Crystalline flake graphite mineralization has been the focus of exploration by NMG on its Matawinie Property. No other type of mineralization with economic potential has been observed.

Crystalline flake graphite deposits are usually sedimentary in origin. They occur when carbon-rich organic material, accumulated during sedimentation, is transformed into graphitic carbon crystals, or flakes, during metamorphism. This process is due to the burial of the sediments which are eventually subject to high heat and temperatures in the earths crust. Crystalline graphite deposits are commonly stratabound and hosted by porphyroblastic and granoblastic paragneiss, or pelitic gneiss, marbles, and quartzites (Harben and Kuzvart, 1996). Alumina-rich paragneiss and marble units in upper amphibolite or granulite grade metamorphic terranes are the most favourable host rocks. When present, flake graphite usually occurs in thin, centimeter to metre wide bands. In favourable conditions, wider coalescing bands in fold crests can provide sufficient volume needed for an economic deposit.

Crystalline flake graphite mineralization was first discovered on the Tony Block in mid2014. Prospecting work, performed as a follow-up to the late 2013 airborne survey (Dubé, 2014, GM 69067), resulted in the collection of nine (9) grab samples that returned values in excess of 5 % C(g) (Cloutier, 2015, GM 69069). Subsequent to this discovery, a short ground TDEM survey was conducted over four ( ........

The Matawinie Mine project will be mined using conventional open pit mining methods consisting of drilling, blasting, loading, and hauling. Vegetation, topsoil, and overburden will be stripped and stockpiled for future reclamation use. The ore and waste rock will be drilled and blasted with 10 m high benches. Ore will be loaded into haul trucks in two 5 m flitches with a fleet of diesel-powered hydraulic excavators and a front-end wheel loader, and the waste rock will be mined in 10 m high benches.

Waste rock will be hauled to the co-disposal storage facility (CSF) where a portion will be used as construction material with the excess being stored at the same site. Once the initial CSF is filled, the tailings and waste rock will be placed in the mined-out pit.

The mine will operate on two 8-hour shifts, five days per week, while the mill will operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. A crushed ore bin will be filled before the mine shuts down for the weekend.

It was decided to mine the deposit from south to north in order to ensure that required space is available for in-pit backfilling of waste rock and tailings once the initial CSF at surface is filled to capacity. Even though the south part of the pit is further away from the crusher and the initial construction area of the CSF, it was selected since the stripping ratios are lower at the south end of the pit relative to the north end.

A total of six phases have been designed. T ........

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The mineral processing facility has been designed to produce 105,882 dry tonnes of graphite concentrate per year. This is increased from the scenario evaluated in the Pre-Feasibility Study, which was 52,000 tonnes per year (tpy).

The concentrator is designed to produce a graphite concentrate containing 97% C(t) (total carbon) from an ore containing 4.33% C(t). To achieve this concentration, the comminution and beneficiation processes include crushing, grinding, flash flotation, conventional flotation, polishing and stirred media milling, and column flotation. The facility will also perform thickening, filtration, magnetic separation, drying, screening, bagging and material handling.

Crushed Ore Storage Building
The crushed ore brought from the Primary Crusher is kept on a stockpile in the Crushed Ore Storage Building before being moved on to the grinding step of the process. As the crushing circuit is operating only during the weekdays and the rest of the ........