Latest news

The first phase of drilling at Kupukka completed

28.11.2024

Kupukan Grafiiti Oy has completed the first phase of drilling of the Kupukka graphite deposit. Seven holes with a total length of 1,670 meters were drilled in the area. Graphite-bearing gneiss was intersected in all holes, which indicates that the Kupukka deposit is promising in terms of dimensions. Total length of the EM and magnetic anomalies probably indicating the graphite-bearing gneiss is around 10 km (Fig. 1).

Drill cores will be logged in the field base of Kupukan Grafiitti Oy in Rantsila over the next couple of months. Preliminary microscopic studies have already been performed on a few samples, and based on these, the quality of the graphite is good (Fig.2). However, various additional studies are still needed to determine the quality of the graphite more precisely.

Figure 1. Drill hole collars (white dots) on the GTK airborne, EM in-phase and magnetic anomaly maps (red = maximum). Location of drill holes made in 2013 with green dots. Exploration permit area marked by blue. Base map © MML 2024.

Figure 2. Micro-photograph of graphite-bearing gneiss with yellow-gray graphite flakes. Drill hole KUP-002/84.95m.

Drilling at the Kupukka Graphite deposit has started

27.10.2024

Kupukan Grafiitti Oy has started its first drilling phase at the Company’s Kupukka Graphite Prospect in Siikalatva.

The plan is to drill 7 – 10 holes, in total 1500 – 2000 m, in different parts of the Kupukka target (Figure). The holes are planned based on ground EM and magnetic measurements made in late winter 2024. The length of the planned holes varies between 100 and 300 meters. The contractor is the drilling company Comadev Oy from Rovaniemi, Finland.

Planned drill holes (white dots) on the GTK airborne, EM in-phase and magnetic anomaly maps (red = maximum). Location of drill holes made in 2013 with green dots. Exploration permit area marked by blue. Base map © MML 2024.

Exploration permit granted for the Kupukka Graphite Project

25.7.2024

On June 12, 2024, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency TUKES approved Kupukan Grafiitti Oy’s exploration permit application. During the appeal period, there were no appeals to the Northern Finland Administrative Court, so the exploration permit is now legally binding. Landowners in the permit area will be contacted to pay landowner fees.

Obtaining the exploration permit without complaints shows broad acceptance of the local population for the Kupukka Graphite Project, considering that there are more than 100 landowners in the permit area. Kupukan Grafiitti Oy continues to communicate openly about the future exploration phases.

Geophysical ground surveys strengthen Kupukka’s ore potential

6.5.2024

The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) was contracted to carry out geophysical ground surveys at Kupukka. Seven lines were measured at the end of March, approx. 400 m in length and 2620 m in total. The magnetic survey was made with a continuously recording GEM System GSM-19 Overhouser magnetometer. The magnetic data contains a total of 1960 observation values, on average every 1.3 meters. The electromagnetic survey was done with a Promis device from IRIS Instruments. Three survey frequencies of 880, 3520 and 14080 Hz were used, and the measurement was made every 10 meters.

Based on the interpretations, the bedrock source for the magnetic and electromagnetic anomalies is similar to the graphite gneiss intersected in the 2013 drilling. The dip of the interpreted structures is to the west or the structures are sub-vertical, which corresponds to the structure obtained from the 2013 drilling. Figure 1 shows the location of the survey lines, and Figure 2 shows the interpretations of the survey results.

Figure 1. Geophysical survey lines L1, L3-L7 (L2 is located approx. 4 km north of the other lines). 2013 geophysical survey marked with black lines. Location of boreholes RAN-1-4 with green dots. The color surface map shows variation of the in-phase component of GTK’s electromagnetic low altitude airborne data (red = good electrical conductor). Base map © MML 2024.

Figure 2. Interpreted structures of the magnetic and electromagnetic survey at lines L1, L3, L4 and L5. Birdseye view towards northeast. The deep-reaching structures are magnetic and the surface-closer electromagnetic interpretations. The gray solids mark the interpreted structures of the 2013 geophysical survey. Drill holes RAN-1-4 are also marked in the picture. RAN-2 hole has 74.65 m (22.00-96.65) @ 3.73% Cg including 24.00 m (40.00-64.00) @ 5.31% Cg and 14.65 m (82.00-96.65) @ 6.16% Cg (details here).

First Drill results of the Kupukka Graphite Deposit

3.12.2023

Kupukan Grafiitti Oy has purhcased drill cores of historical, 2013 drillings with no earlier assaying. The drill cores were logged and graphite-bearing core was sent to ALS laboratories. One of the Drill Holes, RAN-2 intersects properly the EM and magnetic anomaly caused by the graphite gneiss. The other holes are more or less aside from the anomalies. DH RAN-2 has the following graphite (Cg) contents:

74.65 m (22.00-96.65m) @ 3.73 % Cg including:
24.00 m (40.00-64.00m) @ 5.31 % Cg and 14.65 m (82.00-96.65m) @ 6.16 % Cg.

Detailed images of the drillings are shown in Kupukka Graphite Project page .

These intercepts confirm the graphite ore potential of the Kupukka Graphite Project. Similar geophysical anomalies measured over the historical Drill Holes continue for more than 10 km’s length within the Kupukka Exploration Permit application area.

Kupukan Grafiitti Oy

26.6.2023

Since 2020 the graphite studies in the Kupukka area have been made by Suomen Malmitutkimus Oy. In order to focus investments clearly on the Kupukka Prospect, Kupukka was separated into its own company and Kupukan Grafiitti Oy was established. An application to transfer the Kupukka exploration permit application to Kupukan Grafiitti Oy has been filed to Tukes.

High graphite contents in boulders southeast of Kupukka

12.3.2023

Local prospectors have found numerous graphite-bearing boulders southeast of the Kupukka exploration permit area (Figs. 1 and 2). In several boulders the graphitic carbon content (Cg) is over 5 % and in four boulders over 10 %. Until now, the highest content is 17.7 % Cg (6.87 % sulphur). The boulders most probably originate from the Kupukka graphite belt.

Figure 1. Piece of the boulder Keljunneva1. Graphite content (Cg) 8.26 %. Width of the image around 5 cm.

Figure 2. Micro-photograph of the boulder Keljunneva1. Graphite flakes appear gray-brown.

Exploration permit application for the Kupukka Graphite Project

19.1.2023

Suomen Malmitutkimus Oy has filed to Tukes, 9 January 2023 an exploration permit application for the Kupukka Graphite Project. The permit area locates in the western part of the reservation and covers a total area of 1649 ha (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. Exploration permit for the Kupukka Graphite Project. Map produced from the GTK MDaE map service 19 January.

Open information session in Pulkkila

30.10.2022

At an open information session, 11 October 2022, organized at the Pulkkila municipal hall, information was given about Suomen Malmitutkimus Oy’s graphite studies at the Kupukka Prospect. All study phases and the most important results so far were presented, as well as information about further plans. A discussion was held with the small but active audience that had arrived, e.g., about the continuation of studies, exploration permit, landowners’ rights and the new mining law. There is an article about the event in the Siikajokilaakso newspaper, 19 October 2022.

At Pulkkila’s information session, the local residents were also presented with graphite concentrate from Kupukka and graphite boulders found by local prospectors.

Graphite crystallinity of the Kupukka samples was studied at GTK laboratory

23.8.2022

At the GTK’s Mintec laboratory, the degree of crystallinity and crystallization temperature of graphite from the Kupukka area were investigated with a Raman spectrometer; two of the samples were from the drill core and one from the graphite concentrate (flotation + chemical purification). Based on the results, the degree of crystallinity of the graphite is very high, 96 – 98% (Figs. 1 and 2).
The degree of crystallinity of the graphite examined from the concentrate is the highest, which suggests that during mineral processing and beneficiation tests, graphite with the relatively highest crystallinity is enriched in the concentrate.
The crystallization temperature estimate for the drill samples was 682 – 683 ±50 (°C), which corresponds to the metamorphic grade of the study area (high amphibolite-granulite facies).

Figure 1. Microscope image showing Raman measurement points (1-7) on graphite in Sample 3412_R305/26.35.

Figure 2. Low R1 value indicates high crystallinity.

Geophysical surveys and interpretations completed in the Kupukka graphite prospect area

8.7.2022

Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) carried out electromagnetic measurements at the Kupukka
research area during March-April 2022. The report was completed in the end of May.

Flake graphite has been drilled at one of the research sites, Valkiaisjärvi. Other selected research sites have corresponding indications at aerogeophysical maps.
According to the survey results all four measured targets have strong indications of one or more conductive structures. Theoretical 3D models were calculated to locate the upper surface of the structures and estimate other properties. The locations of three conductive structures were determined at Valkiaisjärvi, but the dip directions were not resolved with certainty. The Multakorpi research site has a unified, vertical conductive structure nearly 100 m wide (Fig. 1). Two clearly separated, narrow conductive structures with eastwards dip were identified at the Sarvikangas research site. A uniform conductive structure was observed at the Isoräme research site. The dip direction is west.

Based on the results, all identified conductive structures have good conductivity and even better than at Valkiaisjärvi, where 8.7 – 13.4 % of graphitic carbon was assayed from graphite gneiss in drill core.

The 3D models calculated from the geophysical data can now be used in planning the drilling, which is the next step in the Kupukka graphite prospect.

Figure 1. Survey results and interpreted conductive structure at Multakorpi.

Geophysical surveys in the Kupukka graphite prospect area at Siikalatva start 07.03.2022

26.02.2022

Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) has been contracted to make EM ground surveys in several areas of the Kupukka graphite prospect at Siikalatva (Fig. 1). The aim of the study is to locate the airborne EM anomalies and to get information of the structure and dimensions on the EM source, probably made by a graphite-bearing mica gneiss.

Figure 1. Planned EM survey areas marked by red ellipsoids. Purple lines indicate the airborne EM anomalies. The Kupukka reservation area is marked by the black line. GTK drilling sites from 1993 also marked.

Laboratory Flotation and Chemical Purification Tests on graphite

13.12.2021

Ostrobothnia, Kupukka

Flotation concentrates of around 90 % C
Chemically purified end product up to 98 % C with a liberation degree of graphite 99.7 %
Total carbon recovery 82.4 %

Bench scale test work was conducted on a composite drill core sample in length of 12.90 m, at the GTK Mintec laboratories, Outokumpu, during May-November 2021. The mineralogy of the sample and beneficiation of graphite by flotation and chemical purification were investigated. The aim of the work was to get preliminary information about the beneficiation potential of graphite.

The graphitic carbon grade of the sample was 5.5–5.8 %. According to MLA, the main minerals in the sample were quartz, K-feldspar, chlorite, plagioclase, biotite, pyrite, graphite, cordierite, clay minerals, garnet, and muscovite.

Totally 3 flotation tests were made on the sample. Grind size, flotation reagents and their dosages, pulp pH and flotation time were the main variables studied in these tests. Unnecessarily fine grinding was tried to be avoided to recover graphite as large flakes as possible. Therefore, grinding was mostly performed in stages. Flotation concentrates with almost 90 % C were obtained. Chemical purification tests consisting of alkali roasting and acid leaching showed that the carbon grade of the flotation concentrates could be upgraded up to 98 % with high recovery.

If the whole process, i.e., combination of flotation and chemical purification is considered, the total carbon recovery was 82.4 %. According to the MLA study, the liberation degree of graphite was 99.7 % in the final product.

The results of this test work encourage to continue the exploration within the Kupukka reservation by Suomen Malmitutkimus Oy. However, more tests would be needed to optimize the process parameters, both flotation and chemical. In addition of this test work the degree of crystallinity and crystallization temperature of graphite will be studied in near future at the GTK Mintec by Raman spectroscopy. Below images of graphite-bearing mica gneiss, graphite concentrates of different grain sizes and chemically purified graphite concentrate.