BlackEarth makes 90m graphite hit in Madagascar

BlackEarth Minerals has hit a 90.1m intersection grading 5.7% TGC at its Madagascan graphite play and the company remains on track to deliver a maiden resource estimate for the Haja deposit in November.

Final assays from drilling at the Maniry project in southern Madagascar have returned thick and consistent zones of graphite mineralisation adding to the confidence levels at the project.

Blackearth management said the final results continued to exceed expectations with further high-grade zones identified within the broader mineralised zone.

Other notable intercepts, which all start effectively from surface, include 66.8 metres grading 6.9% total graphitic carbon from surface including 15.86m @ 8.7% TGC and 28.7m @ 8.4% TGC including 16.92m @ 10.1% TGC.

The 90.1m hit included a 9.78m intersection going 9.6% TGC.

This is consistent with previous results reported in August that had included a near-surface intercept of 81.8m @ 6.1% TGC including 19.5m @ 8.1% TGC and other significant hits of 29.4m @ 7.3% TGC and 44.4m @ 6.3% TGC.

Importantly, the mineralisation at Haja remains open along strike to the north, south and down-dip to the east.

BlackEarth said it is in the final stages of planning a trenching program at the Maniry and Ianapera Projects now and this is expected to start later this month with first results due to be received towards the end of the year.

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

Managing Director Tom Revy said: “Following recent completion of the drilling program at the Haja Prospect, we look forward to establishing a JORC 2012 Resource at Haja, as this should add significantly to the company’s graphite inventory which has already been defined at the nearby Razafy prospect.”

In August, the company delivered a maiden resource of 11.2 million tonnes grading 7.1% TGC for the Razafy graphite deposit.

More than 70% of the maiden resource is now at the more confident “indicated” status and the deposit contains a high component of the premium “super jumbo” flake and is free of any penalty contaminants.