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Jharkhand Graphite Mine

MEGA has entered into a Letter of Intent with Bharat Poddar of Chotanagpur Graphite Industries (CGI), located in Jharkhand, India to create a new Joint Venture to mine, mill and produce purified graphite from CGI’s properties, located in Eastern India in the Jharkhand Region.



The properties are divided into two geographical locations;
Satbarwa Project
Bishrampur Project
The properties are located in the Northwest district of Palamau in the State of Jharkhand.

Satbarwa Project

The Satbarwa properties consists of 4 contiguous properties with a combined area of around 120 acres. They are located at a distance of about 120-140 km from Ranchi, connected by National Highway 75 (NH-75). The property is adequately connected to major cities through roadways. Water supplies in the area are abundant.

Geological Setting and Mineralization: The area is a part of the "Chotanagpur Gneissic Complex” of the Precambrian archaean rock formations. Graphite enrichment zones are found throughout the claim area. Graphite schists are found in several parallel veins running close to the surface. On the surface, the veins are approximately 5-7 feet wide. The mineralized veins have been found to broaden as much as up to 35 feet at 40 feet below the surface. The area generally contains graphite ore with an average of 9-11% graphitic carbon.

Graphite occurs as thin crystalline flakes in the ore and special care needs to be taken while milling for maximum retention of flakes sizes. The occurrence of other metals and minerals are negligible. Iron, sulphur and phosphorous have been found to be virtually untraceable.

Historical Exploration, Mining and Future Exploration:
The Satbarwa property has been developed in the last 15-16 years for mining of graphite ore. The surrounding areas contain significant deposits of limestone and bauxite, however, graphite explorations have not been conducted extensively over the years.

There are large areas which may contain significant amounts of commercially exploitable graphite deposits in the area. Detailed explorations and mapping are being carried out in the claimed and surrounding areas for graphite deposits. Chotanagpur Graphite Industries is carrying out further exploration work in the area and resource estimates are being completed. Detailed geographical mapping will be conducted after in the near future to determine the property's geological structure.

Bishrampur Project

The Bishrampur Property consists of 3 contiguous claims totaling up to around 125 acres of area. The mines are known for high fraction of large flake material and being easy to mill due to the soft rock structures. The property is located at a distance of about 180-190 km from Ranchi, connected by NH-75.

Geological Setting and Mineralization:
The host rock geology in the area is similar to the Satbarwa properties. Graphite occurs in several parallel veins in the area. However, most of the mineral schists are found about 2-3 feet below the surface. The top soil has good agricultural value and can be relocated to farming areas. The mineralization in the host rock is different from that of the Satbarwa properties. The average graphitic carbon content in the ore ranges from 9-11% throughout the areas. The graphite flakes are sturdy and large flakes are abundant in the area. The host rocks and ore are softer in nature and milling is comparatively easier. A major fraction of the mineral flakes can be liberated through simple ball milling techniques. Graphite enrichment zones are found in excess of 200m in a majority of the veins.

Historical Exploration, Mining and Future Exploration:
Chotanagpur Graphite Industries is the only company to mine and mill graphite from the Bishrampur area. Mining first started in 1976 and continued for around 20 years. Mining operations in the area were closed in 1996. The mines are expected to start production from early 2012.

Further prospecting and exploration have been planned in the area. Detailed mapping will also be carried out in the near future.
References:
Graphite surveys carried out by Geological Survey of India for Chotanagpur Graphite Industries, 2008-2011.


Production early 2012 , Bring it on MEGA