Jan 23 2017
Focus Graphite Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FMS)(OTCQX:FCSMF)(FRANKFURT:FKC) ("Focus" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results from the Company's 2016 infill and extension drilling program at its wholly owned Lac Tétépisca Graphite Project ("the Project") located southwest of the Manicouagan reservoir in the Côte-Nord administrative region of north-eastern Québec. The results of 2016 drilling program (18 holes; total: 2,424 m) combined with the results of the maiden core drilling program carried out on the Project in 2014, (16 holes; total: 1,874 m; refer to Focus news release dated August 17th, 2016 available at www.focusgraphite.com and at www.sedar.com) will form the basis of an initial Mineral Resource Estimate, planned to commence in Q1 2017, to be followed by a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) in Q2 or Q3.
Highlights:
- In 2016, 18 HQ-diameter holes (total: 2,424 m; Figure 1) were drilled to test the continuity of the graphitic mineralization within the "Manicouagan-Ouest Graphitic Corridor" with respect to the variability of graphitic carbon thickness and grades. Fifteen (15) holes intersected significant graphitic mineralization with grades ranging from 5.6% Graphitic Carbon (Cg(1)) to 19.35% Cg over a minimum true thickness(2) of 6.2 m (Table 1).
- Best intersection(2): Hole LT-16-32, drilled at -45 degrees to a depth of 159 m, intersected 102.1 m grading 10.7% Cg (from 42.0 m to 145.15 m (core length: 103.15 m); Table 1), including:
- 30.2 m grading 16.7% Cg (from 45.75 m to 76.25 m (core length: 30.5 m); Table 1); and
- 13.0 m grading 14.4% Cg (from 100.4 m to 113.5 m (core length: 13.1 m); Table 1).
- The Manicouagan-Ouest Graphitic Corridor is a linear kilometer-scale geophysical Magnetic (MAG) - Electromagnetic (EM) anomaly that is now drilled-tested over a 1,000 m strike length. The main graphite-bearing zone is 85 m wide on average, with drilling down to approximately 100 m.
The maiden core drilling program conducted on the Manicouagan-Ouest Graphitic Corridor in 2014 intersected significant graphitic mineralization including in hole LT-14-04 (Figure 1) which intersected 103.9 m2 grading 10.25% Cg (refer to Focus news release dated August 17th, 2016 available at www.focusgraphite.com and at www.sedar.com).
Focus Graphite President and CEO Gary Economo said these latest drilling results indicate Lac Tétépisca is well on its way to becoming the Company's second significant graphite asset in the Côte-Nord region of Québec. Focus owns the high purity Lac Knife mine development project near Fermont.
"Looking ahead, Lac Tétépisca holds the potential to meet our future supply obligations for graphite-based polymers for the automotive and other industries, whereas Lac Knife's high purity concentrate production is planned for clean technology, renewable energy markets that require high quality coated spherical graphite," Mr. Economo said.
The 2016 drilling program (Figure 1) consisted of three fences of drill holes spaced 200 m apart that were designed to test the 600 m southwest extension of the deposit. A fourth fence of holes (Line 2+00N) tested the northeast extension. In the wider central portion of the deposit, five (5) drill holes tested the higher grade portion of the Manicouagan-Ouest Graphitic Corridor on sections that are spaced 100 m apart. The infill drilling has confirmed the continuity of the graphitic mineralization as well as the occurrence of a high-grade zone, and it has provided further representative mineralization material for orientation metallurgical testing that is ongoing.
This second phase of core drilling targeting the Manicouagan-Ouest Graphitic Corridor further indicates the potential for the Lac Tétépisca project (and the Southwest Manicouagan reservoir area) to host a new large volume - high grade natural graphite deposit. Drill intercepts reveal that the highest-grade section of the Manicouagan-Ouest Graphitic Corridor is continuous over a strike length of 1 km and down to approximately 100 m depth. Graphitic grades within this section range from 10 to 13% Cg. The average thickness of the main graphitic horizon is 85 m with a higher-grade zone lying along the eastern edge, stratigraphically above a lower grade zone.
To view Figure 1, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/fms0120fig1.pdf.
To view Table 1, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/fms0120table1.pdf.
(1) Carbon analyses were performed by the Consortium de Recherche Appliquée en Traitement et Transformation des Substances Minérales ("COREM") of Québec-City, an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 certified facility using LECO high frequency combustion method with infrared measurement (code LSA-M-B10) and are reported as graphitic carbon (Cg).
(2) True thicknesses are listed in this news release. The drill holes have been loaded into Gemcom and the three-dimensional deposit envelope has an azimuth of 210 degrees and dips at -40 degrees. HQ drill holes crosscut the envelope of the mineralized zone' strike and dip at a high angle. The conversion factor for true thickness is 0.99 of the core intersection length.
2016 Infill and Extension Drilling Program
The 2016 Lac Tétépisca drilling program was designed by Focus. IOS Services Géoscientifiques ("IOS") of Saguenay, Québec, supervised the drilling campaign. Diamond drilling was performed by Chibougamau Diamond Drilling Ltd. of Chibougamau, Québec. The drill core was logged in the field by IOS, and then shipped to IOS' laboratory facilities in Saguenay for sample preparation for geochemical analysis and storage. Samples were sent to COREM, an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 certified facility located in Québec City, for graphitic carbon analysis using LECO high frequency combustion method with infrared measurement (code LSA-M-B10). Total sulphur was also analyzed by LECO (code LSA-M-B41).
Quality Assurance / Quality Control
Under the QA/QC program, about 10% of the samples (a total of 131 core samples) were analyzed by COREM for total (code LSA-M-B45), organic (code LSA-M-B58), inorganic (code LSA-M-B11) and graphitic (code LSA-M-B10) carbon as well as for total sulphur (code LSA-M-B41). Duplicates of the same 131 samples were also sent to ACTLABS Laboratories of Ancaster, Ontario (ISO/IEC 17025:2005 with CAN-P-1579) for graphitic carbon (code 5D - C Graphitic) and total sulphur (code 4F - S Combustion infrared detection) determinations and for 35 multi-element analysis using ICP methods (code 1E2 - Aqua Regia). IOS introduced 87 standards, 15 duplicates (sawing, crushing or grinding duplicates) and 91 blank samples into the batch of core sample as part of the QA/QC program.
Source: http://www.focusgraphite.com/