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United States

BamaStar Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePreliminary Economic Assessment
Commodities
  • Graphite
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe BamaStar Project will consist of a graphite mine and concentrate processing facility in Coosa County, as well as a value-add plant proposed in Mobile, AL for upgrading and transforming the graphite concentrates precursor. The proposed value-add plant is strategically located near the port and intermodal logistics facilities, and it will receive natural flake graphite (“NFG”) concentrates from both BamaStar and South Star’s flagship Santa Cruz Graphite Mine in northeastern Brazil's Bahia state, which is currently commissioned and ramping-up into commercial production.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
South Star Battery Metals Corp. 100 % Indirect
South Star Battery Metals Corp. owns 100% of the BamaStar Graphite Project.

The Company initially acquired a 75% interest in the Project by completing a phased acquisition agreement, including drilling, resource assessment and analysis for the preparation of a preliminary economic analysis (PEA), and funding minimum annual costs of C$250,000 over three years. South Star subsequently acquired the remaining 25% of the Project from the partners (CML owners) for C$250,000 in the form of common shares of the Company, issuing 445,454 shares.

As of January 21, 2025, South Star Battery Metals Corp. is the sole owner of the BamaStar Graphite Project.

Deposit type

  • Metamorphic
  • Sedimentary

Summary:

BamaStar Graphite Project is located within the Higgins Ferry Group. Stratigraphically, the Higgins Ferry Group is categorized as an interbedded sequence of three major lithologic units. The first unit is described as an assemblage of is coarse to fine grained biotite-feldspar-quartz gneiss, sericite-feldspar-muscovite schist, ±biotite±garnet-muscovite schist, and biotite-garnet-feldspar gneiss. The second unit is described as ±roscoelite-graphite-quartz schist and graphitic quartzite, representing the primary mineralized unit on the property. The third unit is described as garnet quartzite and garnetiferous altered mafic rocks. Amphibolite (actinolite-chlorite-hornblende) and pyroxenite bodies, grouped as the Mitchell Dam Amphibolite, may be present locally along with scattered pegmatites. Aluminous units commonly have kyanite, sillimanite, and sericite porphyroblasts.

Field mapping has defined the Project area as metamorphosed rocks that include pelitic sediments (without graphite), quartz-bearing sediment with variable graphite content, sillimanite-graphite-rich sediments, and amphibolite gneiss (without quartz or graphite).

Property Mineralization
Graphite lode mineralization (bedrock hosted) has been identified across the Property and is present in several different units. The dominant lithologies that contain graphite are, in decreasing grade, friable quartzite, quartzite, quartz-sillimanite gneiss, sillimanite gneiss. This is an inverse correlation with total silica content. The current BamaStar Graphite Deposit extends for approximately 2.8 km (1.7 miles) along strike, averages 25 m (82 ft) in width, and extends down to at least 325 m (1,066 ft). The deposit is open along strike and at depth.

The target mineralization style at the Project is graphitic lode deposits where flake-graphite mineralization is hosted by high-grade metamorphic rocks (gneiss). Landis (1971) tentatively concluded that graphite formation is primarily dependent on metamorphic temperature and forms above 400°C, with pressure and variation in starting material constituting secondary controls.

Flake-graphite deposits in the AGB occur as disseminated graphite hosted in metamorphosed siliceous sedimentary rocks including quartz-mica schists, micaceous quartzites, or micaceous feldspathic quartzites. These rocks occur in folded metamorphosed sequences of detrital sedimentary rocks. Associations with anomalous vanadium, including the vanadium-mica roscoelite, and nickel, as well as other anomalous elements has been documented (Wilson and Redwood, 2015).

The deposits themselves are individual beds or lenses that are richer in graphite than associated beds. The size, form, and persistence of the deposits are functions, in part, of the thickness and extent of the original sedimentary beds, and in part, of deformation. Their attitudes are functions of local and regional deformation.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Graphite Concentrate kt 47796

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Stripping ratio  ....  Subscribe
Waste tonnes, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs Graphite USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Graphite USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

CurrencyAverage
OP mining costs ($/t mined) USD  ....  Subscribe
OP mining costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Pre-Production capital costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Closure costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
OP OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 414
Transportation (haulage) costs $M USD 60
G&A costs $M USD 93
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Net revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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EV - Electric

Personnel

Mine Management

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EmployeesYear
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Aerial view:

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