Crater Gold Mining have told the ASX they plan to fast-track an exploration program with drilling commencing late-October to mid-November at the Golden Gate Graphite Project in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
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The tenement areas are located 4 to 7 kilometres north-west of Croydon and the program will consist of confirmatory drilling, representative sampling/assaying and metallurgical testing of fresh graphite intersections.
They have begun preparations for the drilling program in the next month which will consist of two geotechnical diamond core holes will in zones of known graphite mineralisation for 250 metres.
Crate Gold Mining managing director Russ Parker said fresh drill core samples were required for modern metallurgical and mineralogical test work.
“If the metallurgical results are positive, we will quickly establish a diamond drilling program also encompassing to test for and substantiate the reported results of the historical drill holes,” Mr Parker said.
Metallica Minerals discovered high-purity graphite last year at their Esmeralda Graphite Project area, 80 kms south of the Golden Gate Graphite Project area in a similar geological setting enhancing the potential for the discovery of further graphite mineralisation.
While previous metallurgical test work at Golden Gate confirmed graphite, it has not been conclusive as to the type with testwork indicating it may be of low-grade amorphous quality.
However, mineralogical examination of the test samples suggested it might have been flake graphite pulverised by the reverse circulation drilling bit and most of the samples tested were oxidised and not ideal for metallurgical testing.
Graphite, one of the four main natural forms of carbon, has a very wide range of end uses, including high-temperature lubricants, brushes for electrical motors, friction materials, pencils, battery anodes and fuel cells.
Rich gold discoveries in 1891 at the Golden Gate reef north-west of Croydon was part of a short-lived goldrush in the area where the population of the town rose to 7000 at its peak.