Vancouver, BC – Jan 26th, 2021 – Global Li-Ion Graphite Corp. (“LION” or, the “Company”) (CSE: LION) The Company is pleased to announce that it continues to progress its Madagascar Ambato-Arana graphite project which is near Moramanga and within the graphitic horizons of the highly prospective Manampotsy Formation. LION’s deposits are associated with topographic highs that are exploited via cost-effective free-dig methods.
The Company is currently finalizing its mine development plan which had been slowed, though not stopped, during Covid-19 lockdowns in Madagascar. However, with the ending of the Covid-19 “State of Health Emergency” in Madagascar, the Company is now commencing completion of its final mine development plan, conforming to national regulatory requirements, with the support of ECG Auguste, engaged with regards to environmental and social impact components of the mine development plan, and the company’s technical advisor, Pascal Marchand, M.Sc. P. Geol, with a target by management of moving to recommence graphite production during the course of 2021.
The preparation of the mine development plan entails wide-ranging consultation – with community and stakeholder meetings, coordination and liaison with the Office National pour l’Environnement – Madagascar and liaison with local land users.
About the Malagasy Graphite Property
The three 40-year renewable mining exploitation licenses that comprise the Project total 4,375 hectares (10,811 acres) and are in the vicinity of Andasibe in Toamasina Province in Madagascar, 20 km to the southwest of Sheritt’s large-scale nickel/cobalt laterite open pit mine at Ambatovy and 15 km north east of the town of Moramanga from which national highway RN2 connects with capital city Antananarivo (114 km) and Madagascar’s main port of Toamisina (Tamatave) (240 km). Graphite was produced continually on the licenses, at a modest rate constrained by the technology employed on the licenses, for roughly a century from 1910. Production was suspended by the previous owners’ due to non-economic reasons. With the deposits only partially mined and now ready for larger scale exploitation with modern production techniques. The deposits lie within the graphitic horizons of the highly prospective Manampotsy Formation and are associated with topographic highs that are exploited via free digging of lateritic ore and open pit mining, providing lower cost exploitation without need for blasting. The graphite mineralization on the Project appears within well-defined north-south belts with interbedded graphite-rich friable layers. The layers of interest have continuity of several kilometres and exhibit only shallow dip. “An average run of mine (ROM) of 12% Graphite with first stage onsite flotation producing a 73% concentrate.” Both reports indicate the presence of large flake graphite,+80# mesh.( LION PR Sept 13th 2017) consistent with other nearby mines e.g. Gallois (Elate Graphite), Sahamamy & Vatomina (Tirupati Graphite) and DNI Metals’ Vohitsara (DNI Metals).