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Northern Graphite (TSXV:NGC) announces metallurgical testing and confirms high value concentrates

Mining
TSXV:NGC
22 February 2021 11:00 (EDT)

Metallurgical testing confirms a high percentage of valuable, large flake concentrates from Northern Graphite’s Bissett Creek deposit.

Recent tests have averaged 22 per cent +32 mesh (XXL) flake and 46 per cent +48 mesh (XL) flake.

Cumulatively, 95 per cent of concentrates produced are expected to be greater than 80 mesh, which is the cutoff for large flake.

All figures are believed to be the highest large flake yields reported from any worldwide graphite project. A recent independent study estimated that the Bissett Creek Project will have the highest operating margin of any current or proposed graphite mine. This is due to its exceptional flake size distribution, simple metallurgy and very favourable location with ready access to equipment, supplies, labour and markets. Northern Graphite expects that its concentrates will sell for a weighted average price of US$1,600 per tonne in the current market.

Larger flake sizes are used in high value, high margin industrial markets such as fuel cells, vanadium redox batteries, primary batteries, thermal management in consumer electronics, fire retardants, insulation products, ceramics and lubricants.

CEO Gregory Bowes commented that, “Northern already has a project with good economics based on current prices and a realistic production level relative to the current size of the market. The economics for most projects are being presented using prices well above the current market and/or with high production rates that would actually cause market prices to decline.”

He added that, “Multiple new graphite mines will ultimately be required to satisfy the projected growth in LiB/EV markets and to provide secure, transparent, ethical sources of supply that are not dominated by the Chinese. Increasing demand is expected to lead to the higher prices required to stimulate such development.”

SGS Lakefield previously carried out metallurgical testing to validate a simplified flow sheet with lower capital and operating costs for the Bissett Creek Project. Testing confirmed that the new flow sheet could produce high purity concentrates.

Northern Graphite is a mineral development and technology company focused on developing its Bissett Creek graphite deposit and upgrading mine concentrates into high value components used in lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles, fuel cells, graphene and other advanced technologies. 

Bissett Creek is located between the cities of North Bay and Ottawa and close to the Trans-Canada Highway providing ready access to labor, supplies, equipment, natural gas and markets.

Northern Graphite (NGC) is down 3.7 per cent and is currently trading at C$0.52 per share as of 9:51 am EST.

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