Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. has discovered the largest and very rare ultra high-purity Albany Graphite Deposit in Northern Ontario. The deposit contains the largest and only high purity hydrothermal (volcanic in nature) graphite mineralization being developed in the world. High purity graphite is gaining prominence at a time when Zenyatta discovered a very rare hydrothermal graphite deposit, which can be upgraded with very good crystallinity without the use of aggressive acids and high temperature thermal treatment. Zenyatta has discovered an easy and environmentally friendly process that consist of grinding, floating and caustic treatment using sodium hydroxide. The company has been able to achieve an extraordinary carbon purity result of greater than 99.9% in bench-scale tests, using this proprietary and environmentally safe method of purification. The Albany Graphite Deposit is comprised of two vertical, carrot-shaped breccia pipes which have been determined to extend to a minimum of 500 m and both are open at depth. The deposit has no surface expression as it is overlain by muskeg, glacial till and Paleozoic carbonate rocks of the James Bay Lowlands. Petrography and geochemistry by Dr. Conly and his research group indicate that the graphite-hosting, igneous intrusive breccias are predominantly syenite. Graphite occurs in the matrix as disseminated crystals, crystal aggregates and veins, as well as along crystal boundaries and as small veins penetrating the breccia fragments. The gangue mineralogy of the matrix consists predominantly of feldspar, moderate quartz, minor phlogopite and amphibole and trace amounts of pyrite, pyrrhototie and magnetite. Both pipes are intruded by a syenite sill, which post-dates the graphite mineralization. The deposit is interpreted as near surface volcanic vent breccias that formed during the ascent of carbon-rich fluids (carbon dioxide and methane) that separated from the alkalic magmas of the Albany Alkalic Complex.
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