Resource Upgrade Hinges on Pending Assays as Sarytogan Drills Deep High-Grade Graphite
Sarytogan Graphite Limited has reported strong high-grade graphite intersections from its latest drilling campaign in Kazakhstan, reinforcing its position as the world’s highest-grade graphite resource. These results underpin an upcoming resource and reserve upgrade feeding into the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study.
- 20 drill holes confirm thick, high-grade graphite mineralisation
- Grades up to 41.3% Total Graphitic Carbon (TGC) recorded
- Results support Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve upgrade
- Definitive Feasibility Study on track for mid-2026 completion
- Project designated strategic under EU Critical Raw Materials Act
Strong Drilling Results Reinforce Sarytogan’s Premium Graphite Status
Sarytogan Graphite Limited (ASX, SGA) has released the first tranche of assay results from its Reserve Definition Drilling campaign at the Sarytogan Graphite Deposit in Central Kazakhstan. The initial 20 drill holes have returned consistently thick intersections of high-grade graphite mineralisation, with standout intercepts such as 49.1 metres grading 30.8% Total Graphitic Carbon (TGC), including zones exceeding 40% TGC. These results reaffirm the deposit’s standing as the world’s highest-grade graphite JORC Resource.
Strategic Importance and Project Context
The Sarytogan deposit is strategically significant, designated under the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act, highlighting its role in supplying sustainable graphite for battery and industrial applications. Located 190 kilometres from Karaganda, Kazakhstan’s fourth-largest city, the project benefits from established infrastructure and a supportive mining jurisdiction. The deposit hosts an Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource of 229 million tonnes at 28.9% TGC, alongside a Probable Ore Reserve of 8.6 million tonnes at 30.0% TGC, underscoring its scale and quality.
Advancing Towards Definitive Feasibility
The Reserve Definition Drilling program targets the first 25 years of mining within the Central Graphite Zone to a depth of 50 metres, aiming to infill and upgrade the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates. The Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), currently underway and on track for completion by mid-2026, will incorporate these updated estimates along with an optimized mine schedule. Preparations for the DFS include engineering, metallurgical testwork, power and transportation studies, all critical to de-risking the project and refining its economic profile.
Quality and Reliability of Data
The drilling utilized vertical diamond core techniques with high sample recovery rates exceeding 98%, ensuring robust and representative assay data. Quality control measures, including certified reference standards and duplicate sampling, support the reliability of the results. The geological setting, characterized by folded meta-sediments within the Shiyozek fold, has been carefully modelled to reflect the deposit’s structural complexity.
Looking Ahead
With 17 additional drill hole assays pending, the full scope of the resource upgrade remains to be finalized. However, the current results provide strong momentum for Sarytogan’s development pathway. The company’s Managing Director, Sean Gregory, emphasized the exceptional nature of the ore body and the importance of these results in underpinning the DFS and future mine planning.
Bottom Line?
As Sarytogan advances its DFS with robust drilling results, investors will watch closely for the full resource upgrade and its implications for project valuation.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the pending 17 drill hole assays impact the final Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates?
- What are the anticipated capital expenditure and financing plans following the DFS completion?
- How might Sarytogan leverage its EU strategic designation to secure partnerships or market access?