Gratomic Inc said initial earth-moving activities would commence at its flagship Aukam project in Namibia on August 15 as the company works towards completing a feasibility study on the Aukam processing plant.
The company said benching, which typically consists of successively cutting berms across the mountain edge to expose underground material while ensuring the stability of the mountain structure, would allow for the collection of graphite in stages as platforms are constructed on the Aukam mountain.
It is estimated this phase of the program would take about six months and it is projected to move approximately 20,000 tonnes of material from the mountain to be stockpiled at the run of mine pad of the company’s Aukam processing facility, according to Gratomic.
Gratomic CEO Arno Brand said the company’s labor-intensive drilling campaign had solidified its confidence in the Aukam asset. “The results of which have allowed us to intricately plan next steps, leading to the commencement of the benching program that is slated to begin on the 15th of this month,” Brand said.
Gratomic COO Armando Farhate added: "This benching program sets a milestone for the Aukam site, as this is the first time we implement mining practices to bring product to the plant stockpile.”