29 January 2016 EXPLORATION Exploration priorities sit behind project development
In Sweden and Australia minimal fieldwork was undertaken during the period to conserve capital however environmental surveys for full scale exploitation permitting of the Vittangi graphite project continued. As part of the permitting process the Nunasvaara resource data is being reviewed for updating to JORC 2012 standard from the current JORC 2004 status (see Fig 7 and Appendix 1). The review will also include results of Talga’s previous exploratory drilling along strike for potential to extend/increase the resource. Talga has and will continue to conduct trial mining campaigns in Sweden to feed its pilot test-work needs in Germany, in parallel with permitting activities for full scale development in future. Talga extracted a portion of 5,000 permitted tonnes in 2015 and can extract the balance of graphite tonnes each year up to 30 September 2018. With enough material already mined to operate through 2016 there is an opportunity to extend the next trial mining campaign to a 2017 program and this will be reviewed.
31 July 2017 Expansion to Phase 3 Following Talga’s 2016 trial mining program the Vittangi project site has been largely rehabilitated. Talga now has sufficient ore to complete the necessary process testing and plant scale up exercises in Germany and potentially beyond to operations in Sweden. Environmental consultants were engaged during the period to assist the Company in its preparation of hydrological modelling and waste stockpile management plans for future full scale mining operations.
The applications for the exploitation licence require an environmental impact assessment to be launched in addition to a pre-feasibility study. Talga intends using the trial mine site as a rehabilitation ‘test bed’ to introduce best practice for mine closure planning and testing the regrowth of plant types that support reindeer herding. The local indigenous Sami group are engaged in the preparation of a Reindeer Impact Assessment Report that will accompany the exploitation application.
August 2017 Following the 2016 trial mining campaign, the project site has been fully rehabilitated. The next steps involve preparation for commercial scale production, and TLG has engaged Environmental Consultants to begin hydrological modelling and stockpile management planning. Baseline environmental studies are underway as a requirement to obtaining an Exploitation Permit which will allow full scale mining. We note that TLG currently has ample stockpiles available for Phase 3, and that if additional material is required before an Exploitation Permit is granted, TLG can apply for another trial mining licence which should allow for a further ore to be extracted.
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