The graphite mineralisation at Siviour is hosted within Meso-Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Hutchison Group. The mineralisation is within a nominally 30 m-thick band of pelitic schist that occurs within a thick calc-silicate sequence.

Mineralisation hosted within a sequence of micro-gneiss, metasedimentary rocks and schists. The mineralisation is generally tabular, oriented east-west and forms an undulating surface that dips shallowly to the southwest, in the southern area, and more steeply to the north in the northern area. In the west the strike of the mineralisation has been interpreted, from geophysical data, to swing sharply towards the north and in the east is partially dislocated by a fault zone although, again from geophysical data, is anticipated to extend further to the east to Siviour East and Paxtons.

The main zone of mineralisation extends over 2.9 km east-west and 1.6 km north-south. The horizontal width ranges from 550 m within the central area, at the Siviour Prospect, to 125 m south of Buckies.

The Mineral Resource has an average thickness of 21 m (range of 0.45 m to 52 m) and the depth to the top of the mineralised horizons ranges from 1 m to 108 m with an average depth of 40 m.

The geometry of the Siviour Graphite Deposit is generally flat-lying, with thick, flat, gently folded graphite mineralisation sitting from within 5 m to 15 m of surface.

The geometry of the Siviour Graphite Deposit is generally flat-lying, with thick, flat, gently folded graphite mineralisation sitting from within 5 m to 15 m of surface. This orientation facilitates a single shallow mining design that can be mined via conventional open pit mining methods.

The DFS (Graphite Concentrates, 2019) pit optimisation and mining study resulted in a mining schedule conducted in 14 stages mined over a period of 26 years. Mining commences in the southern portion of the orebody to permit mining of a higher-grade corridor in the mine’s first year.

The proposed mining method is conventional truck and shovel open pit bench mining. Free digging in alluvial material makes up around 15% of all overburden, while drill and blast is required for all other lithologies.

Initially, mining will be conducted on a 24-hour basis in order to access high grade ore as soon as possible, before dropping to day-shift only in years 2 and 3. Mining will return to a 24-hour operation in Year 5, coinciding with the process Concentrate plant expanding to 1,650ktpa capacity.

The DFS has adopted a mining fleet comprising a Komatsu PC2000 200t excavator, HD785 haul trucks with a 60m3 standard tub capacity and a Komatsu WA500-7 wheeler loader. Komatsu HD785-7 trucks were selected as they are an efficient match with the PC2000 excavator, with 5 passes required for a full load.

The DFS has assumed that the mining fleet, along with a ........

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