About Bissett Creek Project

Northern Graphite Corporation holds 100% interest in the Bissett Creek mining leases and surrounding claims which are located 17km from the Trans Canada Highway between the cities of Ottawa and North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The site can be accessed by a good quality all weather road and labor, power, rail lines and water are all readily available.

 

 

 

 

A full feasibility study was completed on the property in 1989 by such prestigious engineering firms as Kilborn and Cominco Engineering based on extensive drilling and metallurgical work. It estimated a proven and probable reserve and concluded that the project was economic but it was never developed due to a subsequent decline in graphite prices. Historical information is presented for informational purposes only. The feasibility study and reserve estimates were not completed in accordance with NI 43-101 and therefore should not be relied upon.

 

Over the last five years Northern Graphite has re-activated the project due to higher graphite prices and renewed interest in graphite projects. An additional 6,600m of drilling in 118 holes has been completed to bring the total drilling on the project to approximately 12,200m in 275 holes. Resources have been more than doubled and upgraded and currently stand at 69.8 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources grading 1.74% graphitic carbon (“Cg”) and 24 million tonnes of inferred resources grading 1.65%Cg (both at a 1.02%Cg cutoff grade). The Bissett Creek deposit occurs at surface and covers an area of approximately 1.5 by 0.5 kilometres. There is minimal overburden and the maximum depth of the resource is about 80m. Bissett Creek is a very unique deposit in that approximately 90% of the contained graphite will be categorized as large flake which is likely the highest ratio in the industry.

 

Northern Graphite completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) on the Bissett Creek Project in 2011, a full Feasibility Study (“FS”) in August 2012, updated the FS economics in 2013 with current prices, and then completed a PEA to show the economics of doubling production in the future if graphite demand increases as the Company expects. The Company’s Mine Closure Plan has been filed and accepted by the Provincial Government and is the main environmental approval required prior to the commencement of construction. A number of other operational approvals and permits are required and are expected to follow the main permit in due course. The Company anticipates being in a position to commence construction before the end of 2015, subject to financing, and to commence production by the end of 2016.

 

The proposed development of the Bissett Creek graphite deposit is as described in the FS and the amended FS economics PR and shareholders and potential investors should refer to the FS for a complete description of the project. It consists of an open pit mine and a 2,900tpd processing plant with conventional crushing, grinding and flotation circuits. Electricity for the plant will be generated by compressed natural gas (“CNG”) fuelled generators. CNG will be trucked from the main Trans Canada line, approximately 15 kms away. The processing plant includes a sulphide flotation circuit to remove enough sulphides to make approximately 97% of the tailings benign. All sulphide and non-sulphide generating waste rock will be backfilled into mined out areas of the pit after five years of operation, and all sulphide tailings after eight years, resulting in low final closure costs.

 

Probable mining reserves were established based on measured and indicated resources of 69.8 million tonnes (“Mt”) grading 1.74% “Cg” based on a 1.02% Cg cutoff. The final mine plan only contemplated a 25 to 30 year operation and resulted in probable reserves of 28.3 Mt of ore grading 2.06%Cg based on a COG of 0.96%Cg. Probable reserves include 24.3 Mt grading 2.20%Cg that will be processed first and 4.0 Mt grading 1.26%Cg from a low grade stockpile (“LGS”) that will be processed at the end of the mine life. In order to increase head grades in the initial years of production while maintaining a reasonable stripping ratio, measured and indicated resources grading between 0.96%Cg and 1.5%Cg will be stockpiled, largely within the mined out areas of the pit. The total LGS will be 16.5 Mt grading 1.26%Cg and will provide a great deal of flexibility in future operations as it will be available for processing at a later date, either through an expanded facility or at the end of the mine life. It also represents a low cost source of ore that could be processed during periods of depressed prices.

 

Over 28 years of operation an average of 20,800 tonnes of graphite concentrate at 94.5% Cg will be produced. Cash mine operating costs will average CDN$795 per tonne of concentrate. The capital cost to construct the processing plant, power plant and all associated mine infrastructure is estimated at $101.6 million including a $9.3 million contingency.

 

The Bissett Creek project has a pre-tax internal rate of return (“IRR“) of 19.8% (17.3% after tax) and a pre-tax net present value (“NPV”) of $129.9 million ($89.3 million after tax) in the base case which uses a weighted average price of US$1,800/tonne for the concentrates that will be produced. The project has significant leverage to higher prices as the pre tax IRR increases from 19.8% to 25.7% and the pre-tax NPV from $129.9 million to $201.1 million at a price of US $2,100/t.

 

The Company has completed a PEA and PEA update to show the economics of doubling production to meet the anticipated growth in graphite demand. The potential mine life is currently over 80 years based on measured and indicated resources only. Due to the flat lying nature of the deposit, production can be expanding without a significant increase in the stripping ratio and capital or operating costs. The expansion PEA update indicates that Bissett Creek has very attractive economics even at or below current depressed graphite price levels. The pre-tax internal rate of return (“IRR“) is 31.7% (26.7% after tax) and the pre-tax net present value (“NPV”) is $264.7 million ($178.9 million after tax) in the base case which uses an 8% discount rate and a weighted average price of US$1,800/tonne of concentrate.

 

The PEA uses the same mine plan as the FS Update but accelerates the mining of the high grade ore and processes all of the LGS thereafter. There are an additional 27.3 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources grading 1.62 %Cg which are not included in the mine plan and 24 million tonnes of inferred resources grading 1.65%Cg which are treated as waste. Also, resources have not yet been closed off by drilling and therefore further expansions are possible. Over the first ten years of operation almost 44,200 tonnes of graphite concentrate would be produced yearly.

 

Cash mine operating costs will average CDN$736 per tonne of concentrate over the mine life. Due to the flat lying nature of the deposit, production can be expanded without any capital investment required for additional stripping or pushbacks of the pit walls. The waste to ore ratio actually declines in the PEA expansion scenario and contributes to lower operating costs. The initial capital cost estimate to construct the processing plant, power plant and all associated mine infrastructure under the PEA update is $134.1 million.