Lac Carheil Resource Grows 3.3x with Gallium, Gold, and Base Metals Assays
Metals Australia Ltd reveals a 3.3-fold increase in its Lac Carheil graphite resource alongside promising assay results for precious and base metals, setting the stage for value-added by-product recovery.
- Lac Carheil Mineral Resource Estimate expanded to 50 Mt @ 10.2% TGC
- Assays detect Gallium, Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Nickel, Zinc, Iron, and Vanadium within graphite zones
- Metallurgical test work funded by Quebec’s PARIDM grant to optimize mineral recovery
- Tailings management designed to separate low and high sulphide streams for environmental and economic benefits
- Ongoing drilling and assay programs focus on early mining zones with high indicated resource
Resource Expansion and Multi-Mineral Discovery
Metals Australia Ltd has announced a substantial upgrade to its Lac Carheil Graphite Project in Quebec, Canada, with the Mineral Resource Estimate now standing at 50 million tonnes grading 10.2% total graphitic carbon (TGC). This represents a 3.3-fold increase over the maiden resource, underscoring the project's growing significance in the battery materials sector.
Beyond graphite, assay results from the 2025 drilling program have revealed the presence of a suite of precious, base, and critical metals within the graphite zones. Notably, Gallium concentrations reached up to 16.5 grams per tonne, alongside appreciable levels of Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Nickel, Zinc, Iron, and Vanadium. These findings suggest the potential for recovering valuable by-products during graphite processing, enhancing the project's economic profile.
Innovative Metallurgical Testing and Environmental Strategy
Supported by a PARIDM grant from the Quebec government, Metals Australia is advancing metallurgical test work aimed at improving mineral recovery rates and reducing environmental impacts. The test program, conducted in collaboration with SGS at their Quebec City R&D laboratory, will explore the feasibility of concentrating and extracting these additional metals as separate products.
The project’s tailings management system is designed to produce two relatively dry, segregated stockpiles, one low in sulphides and largely benign, and another high in sulphides that may require specialized handling. This separation not only mitigates potential environmental risks, such as acid mine drainage, but also opens avenues for reprocessing and potential sale of sulphide-rich materials.
Focused Drilling on Early Mining Zones
Drilling efforts have concentrated on the Southeast and Southeast Extension zones, which comprise the majority of the Indicated Mineral Resource and are slated for early extraction. Two fully assayed holes, LC-25-38G and LC-25-46, drilled approximately 600 meters apart, have provided detailed multi-element geochemical data confirming widespread mineralisation beyond graphite.
Further sampling and assay programs are underway to delineate the continuity and concentration of these metals within the graphite horizons. This data will feed into the ongoing feasibility study and process plant design, potentially unlocking new revenue streams and optimizing resource utilisation.
Broader Project Context and Future Outlook
Metals Australia’s Lac Carheil project is positioned to supply premium battery-grade graphite to North America’s growing lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle markets. Concurrently, the company is progressing other critical mineral projects, including the Manindi Vanadium, Titanium & Magnetite project in Western Australia and the Warrego East copper-gold prospect in the Northern Territory.
With metallurgical test work advancing and a pre-feasibility study underway, Metals Australia is methodically moving towards a comprehensive feasibility assessment. The integration of multi-metal recovery strategies could significantly enhance project economics and sustainability credentials.
Bottom Line?
Metals Australia’s multi-metal findings at Lac Carheil could redefine the project’s value proposition as it advances toward feasibility.
Questions in the middle?
- Can the additional metals identified be economically recovered as by-products alongside graphite?
- How will the metallurgical test work influence the final process plant design and project economics?
- What are the environmental implications and regulatory hurdles associated with managing high sulphide tailings?
