Aben Resources Ltd. has now received analytical results from surface exploration work completed in July 2022. The exploration program marked the first comprehensive field work to assess the potential for the Property to host economic graphite mineralization. Exploration work comprised field mapping, rock and soil sampling, and the evaluation of prospective drill sites for a planned future drill program.
Aben geologists took a total of 52 rock and 83 soil samples from areas located both within and outboard of the strong conductive anomaly identified by a 2010 airborne Electromagnetic geophysical survey. Previous work has shown that flake graphite mineralization grading in excess of 4.5% is hosted in metamorphic rocks located within the Tedesco Conductive Anomaly. Results from the 2022 rock sampling program returned a range of grades from trace to 4.36% graphitic flake Carbon, which reflects the variety of rock types from which the samples were sourced. A previously unsampled zone located 2km northeast of the main conductive zone returned multiple samples with grades between 1-2% graphitic Carbon, greatly extending the mineralized trend along strike. This discovery compelled Aben to increase the size of the Slocan Graphite Property to 2826 hectares through the addition of a 439.4 hectare claim via staking. The main Tedesco Conductive Zone has never been drill-tested despite the compelling coincident geophysical conductor and the graphite-bearing surface rock samples.
The soil sampling program was completed over areas that lack outcrop exposure due to thickened glacial cover in order to ascertain whether soil sampling can be a productive exploration tool on the Property. Results correlate well with known graphite mineralization and will help to delineate new areas to target with increased sampling density, mechanical trenching and potential drill holes. Two distinct areas of elevated graphite-bearing soil are visible on the accompanying map (link below).
Aben Resources formally submitted a Notice of Work application for the Slocan Graphite Property with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation in the Spring of 2022. The Multi-Year Area Based (MYAB) permit application remains under review by the provincial government, following meaningful consultation with two First Nations groups and the posting of a security reclamation bond. Communication between Aben, the Ministry and the First Nations is ongoing and progressive, yet a definitive date for receipt of the exploration permit remains uncertain.
About Slocan Graphite Project:
The Slocan Graphite Project benefits from excellent infrastructure including forestry road access to and throughout the property, a high-voltage transmission line within 1.0 km of the property boundary and an existing graphite processing facility within 1.5 km of the property. The facility is owned by Eagle Graphite Corporation, and is one of only two natural flake graphite production facilities in North America.
Aben holds the exclusive right to earn a 100% interest, less 2% Net Production Royalty (“NPR”) in the road-accessible Slocan Graphite Project, located 34km northwest of Castlegar, British Columbia. The 2,826 hectare Slocan Graphite Property hosts several flake graphite-bearing outcrops (high values of 3.36 and 4.43 % graphitic Carbon) at the Tedesco Zone, which is coincident with a strong conductive anomaly identified in 2010 that is interpreted to extend up to 2.0km from the known surficial occurrences.
