Summary

Mine Type	Open Pit
Study Completed	Feasibility
Stage	Permitting
Commodities	Graphite
Mining Method	Truck & Shovel / Loader
Project Timeline	...
Mine Life	...
Snapshot	The Bissett Creek Project is unique among its North American peers in that it has a very high percentage of large/XL flake which is ideally suited for high margin and value-added industrial markets such as micronized graphite, expandable graphite and high purity flake graphite that receive premium prices. Over the last number of years, the Company has continued to work on the major permits/authorizations required in addition to the Mine Closure Plan (MCP) and most are at an advanced stage. Applications/documentation have been submitted with respect to a Permit to Take Water, Environmental Compliance Approval – Industrial Sewage, approval of the Class Environmental Assessment and authorizations required under the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act (for tailings facilities) and under the Endangered Species Act. These and other permits/authorizations are expected to be received in the normal course prior to the commencement of construction and mining operations.

Deposit type

• Metamorphic hosted

Summary:

The classification scheme most widely accepted for graphite deposits was introduced by Cameron (1960). It classifies known graphite deposits into five categories reflecting the different types of graphite. The five types of deposits are:
- Disseminated flake graphite in silica-rich meta-sediments;
- Disseminated flake graphite in marbles;
- Metamorphosed coal seams;
- Vein deposits; and,
- Contact metasomatic or hydrothermal deposits in metamorphosed calcareous sediments or marble.

The Bissett Creek Project would fall within the first category.

At Bissett Creek, the graphite mineralization is well characterized by homogeneously distributed graphite flakes (about 1 to 5 mm in size and 3 to 10% of volume) within biotite schists with variable content of amphibole, clinopyroxene, chlorite, carbonate and graphite. Ubiquitous trace minerals included sphene, apatite, garnet and zircon. Sulfides were reported as trace amounts, usually as pyrite and pyrrhotite. On the basis of the graphite content and variation of the gneissic facies, the graphitic gneiss can be divided into:
- Biotite rich quartzo-feldspathic and graphitic gneiss, paragneiss;
- Biotite rich quartzo-feldspathic and graphitic gneiss; and,
- Diopside-tremolite-biotite rich quartzo-feldspathic and graphitic gneiss.

Graphite flakes occur disseminated in the graphitic gneiss horizon and are in variable concentration in the transitional gneiss. The diopside-tremolite-biotite-graphite bearing gneiss is mostly located in the upper part of the mineralized graphitic horizon whereas the graphite rich paragneiss (up to 10% graphite) subunit generally confined at the base. Graphite generally forms slender, oval to sub-rounded planar flakes averaging 0.3-1.5 mm long and 0.03-0.07 mm wide. These commonly occur adjacent to flakes of biotite of similar size or are associated with patches of pyrrhotite. Much less commonly, books of a few flakes are contorted or warped, and minor quartz or less commonly biotite occurs between the individual flakes.

The overall size distribution of the graphite flakes observed in core samples throughout the deposit does not show a direct relationship to the total graphitic carbon of the analysis. Large flakes are generally present independently of the percentage grade of the graphite, making the graphite gneiss horizon prospective along its entire length.

It was noted that the weathered horizon, some 2-4 m thick, was a more friable form of the gneiss that the fresher rock without any noticeable change in the graphite content or flake size. This weathered material has the potential to be comminuted much more easily than the fresh rock and with probably better liberation of full-sized graphite flakes.

Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Profile	Ref. Date
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