Metals Australia is making significant strides in advancing the Lac Rainy high-grade flake graphite project in Quebec, Canada. The company has announced several contracts that are expected to refine the project’s metallurgical processes and enhance its potential for battery-grade graphite production.
The first contract is with SGS Laboratories in Lakefield, Ontario, for metallurgical and laboratory services. This collaboration will play a crucial role in refining the project’s metallurgical processes. In addition, Metpro Management has been engaged as a specialist client advisor to oversee the metallurgical test work programmes, essential for designing a flake-graphite concentrate plant.
Another significant development is the awarding of a pre-feasibility study (PFS) contract to Lycopodium, an engineering, design, and construction group. The PFS will focus on designing a plant capable of producing 100,000 tonnes per annum of flake-graphite concentrate, along with the necessary site infrastructure.
Metals Australia has also partnered with Germany’s ANZAPLAN to assess purification options for downstream battery-grade spherical graphite concentrate, determine optimal plant locations, and conduct a scoping study. Furthermore, the company has teamed up with Magnor Exploration for drilling and full-service support to expand the mineral resource and explore new regional targets.
Metals Australia CEO Paul Ferguson expressed excitement about the project’s progress, highlighting the company’s strong cash balance that will support the development of the Lac Rainy resource and accelerate the project’s growth. The collaboration with leading global service providers will significantly de-risk the project and bring it closer to development, providing a reliable supply of critical minerals in North America’s manufacturing and supply logistics sector.
