Castle Minerals (ASX:CDT) “encouraged” by results from Kambale

• Castle Minerals (CDT) achieves concentrate grades of up to 96.4 per cent total carbon during graphite test work at its Kambale project in Ghana, West Africa
• Test work on near-surface, weathered graphite schists has achieved recovery rates of 88 per cent on samples grading up to 17.16 per cent total carbon
• CDT is designing a drilling program to delineate the full extent of the deposit
• Managing director Stephen Stone says in light of growth across the graphite market the company is keen to evaluate Kambale as fast as possible
• Shares last traded at 1.3 cents each on September 20

Castle Minerals (CDT) has achieved concentrate grades of up to 96.4 per cent total carbon during graphite test work at its Kambale project in Ghana, West Africa.

Kambale lies six kilometres west of Ghana’s Upper West capital, Wa, and is the country’s only known graphite deposit.

The company undertook preliminary test work on near-surface, weathered graphite schists and achieved recovery rates of 88 per cent.

In particular, three excavated and composited samples were provided for testing, with grades peaking at 17.16 per cent total carbon.

Following the work, CDT is designing a drilling program to delineate the full extent of the deposit, which will help identify areas of highest-quality graphite and provide diamond core for test work on fresh, unweathered material.

Castle’s managing director Stephen Stone said the company was pleased to have achieved commercially acceptable concentrate grades.

“With this encouragement we are now planning diamond core, reverse circulation and air core drilling campaigns to obtain samples of fresh material for more definitive testing, to delineate the full extent of the Kambale deposit and to examine how the graphite quality varies and, in particular, where the highest-quality material occurs,” he said.

“Nearly all traditional and emerging sectors of the graphite market are experiencing growth and looming supply constraints of the specific concentrate types they require so we are understandably very keen to evaluate Kambale as fast as possible.”

The company said it regarded Ghana as an established and safe mining jurisdiction with a highly skilled workforce, strong mining services sector and excellent infrastructure.

Shares last traded at 1.3 cents each on September 20, 2021.