Fjordland Exploration Inc. (TSXV: FEX) has received promising results from a scoping level metallurgical evaluation of the graphite potential at its Renzy Project located northwest of Maniwaki Quebec.
In early 2023, Fjordland engaged SGS Minerals Lakefield to test a representative graphite sample on drill core derived from its 2022 drill programme. The primary objectives of the testing were to develop a preliminary understanding of the metallurgical response of the mineralization and to characterize the graphite concentrate in terms of flake size distribution and total carbon grade of different size fractions.
After the third floatation test (F3), the sixth cleaner concentrate grade was 95.6% C(t) with a total carbon recovery of 94.2%. This high concentrate grade was achieved with polishing only, which suggests that the impurities are attached to the surface of the flakes rather intercalated.
The flake size distributions of the sample classify the product as relatively coarse with 55% of the concentrate mass reporting to the +100 mesh size fractions. Only 5.1% of the total concentrate mass reported to the very small flake sizes of minus 325 mesh.
“I’m very encouraged by this early metallurgical testing on the graphite intercepts from our last drill program at Renzy,” Fjordland’s President, James Tuer, said.
“In order to decide whether further graphite work was warranted, we wanted to make sure that there was good potential for generating a high-grade concentrate. This now appears to be the case and we are looking at expanding the program along the eight km long geophysical signature that’s coincident with the graphitic drill intercepts.”
The final two holes of the 2022 Renzy drill programme tested portions of a long surface anomaly referred to as the “S-Conductor” located 6km south-east of the old Renzy mine. The anomaly coincides with a wide zone of graphite mineralization tested by drill holes RZ-22-06 and RZ-22-07 that intersected 34m and 55m core lengths and averaged 0.9% and 0.7% carbon, respectively. Higher grades occurred within the intercepts and the head grade for the metallurgical test measured 1.57% total carbon.
SGS Lakefield reported that in order to evaluate the quality of the cleaner concentrates with regards to flake size distribution and total carbon grade of the various size fractions, the final cleaner concentrates from F2 and F3 were submitted for a size fraction analysis.
There is a trend of higher-grade flakes in the coarser fractions, reaching >98% C(t) in the +32 mesh fraction down to ~91% C(t) in the finest -400 mesh fraction. All fractions at +100 mesh or coarser (the classified mesh size for many graphite commercial processing plants) achieved >95% C(t), which is often considered an acceptable flake grade target. Approximately 55% of the concentrate mass was in the +100 mesh fractions, indicating fairly coarse flakes are present in the deposit.
Based on these preliminary results, the company will concentrate on exploring for locations along the S-Conductor where higher grades may occur. The ultimate value of a graphite deposit is a function of grade and the coarseness of the concentrate grade.
Coarser higher grade graphite material, generally referred to as Jumbo Flake, commands significantly higher prices compared with finer concentrates. With the recent announcements regarding the introduction of Electric Vehicle battery manufacturing facilities being built in Bécancour, Quebec. Fjordland believes it is a good position participate in this growth should an economic deposit be developed.
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