iTech Minerals (ASX:ITM) has started resource drilling with the aim to test the full 2km core of graphite mineralisation at its Lacroma prospect in South Australia.
The work will be conducted over the central area of Lacroma for the next 3 months. The company says traverses will initially be drilled at about 200m spacing but may be adjusted depending on the continuity of mineralisation.
This news comes after the company completed the final of 4 regional traverses across the prospect to determine the best location to drill out a graphite resource.
iTech says it has been determined that a 2km zone of the central part of the anomaly around the first drill traverse contains the most ‘significant’ occurrence of graphite mineralisation.
New ‘significant’ assays from the northernmost third traverse at Central Lacroma include hole LARC23-037 with 10m @ 7.7% total graphite carbon (TGC) from 73m and hole LARC23-038 with 17m @ 5.4% TGC from 16m, including 4m @ 8% TGC from 29m.
iTech is still awaiting assays for 10 holes from the area.
Commenting on the recent results, iTech Minerals Managing Director Mike Schwarz says: “Now that drilling has confirmed that the central 2km of the 4km graphite prospect has the potential to contain significant graphite mineralisation, iTech has commenced resource drilling across this area.
The mineralisation in this region appears to extend 200m across strike, from surface to more than 150m deep, with a true thickness of 60m of 6-7% TGC with a 25m thick high-grade core of 8-9% TGC.
“The potential strip ratio and mining characteristics are all favourable for a low-cost mining operation”
With thick mineralisation from surface, a deep groundwater table, deep weathering and little sulphide in the top 80-100m, the potential strip ratio and mining characteristics are all favourable for a low-cost mining operation.”
The Lacroma Graphite prospect is located 20km southwest of Kimba on the central Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.
iTech Minerals is a mineral exploration company exploring for and developing battery materials and critical minerals within its wholly owned Australian projects.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: iTech Minerals Ltd
