On the back of Bonanza graphite strikes standing out as their best to date, Kingsland Minerals‘ initial petrographic analysis on its Leliyn Graphite Discovery in the Northern Territory has indicated a highly favourable flake size for lithium-ion batteries.
The analysis indicated flake size of up to going up to 150 microns, under which is the prized size low-cost size for battery anode materials, while exhibiting attractive components of fine, medium, and coarse graphite flake.
Kingsland Managing Director Richard Maddocks said it was an outstanding initial testwork result, and a major milestone in de-risking its pathway to development.
We are rapidly progressing the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate at Leilyn where mineralisation has been defined over a 5km strike within a 20km long graphitic schist. In parallel, we plan to progress metallurgical flotation test-work,” Mr Maddocks said.
“Leliyn is rapidly emerging as a globally significant high-grade, massive scale graphite deposit with favourable characteristics located in the tier-one jurisdiction of the Northern Territory.”
The analysis was undertaken on the first two diamond intercepts into Leliyn which returned lofty totals of 132m @ 8.7 % TGC from 0m and 26m @ 7.6% TGC from 52m.
Those strikes have since been leapfrogged by this week’s results, including a 206m @ 10.0% TGC Bonanza-grade intercept, and composite samples from that round of drilling will next be submitted for testwork.
Anode demand and forward plan
Analysts Benchmark Mineral Intelligence have noted that sharp rising demand and restricted supply has the graphite market on track for a deficit in the sub-150-micron category, leaving Kingsland well placed to capitalise from its tier-1 Northern territory location.
Further testing is expected to establish the project’s viability to produce concentrate of a quality amenable to further downstream processing, eyeing a final product of purified spherical graphite for the lithium-ion industry.
The maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for Leliyn is in the fixtures for early next year, with the remaining 15-kilometres of its 20-kilometre schist discovery yet to be drilled.
