Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Great Lakes Graphite Increases Private Placement
GLKIF Appoints General Manager for Matheson Micronization Facility
July Startup Seen for Matheson Micronization Facility
The recent availability of electrical power at the facility enabled the project team lead by D.E.N.M. Engineering to complete the testing of all remaining flowsheet components. Final refurbishment work that is required prior to the initiation of commissioning of one or more micronization circuits is underway. The Company expects to provide additional information on progress at Matheson over the coming weeks.
Photographs of the work in progress can been seen on the company website: http://bit.ly/1UzWrhl
Any GLKIF shareholders in their partner DMNKF - DNI Metals?
DNI Metals is focusing on developing a vertically integrated graphite extraction, refining, and wholesale business, by using a three-pronged cash flow generation strategy.
1.) Wholesale graphite business shipping material from high-quality producers in Brazil to North America.
DNI has a current agreement to provide Great Lakes Graphite 34,000 tonnes of –100 mesh +95 graphitic carbon over a five year period.
http://www.greatlakesgraphite.com/2015/03/23/great-lakes-graphite-announces-graphite-supply-agreement-with-dni-metals/
http://investorintel.com/technology-metals-intel/great-lakes-graphite-going-value-added/?print=pdf
2.) Fully operating commercial mining-related laboratory
Currently being used by mining and clean tech companies for assay work, pilot plant modeling, technical studies and environmental work. More than 62 Canadian & US patents have been developed at this facility. The company has not made the name public yet - due to confidentiality obligations, since the lab is currently private - but with all the DD I have done, I can tell you that it is:
Process Research ORTECH Inc. (http://www.processortech.com/ ) This facility should be very familiar to GLKIF stockholders.
Making up approximately 87% of the acquisition value, are hard assets comprised of a 37,000 square foot, two story high facility, located in the Greater Toronto Area. All the equipment needed to operate Pilot Plants and Laboratories, that are used to complete metallurgical, clean technology, and environmental testing will now be owned by DNI upon completion of the transaction.
A building mortgage and VTB (Vendor Take Back) will account for 75% of the acquisition cost. 20% of the building is rented out at competitive rates, already generating income. This acquisition will add about C$ 3.5 million of hard assets to DNI's balance sheet, which I should point out has no long-term or toxic debt.
3.) 100% owned Vohitsara Graphite Property in Madagascar
Their flagship project. Initial exploration results have indicated the presence of a reasonable quantity, quality and tenor of flake graphite mineralisation consistent with the generally high quality of flake graphite found in central eastern Madagascar. The property has a full mining permit, and further development and drilling are scheduled to commence later this year. DNI plans to start output at 12,000 tpa, which will enable the company to be extremely competitive in the current graphite market owing to its lower capex and opex costs as the ore can go straight into the flotation process following excavation - The Saprolite Advantage.
http://dnimetals.com/the-saprolite-advantage/
Samples of strong graphitic carbon head-grade results (3% to 13.14% Cgr) from 4 trenches covering a strike length of 700 metres, averaging 300 to 400 meters in width, at Vohistara, yielded the following results:
Flake Distribution, Description, and Size
29.5% Jumbo +50 Mesh / +297 Microns
25.3% Jumbo +30 Mesh / +595 Microns
16.9% Small -140 Mesh / -105 Microns
12.6% Large +70 Mesh / +210 Microns
9.9% Medium +100 Mesh / +149 Microns
5.8% Small +140 Mesh / +105 Microns
NI 43-101 Report: http://dnimetals.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/REPORT-NI43-101_Transaction_Vohitsara-v.160301_FINAL-1_SIGNED.pdf
Video Tour of Vohitsara Property:
This board seems really quiet...let's wake up this sleeping beast!
Thank you.
Latest updates at http://www.stockhouse.com/companies/bullboard/v.glk/great-lakes-graphite-inc
Right now it is too quite here ...
NR!!
Great Lakes Graphite Enters Technology Partnership with Process Research ORTECH to Purify Natural Flake Graphite for Hi-Tech Applications
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/1200858.htm
Great Lakes Graphite Demonstrates 99% Carbon Purity Using Simple Flotation Process
http://www.geologyforinvestors.com/great-lakes-graphite-demonstrates-99-carbon-purity-using-simple-flotation-process/
What sets Great Lakes Graphite (V.GLK) apart from its competitors
http://www.stockhouse.com/opinion/interviews/2015/06/04/what-sets-great-lakes-graphite-v-glk-apart-from-its-competitors
Great Lakes Graphite finishes three holes at Lochaber
2014-12-18 10:22 ET - News Release
Mr. Paul Gorman reports
GREAT LAKES GRAPHITE CONTINUES LOCHABER WINTER DRILL PROGRAM
Great Lakes Graphite Inc. is providing the following update on the 2014 Lochaber winter drill program. Kyle Loney, president of Wolf Mountain Drilling, the contractor conducting the Lochaber drill program, reports that three of the six 100-metre holes have now been completed. Further, Mr. Loney indicates that the program continues to progress on schedule. Sebastien Bernier, PGeo, a representative of SRK Consulting, which has been engaged to complete a National Instrument 43-101-compliant resource estimate on the Lochaber property will be on-site commencing this weekend.
Paul Gorman, chief executive officer, said: "This drill program will provide important infill exploration data for the resource estimate as well as the feasibility study that is anticipated to follow immediately upon completion of the estimate. As each drill hole is completed, the drill core is being transported to our Sudbury core shack. Once there, the core is logged, split and prepared for assay. Core samples will then be shipped to AGAT Laboratories Inc. in Mississauga for analysis. The company anticipates that drilling will be completed before year-end."
Martin Ethier, PGeo, who is a member of the Order of Geologists of Quebec and a qualified person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release.
© 2014 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
Rock Tech now holds 10.4% of Great Lakes shares
Ticker Symbol: C:RCK C:GLK
Rock Tech now holds 10.4% of Great Lakes shares
Rock Tech Lithium Inc (2) (C:RCK)
Shares Issued 10,772,010
Thursday December 04 2014 - News Release
Also Great Lakes Graphite Inc (C:GLK) News Release
Mr. Brad Barnett of Rock Tech Lithium reports
ROCK TECH LITHIUM INC. RECEIVES ADDITIONAL GREAT LAKES GRAPHITE SHARES
Rock Tech Lithium Inc. has provided the following update in accordance with National Instrument 62-103 the early warning rystem, and related takeover bids and insider reporting issues.
Rock Tech advises that is has filed an early warning report in connection with the issuance by Great Lakes Graphite Inc. to Rock Tech of an aggregate of 3,831,737 common shares of Great Lakes. The shares were issued by Great Lakes pursuant to a previously disclosed property option agreement between Rock Tech and Great Lakes. Rock Tech now holds a total of 7,663,474 common shares of Great Lakes, representing 10.4 per cent of Great Lakes' current issued and outstanding share capital (73,714,818 common shares). A copy of the early warning report may be found under Great Lakes' profile on SEDAR.
© 2014 Canjex Publishing Ltd.
Great Lakes hires SRK for Lochaber resource estimate
Great Lakes Graphite Inc (C:GLK)
Shares Issued 73,714,818
Last Close 12/2/2014 $0.06
Wednesday December 03 2014 - News Release
Mr. Paul Gorman reports
GREAT LAKES GRAPHITE ENGAGES SRK CONSULTING TO CARRY OUT MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE ON THE LOCHABER GRAPHITE PROPERTY
Great Lakes Graphite Inc. has provided the following update on activities related to the exploration and development of the Lochaber graphite property.
NI 43-101 Resource Estimate
The Company has engaged SRK Consulting to complete the preparation of an National Instrument ("NI") 43-101-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate for the Lochaber Graphite Property located in southeastern Quebec (the "Resource Estimate"). CEO Paul Gorman said, "Soon after we began discussions regarding a Feasibility Study for the Lochaber project, it was clear that having SRK Consulting complete the work on an NI 43-101-compliant resource estimate on the Lochaber property would facilitate subsequent work on a Feasibility Study. Having SRK's name on our Resource Estimate is a way of demonstrating our ongoing commitment to the highest industry standards."
Preliminary work toward the Resource Estimate including all of the supporting data that have been used in internal studies and scenarios have been made available to SRK Consulting. "We are confident that the completion of a resource estimate on the highly prospective Lochaber Graphite Property will be a major strategic step forward in realizing value from our significant investment in this property", Great Lakes CEO Gorman commented. The company expects the Resource Estimate to be published during the first quarter of 2015.
SRK Consulting is an independent, international consulting practice providing focused advice and solutions to the earth and water resource industries. SRK provides services to mining companies that range from exploration to mine closure. Established in 1974, SRK employs more than 1,500 professionals internationally in over 50 offices on 6 continents
Fieldwork - Drill Program
A field crew and diamond drilling equipment have been mobilized to the Lochaber Graphite Property to carry out a program of 600 m of drilling that will provide additional data for the Resource Estimate and a contemplated Feasibility Study in the near future. The drilling is scheduled to commence this week.
In preparation for this program, road access to the project area has been upgraded. This program is comprised of six holes of 100 m in length that are already spotted on the ground. The holes are in-fill and step-out holes that will supplement the results of the previous drilling on the property which is being used to complete the Resource Estimate.
Mr. Martin Ethier, P.Geo., who is a Member of the Order of Geologists of Quebec and a "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release.
Press Release - Great Lakes Graphite
Great Lakes Graphite Tests Confirm High Purity of Graphite at Lochaber Property
November 5, 2014, Toronto: Great Lakes Graphite Inc. -- (TSX-V: GLK) -- ("Great Lakes Graphite" or the "Company") -- is pleased to announce the following update on flotation concentration tests for the Company's Lochaber Graphite property in Quebec, being conducted by Process Research ORTECH ("PRO") at their facilities in Mississauga, Ontario. The tests were completed by PRO on a composite sample of graphite from the Lochaber property, with the objective of developing a flotation concentration flow sheet designed to optimize the preservation of the graphite's crystalline structure and particle sizes, in order to maximize the potential economic value of this high-purity graphite.
PRO has now provided the Company with exceptional flotation concentration optimization results, including:
TABLE 1
These results were obtained via conventional flotation only without chemical treatment, i.e. without the use of strong bases (NaOH - caustic roast technique) or acids (H2SO4/HF - acid leach technique).
Concentrate produced by PRO from the mineral beneficiation process was sent to AGAT Laboratories of Mississauga, Ontario for carbon-as-graphite (Cg) analysis, using a LECO furnace and infrared (IR) detector.
CEO Paul Gorman said "These test results confirm that a high-purity concentrate can be easily produced from the graphite at Lochaber. These purity levels taken together with the flake size distribution we recently reported continue to demonstrate the hiqh quality of the mineralization at Lochaber. A high-quality graphite resource is a prerequisite to targeting the high end of the market with value-added products. We are now moving quickly to complete an NI 43-101-compliant resource estimate which is the final major milestone to complete before commissioning a full Feasibility Study."
Paul Hynek, Director of Technical Services to the Company said, "It is worth noting that we use a modified IR assay method for our graphitic carbon assays. While there are other industry-accepted assay methods that result in the reporting of elevated grades, we are committed to using this method in order to achieve a high level of accuracy. With the method that we incorporate, the sample is pretreated to remove any traces of non-graphitic carbon due to other sources such as organic contaminants and carbonate. It is then heated in a combustion tube to 1350°C in a flowing stream of oxygen where the remaining graphitic carbon is oxidized to form CO2. The gas stream then passes through an IR detection cell tuned to respond to CO2. Once the total CO2 is quantified, the percentage of Cg is calculated.
Historically, and even recently, graphitic carbon was measured using varying forms of an LOI (Loss on Ignition) test where the ore sample was heated to a high enough temperature, usually above 1000°C, to burn off all the carbon and the weight loss was reported as graphite. Of course this was incorrect as chemically combined water, carbonates, organic debris, etc. were all part of this weight loss. This method thus evolved into a two stage LOI, where organic carbon was burned off, chemically combined water and carbonates had a chance to decompose removing those sources of non-graphitic carbon and weight; however, LOI is typically done in air and some carbonates require high temperatures to decompose, in the same range where graphite will burn, so again, there were large sources of error, and typically the error was on the high side. Even the IR method can be misreported if the sample is not pretreated to remove other sources of carbon. Consequently, we have gone to great care to ensure that the labs we use follow a specific protocol, and we have full confidence in the graphitic assays we report."
Mr. Martin Éthier, P.Geo., who is a Member of the Order of Geologists of Québec and a "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release.
About Process Research ORTECH (PRO): PRO was created to explore innovative solutions in the Process Technologies area to better serve the needs of Canadian industries as well as international companies. The PRO team collectively has decades of experience delivering pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, electrometallurgy and mineral processing solutions to customers. Recognizing the need for sustainable development for the mining, metallurgical, recycling and chemical industries industries, PRO offers its clients process technologies for economic advantage, environmental stewardship and societal care.
About Great Lakes Graphite: Great Lakes Graphite Inc. is an industrial minerals company with the mandate to bring graphite projects to production through the acquisition and development of high quality graphite flake properties. Graphite has moved to the forefront of the Industrial Mineral World as a Critical Mineral required for industrial use and as a major component in the development of new technologies particularly with the advancement of battery storage, mobile battery systems and alternative energy infrastructure.
As there are currently no graphite mines producing in North America, Great Lakes Graphite has the ability to become one of the first producers to supply a growing regional customer base that requires high quality natural graphite, where pricing and demand continue to rise.
The Company, through strategic acquisitions and capable management will become a leader in the industrial minerals marketplace. The Company’s flagship graphite property is located in Lochaber Township of southwestern Québec. The Company has also entered into option and joint venture agreements with Eloro Resources Inc.(TSXV:ELO) on the Summit-Gaber Cobalt property located in the La Grande Greenstone Belt in the Baie James region of Québec. Further information regarding Great Lakes can be found on the Company’s website at: www.GreatLakesGraphite.com.
Great Lakes Graphite trades with symbol GLK on the TSX Venture Exchange and currently has 60,964,819 shares outstanding (89,158,655 fully diluted).
Great Lakes (V.GLK) lays out strategy for success in graphite space
Read more at http://www.stockhouse.com/opinion/interviews/2014/10/29/great-lakes-v-glk-lays-out-strategy-for-success-graphite-space#AMkvoexbrwEZ6YIw.99
The following is a Stockhouse Q&A interview with Great Lakes Graphite Inc. (TSX: V.GLK, Stock Forum) Chief Marketing Officer Paul Ferguson.
Why should people think about investing in Great Lakes Graphite right now?
For investors, the rule is to buy low. That means seeking out high quality companies during periods when the market has discounted everything, right across the board. Some companies have not just survived but have also taken advantage of opportunities that appear during such times. That’s one reason investors should be considering Great Lakes Graphite.
In addition, the company is completing work on a NI 43-101 resource estimate. Assuming we are able to demonstrate a respectable resource, the company will earn the right to move up a category on the valuation scale. This is a particularly important milestone for the company that we expect to complete shortly.
What sets you apart from other junior companies in the graphite space?
Well for one thing we don’t think of ourselves as a junior. While we technically fit the description, it isn’t how we see ourselves or where we are driving this company which is why we refer to ourselves instead as an industrial minerals company. Our focus is on the market, on customers, on preparing to meet the demand for value-added graphite products.
Most resource juniors are focused on their property, and while that is a high priority for us, it is not an exclusive focus. We are customer centric and seeking the shortest path to get into the market.
Tests have shown that graphite samples from your Lochaber project in southwestern Quebec can be used to produce a graphite concentrate containing more than 57% large flakes. Can you outline what that means to a layman investor and how that might take you forward in achieving the goals that you have set for the company?
There was an article in Industrial Minerals recently that discussed the importance of flake size. Stephen Riddle of Asbury Carbons was quoted in that article as saying that his ideal deposit has purity of 94% and as high a percentage of large flake as possible. And the reason for that is quite simple, that is the type of natural graphite that you need to have to produce the high value graphite products. A high grade, high quality, at-surface natural graphite project is a critical element in our plan and enables us to plan for a small footprint, low CAPEX, environmentally sustainable operation.
“My ideal project is a graphite mine that would produce at a 94-96% purity level. It would have as much medium (plus-80 mesh) and large flake (plus-50 mesh) as possible. The lower the percentage of fine flake (minus-80 mesh), the better, since it is the most abundant material in the market and thus has the lowest selling price….”
Stephen Riddle, Asbury Carbons CEO, in The Mining Report
Generally speaking, who do you think your customers will be?
For the most part, our customers already exist as prospects in the marketing database we've built in Salesforce. Over the past several years we have had lots of conversations with lots of companies who use graphite, so we have a very good idea of who we will be ringing when the time comes to start dialing.
Also, the name Great Lakes Graphite was intentionally chosen to convey a regional focus.
We certainly have a global outlook, but we think we will be most successful in the industrial minerals space by focusing on domestic markets with consistent, high quality products and excellent customer service.
Who are the key players on your management team? What do they bring to the table in terms of their ability to help you achieve your goals?
Great Lakes Graphite strongly believes that an experienced management team is the key to successfully implementing our business plan. We engaged people that have experience in business, mineral beneficiation, mineral processing, plant design and a proven ability to get the job done. We also looked for experience in the graphite space. Our team has over 150 years of experience in all areas of mining, with much of it in graphite. From our CEO to our operations people, we have all the criteria for a successful execution of our plan in place.
What are the near term milestones that investors should look for in the next 12 months?
The next milestone is the results from purity testing of the bulk sample we collected recently. Based on the results of earlier work as well as some of the testing we have done, we anticipate that the results will confirm that the graphite from Lochaber has the characteristics associated with the higher value products.
The milestone after that is a major one, it’s the NI 43-101 resource estimate on Lochaber.
Having a resource will literally put the company into a different category.
Immediately after the estimate is published, assuming it is satisfactory, the company will proceed immediately to commission a full feasibility study. That effort will require significant time and attention but in parallel to that we will be initiating activities with potential customers, including a sampling program. In order to accomplish our goals on our timeline it is important to get out into the market and begin engaging with potential customers as soon as possible.
Great Lakes Graphite selected for Schulich MBA project
Ticker Symbol: C:GLK
Great Lakes Graphite selected for Schulich MBA project
Great Lakes Graphite Inc (C:GLK)
Shares Issued 60,964,819
Last Close 10/21/2014 $0.08
Wednesday October 22 2014 - News Release
Mr. Paul Gorman reports
GREAT LAKES GRAPHITE PARTNERS WITH SCHULICH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ON STRATEGY
Great Lakes Graphite Inc. has been selected out of many candidates by a team of MBA students from the Schulich School of Business at York University to participate in a project to be conducted over the next two months. The project provides an opportunity for the Schulich team to provide consulting services in a real-world environment. Chief executive officer Paul Gorman said: "The timing of this initiative is excellent given the company's current focus on business strategy. We greatly look forward to working closely with the Schulich team on this project."
The team consists of four MBA students with diverse educational and professional backgrounds who will serve as consultants to the company to conduct a comprehensive strategic analysis and to provide recommendations focused on strategies for growing revenues, profit, or both. Daniel Zaitz, who represented the Schulich team during the selection process, said: "It is a great honour to have Great Lakes Graphite on board with this project. I am confident that the partnership will be a great learning experience for my group and will also add significant value to Great Lakes' business."
© 2014 Canjex Publishing Ltd.
The TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation pertaining to a further amendment to an existing option agreement originally dated Sept. 29, 2010, between Great Lakes Graphite Inc., formerly Shield Gold Inc., and Eloro Resources Ltd., the parties have agreed to further extend, by one year, the payment and exploration expenditure schedules pertaining to certain mineral claims (the La Grande Nord property) in return for a one-time payment of 200,000 common shares to the vendor.
For further details, please refer to the company's news release dated Oct. 8, 2014.
© 2014 Canjex Publishing Ltd.
Great Lakes Graphite Announces La Grande Nord Amendment
V.GLK, GLKIF | 1 day ago
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 8, 2014) - Great Lakes Graphite Inc. (TSXV: GLK) ("Great Lakes" or the "Company") announces that the existing Agreement between Great Lakes and Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ELO) ("Eloro") with regard to La Grande Nord Property (the Summit-Gaber property) located in the Baie James region of Québec has been amended. This amendment allows Great Lakes to extend, by one year, the dates for work commitments and remaining payments under the terms of the original agreement and its first amendment. As consideration for the extensions granted by Eloro, Great Lakes has agreed to issue an additional 200,000 common shares to Eloro, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.
La Grande Nord Property has historically been the focus of base and precious-metal exploration; however, the presence of mineralization characteristic of cobalt-nickel-silver ("Cobalt-style") deposits has also been noted. The potential for cobalt mineralization is of great exploration interest to the Company.
John M. Siriunas, P.Eng, VP of Exploration for the Company and a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release.
About Great Lakes Graphite: Great Lakes Graphite Inc. is an industrial minerals company with the mandate to bring graphite projects to production through the acquisition and development of high quality natural graphite properties.
Graphite has moved to the forefront of the Industrial Mineral World as a Critical Mineral required for industrial use and as a major component in the development of new technologies particularly with the advancement of battery storage, mobile battery systems and alternative energy infrastructure.
As there are currently no graphite mines producing in North America, Great Lakes Graphite has the ability to become one of the first producers to supply a growing regional customer base that requires high purity graphite, where pricing and demand continue to rise.
The Company, through strategic acquisitions and capable management will become a leader in the industrial minerals marketplace. The Company's flagship graphite property is located in Lochaber Township of southwestern Québec. The Company has also entered into option and joint venture agreements with Eloro Resources Inc. (TSXV: ELO) on the Summit-Gaber Cobalt property located in the La Grande Greenstone Belt in the Baie James region of Québec. Further information regarding Great Lakes can be found on the Company's website at: www.GreatLakesGraphite.com.
Great Lakes Graphite trades with symbol GLK on the TSX Venture Exchange and post-transaction will have 60,964,819 shares outstanding (89,158,655 fully diluted).
What You Need To Know As An Investor in Graphite
Although many graphite explorers seem to think 'bigger is better' and although tonnes and graphitic grade are key metrics when evaluating projects, a number of factors actually need to be considered from an investor's perspective.
I suggest that you reflect on these six key factors when evaluating a graphite opportunity:
1. Deposit size and quality
2. Location and infrastructure
3. Flake size and distribution
4. Product purity
5. Product off-take agreements
6. Timeframe to production
The first two considerations are very important. When it comes to deposit size, bigger doesn't mean better. It's about how feasible the project is, which is based much more on grade. It's not that it's necessarily bad if a company has a low in-situ grade for their project, most grades can be upgraded significantly through processing, however, the mining costs can be daunting. For example, it would take the movement of six times the volume of material to mine a 4% Cg deposit, as it would take a 24% Cg deposit. So as an investor you need to consider what the project wholly entails. Significant capex requirements can dilute your investment, low grades necessitate much higher opex, and the geology of the deposit affects the metallurgy and what final applications that material can be used for. My ideal project would be a graphite mine that would produce in excess of 94% purity, with as much large (+80 mesh) and jumbo (+48 mesh) flake as possible. Graphite meeting that criteria would generally meet the standards for a wide variety of applications and would fetch a premium after upgrading and purification. The location and infrastructure of the deposit are very important facts to consider because they directly relate to expenses and final product value. The location needs to meet all environmental standards, and needs to have adequate facilities either onsite or nearby to process the material. Also, when the product is finished, it has to be transported, and since graphite is a bulk material that sells by the tonne, shipping costs factor significantly into a company's feasibility to profitably mine and sell graphite.
When it comes to the third factor, flake size and distribution, a number of facts hold true. First, the larger the flake size, the higher the purity of graphite. Second, the larger the flake size, the higher the prices (all other things considered equal). Last, market applications drive demand, so deposits with relatively high proportions of ultrafine graphite may not ever go into production as the segment is most at risk of over-supply.
The fourth factor, purity after simple processing (i.e., before acid or thermal upgrading) is particularly important because it is a key determinant in saleability of the product. It's also a very important factor in relation to operating expenses, because the more upgrading the graphite material needs to undergo, the higher the production cost potentially will be.
The fifth factor, product offtake agreements and MOUs are significant in determining the long-term success of a graphite company, as the graphite market is largely based on contracted sales agreements between buyers and sellers based off of the buyer's custom specs. So companies that already have these agreements in place are heavily de-risked compared to their peers.
The last factor, timeframe to production is for the most part self-explanatory. While companies that get their product to market first will certainly set the pace in the space, growth metrics suggest that there will be a significant amount of demand in the future and leaves the door open for any company with high-quality graphite and a feasible mine the opportunity to succeed.
*Special note, when it comes to evaluating graphite juniors that are in an earlier stage of the development cycle and don't have their resource, metallurgy, processing and milling upgrading flow sheet, etc. you need to do your due diligence on the geology of the deposit, historical mining operations in the area or on the property and any metrics associated from them, proximity to more advanced projects that have already have demonstrated successful results, and most importantly in my mind, a good management team with experience in the industry. The graphite community is relatively small, and knowing what you're doing and having the proper relationships to advance the project are critical to success.
Source:http://seekingalpha.com/article/2504085-why-the-graphite-sector-is-heating-up-how-to-evaluate-opportunities-and-what-i-own
Whether you realize it or not, graphite is all around you. Right now it's mostly consumed for refractories, batteries, steelmaking, expanded graphite, brake linings, foundry facings and lubricants. But things are changing and incremental demand is forecast to increase substantially due to emerging green initiatives and clean technologies. Graphite is quickly becoming a necessary material in a plethora of high-tech applications, and graphene (which comes from the base material of graphite) has the potential to "change the world."
Many investors are still trying to understand graphite and its market, which is what I'm setting out to help accomplish in this article. I'll explain what graphite is, different types and deposit geology, current and future uses, supply and demand trends, pricing, a brief market comparison, and most importantly, my six key criteria for what you need to know to be an informed investor in the graphite sector. I'll also briefly discuss the graphite companies that I currently own and why, as well as conclude demonstrating some impressive performance metrics in the sector as of late.
page 1 / 30| Next »
This article is part of Seeking Alpha PRO and is available to you on a time-limited basis. Fund managers subscribe to PRO to discover
research & experts on 4,000+ small & mid-cap stocks in the PRO library.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/2504085-why-the-graphite-sector-is-heating-up-how-to-evaluate-opportunities-and-what-i-own
Followers
|
5
|
Posters
|
|
Posts (Today)
|
0
|
Posts (Total)
|
71
|
Created
|
10/09/14
|
Type
|
Free
|
Moderators |
Graphite has been referred to as the material used in every industry yet in small enough quantities that no one talks about it. The majority of the world's graphite is used in traditional applications such as refractories, steel-making, foundry moldings, auto parts, and lubricants. Minor uses such as batteries, pencils, electronics, and numerous other products account for the remaining graphite consumed each year.
Future demand growth is anticipated to be driven by 'technology grade graphite', to be used in emerging green initiatives and clean technology. Including applications in fuel cells, lithium-ion and vanadium redox batteries, energy storage, solar power, water purification, and pebble-bed nuclear reactors. Not to mention graphene, coequally dubbed the 'miracle material', a one atom thick layer of carbon atoms which some researchers claim "it's the most important substance to be created since the first synthetic plastic more than 100 years ago."
Volume | |
Day Range: | |
Bid Price | |
Ask Price | |
Last Trade Time: |