Battery materials and technology company Talga Group (ASX:TLG) has boosted its European battery market plans with positive exploration activities at its 100% owned Vittangi Graphite Project, in northern Sweden.
The European Commission has designated natural graphite as a critical and strategic material, primarily due to its use as the anode of lithium-ion batteries. Due to a current lack of local supply, nearly all graphite anode material used by EV manufacturers in Europe is imported from Asia.
Talga holds the largest natural graphite resources in Europe classified to JORC standards, however initial battery anode production plans of 19,500tpa address just a fraction of planned local battery production capacity (1,450,000tpa by 2030).
To meet customer demand and facilitate the EU’s goals for local supply of strategic materials, the company continues to explore the extent of its natural graphite in Sweden. This work informs Talga’s growth plans as the Company reviews options for expansions, new initiatives and development of regional assets.
Nunasvaara South Resource Extension
At the Nunasvaara South deposit of Vittangi, Talga has successfully completed a deep geophysical survey using ground electromagnetic (EM) methods previously deployed in Sweden to locate iron/REE orebodies up to 1,000 metres below surface. The survey used a fixed transmitter loop with roving receiver, sampling at 5Hz, along five profiles 150m apart and ~600m length. The data is currently being processed with results to be announced once completed.
The geophysical results will be used to target strategic drilling to extend the 11.1Mt Nunasvaara South resource, downdip of the open pit 2.4Mt ore reserve supplying the current 100,000tpa ore mining plan outlined in the Company’s 2021 Detailed Feasibility Study.
This work will inform development options such as an early transition to underground extraction, with potential benefits in shorter timelines to increased production, less waste and decreased land impacts.
New Graphite Discovery
Talga has successfully intercepted wide zones of graphite in the first drilling of a 6km long zone of strong EM conductors up to 300m wide, with no surface expression (beneath soil and till cover), on its Vittangi nr six exploration permit (approximately eight km northeast of the world-class Nunasvaara and Niska deposits).
Following analysis of regional airborne EM surveys and completion of new ground “Slingram” geophysical surveys, Talga has completed “scout” drilling of 730m in five diamond drillholes on the most accessible section of the zone.
Downhole intercepts include 212m @ 4.5% graphite (Cg) (from bedrock surface to end of hole, VIT22006) and 77m @ 4.1%Cg (from 73.7m, VIT622012). Maximum grades reach 14.1%Cg (at 22.1m, VIT622014) and depth of cover ranges from 0.5-5.0m. Interpretation of results confirm significant zones of mineralisation across 120m true width with individual graphite units up to 40m wide.
The graphite discovery is considered significant for first pass “scout” drilling under cover, and there is potential both for increased grade and scale to be defined in future, however Talga’s developments at Nunasvaara South and Niska remain the company’s top priority.
Vittangi Resource Update
As part of Vittangi Anode Project financing work streams, independent mining consultant SLR Consulting Limited (SLR) has increased the Vittangi Graphite Project Global Mineral Resource cut-off grade, resulting in an update to the Mineral Resource estimate (MRE).
Applying a 12.5%Cg cut-off grade across the entire project, and constrained within Whittle open pit shells, the Vittangi MRE is now estimated to total 35.0Mt averaging 23.8%Cg, containing 8.3Mt of graphite.
This includes Indicated Resources estimated to total 26.7Mt averaging 24.3%Cg and Inferred Resources estimated to total 8.3Mt averaging 22.1%Cg.
The updated Vittangi Graphite Mineral Resource estimate revises Talga’s Swedish graphite resources to an estimated total of 70.8Mt averaging 18.8%Cg, containing 13.3Mt of graphite, understood to be the largest resource of natural graphite in Europe. This includes Indicated Resources estimated to total 30.1Mt averaging 22.4% Cg and Inferred Resources estimated to total 40.7Mt averaging 16.2% Cg.
