Big North Graphite – Focused on Graphite in Canada
Overview
Big North Graphite (TSXV:NRT), based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of select graphite assets in Canada. Alongside a robust and rapidly growing graphite market, Big North Graphite is well-positioned to build significant shareholder value with its strong management base which brings experience in capital markets, mineral exploration and project development.
Investment Highlights
- Focused on select graphite assets in Canada
- Large land package in geographically friendly, highly prospective environment
- Aggressive exploration commenced in June 2012
- Favourable share structure: 22 million shares outstanding
- Management is experienced in bringing a Canadian mine into production
- Increasing graphite price as supply tightens in a historically under explored sector
Key Properties
The Griffith/Brougham Graphite Project
Big North Graphite acquired 100 percent interest in the Griffith/Brougham Graphite properties from Zimtu Capital in March 2012. The project consists of approximately 6,500 hectares positioned in central southeastern Ontario in a district where other graphite projects are actively being developed. Big North Graphite’s Griffith/Brougham property is situated in the same area along with Northern Graphite Corp’s Bissett Creek project and Ontario Graphite Ltd.’s Kearney property.
The Griffith/Brougham properties have proximal access to well-established existing infrastructure. The location of the Brougham Graphite Property is anchored by two historic graphite occurrences to the southeast according to information from the Ontario Geological Survey maps from the 1970s. The graphite exploration target covers substantial tracts of graphite-prospective Grenville-age marble geology which have yet to be explored using modern technology.
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In early June 2012, Big North Graphite completed high resolution electromagnetic airborne surveying on both the Griffith/Brougham properties.
In total 1,187 line kilometres were flown, with flight lines 100m apart, allowing for detailed mapping of stratigraphy and conductive features. Preliminary data suggests that both properties have conductors present, including coincident features to the known graphite showings. The results of the EM survey will be used to direct a field program of ground geophysics, mapping and sampling.
The Grand Lac du Nord Project
The Grand Lac du Nord property is located approximately 140 kilometres northwest of Sept-Iles, Quebec. The Big North Graphite project, accessible by road, consists of one contiguous claim block totaling approximately 2,009 hectares or 20.09 square kilometres.
Grand Lac du Nord is 100 percent owned by Big North Graphite and contains a graphitic paragneiss formation that is approximately eight kilometres in length by one to two kilometers in width. The formation consists of quartz, crystalline flake graphite, biotite and sulphides. Other graphite deposits and mines in Quebec include Focus Metals Inc.’s Lac Knife deposit and Timcal Graphite and Carbon’s Lac des Iles mine.
A second parallel formation at the Grand Lac du Nord Project consists of a sillimanite paragneiss band, also eight kilometres in length and approximately one to two kilometers in width. This high quality band contains quartz-feldspars, sillimanite, graphite, biotite, garnet and cordierite, intercalated with bands of quartzite.
Big North Graphite intends to mount an exploration campaign on the property commencing with a complete compilation of historic geologic work followed by surface work, trenching and diamond drilling.
The Luciana Gold Project
Big North Graphite’s Luciana Gold Project is located 40km north of Lebel-sur-Quevillon in Quebec. Big North Graphite has an option to earn as much as 70 percent of the property, which includes 21 claims totaling 2,916 hectares of land. This highly prospective property is situated 22km southeast of North American Palladium’s Discovery project and 8km southeast of its Flordin project.
Exploration on this target is set to begin Q2 of 2012 to expand upon information from prospecting and IP surveys completed in 2007/08 by Golden Valley Mines and a Phase 1 drilling program completed in 2008 which found anomalous gold values, but left several targets untested.
Nuevo San Pedro
The Nuevo San Pedro property is located in the prolific San Jose de Moradillas graphite region in the mining friendly state of Sonra, Mexico. The San Jose de Moradillas region has a long and rich history of amorphous graphite production that spans more than 145 years. Nuevo San Pedro is located on a 1.1 sq km mining concession with the same name, which is situated about 45 km southwest of the City of Hermosillo. The property has good infrastructure and access.
At its peak, the region produced and shipped as much as 58,000 tons of amorphous graphite. Big North Graphite has a 60% interest and plans to help accelerate the re-start of the Nuevo San Pedro mine. The Company has approval and permits for the use of explosives and the first phase of development has been completed. Big North has a 50/50 joint venture on the Nuevo San Pedro property.
Aki Wiki
In November 2012, Big North acquired the Aki Wiki Property located in the region of San Jose de Moradillas, approximately 45 kilometers southwest of the city of Hermosillo, Mexico. There is good infrastructure and access, and the 14.5 sq km Aki Wiki mining concession is in the same region as the Nuevo San Pedro mine.
Summary
With financing completed in February 2012, Big North Graphite has acquired their first major graphite asset. The Company will commence exploration, drilling and development work on their Griffith/Brougham Graphite and Grand Lac du Nord properties in 2012. In order to increase shareholder value, Big North Graphite will also move forward in their strategic acquisition of additional graphite assets.
Management
Spiro Kletas – President, CEO, and Director
Mr. Kletas has over 10 years experience in the financial industry with 7 years in the public capital markets, working for several Toronto Exchange-listed companies in project procurement, corporate development and financing. He has been directly involved in raising over $100 million dollars for junior resource companies, most recently as part of a management team seeing a TSX-V gold exploration company into production.
Andrew Rees – Director
Mr. Rees is currently President and CEO of WellStar Energy Corp. and sits on the board of directors of Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. and several additional publicly trading companies. Mr. Rees brings 15 years of public company experience having been involved with developing projects from concept to production. Mr. Rees has been directly involved in raising over $150 million for junior resource companies.
Dean Nawata – Director
Mr. Nawata has over 18 years of public market experience, nine of which he spent as a licensed stockbroker focusing on financing of junior mining and oil/gas projects with Nesbitt Burns, Research Capital and most recently, Raymond James. Mr. Nawata currently holds a position in Business Development for 49 North Resources.
Erik Ostenso, P.Geo. – Director
Mr. Ostensoe is a consulting geologist with more than forty years direct involvement with the mining and mineral exploration industries. He is a graduate in Honours Geology of the University of British Columbia and is a member of the BC Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists and the Northwest Territories/Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists.
Connie Norman – Corporate Secretary
