanda Hill Definitive Feasibility Study, which will commence shortly.
Should Triton be able to integrate the Ancuabe and Nicanda Hill projects, this would place the Company in a unique position with respect to the size of its resources (hence life of mine), with low production costs, and the ability to provide the full range of graphite flake sizes.
Further, the Ancuabe project could position Triton to take advantage of the expected future increase in demand for jumbo and large flake graphite and the associated premium prices for those graphite flake categories, as highlighted in Stormcrow's Graphite Sector Initiation report from 2014.
GRAPHITE PRODUCTS
As previously announced, there a multiple uses for flake graphite which include: Expandable Graphite (insulation foam, soft foams, mattresses, carpets, textiles, coatings, plastic foils, rubber products, pipe closing systems, fire retardants, graphite foil), Micronised Graphite Powder (photovoltaic, high temperature furnaces, lamp carbon, lubricants, carbon brushes), Spherical Graphite (anodes in lithium ion batteries) and Recarburisation (steel making and iron casting).
Triton believes that with the integration of the Nicanda Hill and Ancuabe projects, it will be able to provide a greater selection of high quality graphite concentrates to cater for a wider range of customer requirements.
CONCLUSIONS
The continued rapid development of the Nicanda Hill resource towards production remains Triton's foremost priority however, these latest exploration results also confirms the high quality nature of the Ancuabe graphite project.
Should Triton demonstrate economic volumes of large and jumbo flake graphite at Ancuabe, it would complement our expected production from Nicanda Hill and provide the Company with the potential to produce the large scale volumes of high grade graphite in the full range of flake sizes and thereby accommodating for a wider range of end-user requirements.
To view all tables and figures, please visit:
http://media.abnnewswire.net/media/en/docs/ASX-TON-708907.pdf
About Triton Minerals Limited:
Triton Minerals Ltd. (ASX:TON) is an ASX listed, responsible mineral explorer and resource management company headquartered in Perth, Australia.
Led by a highly experienced management team, Triton Minerals' vision is to grow shareholder's value through discovery or development of base metal, gold and other precious metal deposits.
Triton has made excellent progress with its three Graphite projects located in the Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique, with the program successfully identifying a number of graphitic exposures.
It is the Company's belief that the Mozambique, Balama North Project could host multiple and very substantial world class graphite deposits.
Contact:
Triton Minerals Ltd.
Brad Boyle
T: +61-8-6489-2555
F: +61-8-9388-1252
www.tritonmineralsltd.com.au