Graphite One Resources files NI 43-101 PFS for Graphite One Project, Alaska
Graphite One Inc. [GPH-TSXV; GPHOF-OTCQX] has filed its NI 43-101 compliant independent report, titled “Preliminary Feasibility Study, Technical Report – Graphite One Project, Alaska, USA” on SEDAR and it is now available on the company’s website.
JDS Energy & Mining Inc. of Vancouver, B.C. authored the report, which is dated October 13, 2022, with an effective date of August 29, 2022.
Pre-tax IRR is 26.0%, using an 8% discount rate, with an NPV of $$1.93 billion and a payback period of 4.6 years. Post-tax IRR is 22.0% using an 8% discount rate of 8%, with an NPV of $1.36 billion and a payback period of 5.1 years, before accounting for tax credits. Measured plus Indicated Resources increased 197% over 2019 results. Inferred Resources increased 177%.
With the United States currently 100% import dependent for natural graphite, Graphite One is planning to develop a complete U.S.-based, advanced graphite supply chain solution anchored by the Graphite Creek resource near Nome, Alaska.
The Graphite One project plan is anticipated to include an advanced graphite material and battery anode manufacturing plant expected to be sited in Washington State. The plan also includes a recycling facility to reclaim graphite and other battery materials, to be co-located at the Washington State site, the third link in Graphite One’s circular economy strategy.
As announced on March 7, 2022 1, Graphite One’s Graphite Creek resource in Alaska has been cited as the largest known graphite deposit in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in its updated U.S. Mineral Deposit Database (USMIN).
The USGS report confirms Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy’s statement in support of Graphite One’s designation as a U.S. government high-priority infrastructure project, stating, “Graphite Creek is the largest deposit of graphite in the nation and would be a superior domestic supply of this critical mineral.”
The project is envisioned as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process, manufacture and recycle high grade anode materials primarily for the lithium-ion electric vehicle battery market. Graphite mined from the Graphite Creek Property, located on the Seward Peninsula about 60 km north of Nome, would be processed into concentrate at an adjacent plant. The concentrate and other materials would be transformed into graphite anode materials and other value-added graphite products at the Company’s proposed advanced graphite materials manufacturing facility to be located in Washington State. The company intends to make a production decision on the Project upon completion of a Feasibility Study.