Sarytogan Graphite has reported the first assay results from its 2026 diamond drilling programme at the Ilksan prospect, part of the Baynazar copper exploration project in central Kazakhstan.
Results from the first of three diamond drill holes, DDH-IL26002, returned 229m at 0.14% copper and 0.027ppm gold from surface to the end of the hole.
The wider intercept included higher-grade zones of 11.6m at 0.26% copper and 407ppm molybdenum from 33.8m, and 16.2m at 0.36% copper, 0.12ppm gold and 1.4ppm silver from 159.7m.
Sarytogan said the results confirm copper porphyry-style mineralisation at Ilksan. Strong potassic alteration identified in the drilling is interpreted by the company as indicating that drilling has reached what it describes as the optimum vertical position in the intrusion for copper deposit formation.
Managing Director Sean Gregory said the drill core and assays demonstrate the presence of a “fertile copper porphyry system”, with the company now awaiting assays from the other two drill holes to begin assessing the extent and grade of the mineralisation.
Building on earlier exploration
Sarytogan selected Baynazar for greenfields copper exploration following a review of historical Soviet exploration records. The project lies around 25km south-west of the company’s Sarytogan Graphite Deposit.
Previous work at Ilksan included historical shallow diamond drilling, followed by Sarytogan’s own airborne magnetic survey, more than 6,000 soil samples and trenching.
Trenching previously returned 270m at 0.13% copper, including 92m at 0.20% copper and 30m at 0.31% copper. A subsequent shallow drilling programme established a 600m-diameter bedrock anomaly containing greater than 500ppm copper and up to 0.5% copper at 6m depth.
In DDH-IL26002, the company reported sulphide mineralisation deeper in the hole consisting predominantly of pyrite and chalcopyrite, with local occurrences of bornite. Sarytogan also identified increasing silicification and potassic alteration with depth, which it says is an encouraging alteration pattern within the porphyry system.
Two more results to come
Attention now turns to the remaining two holes.
DDH-ILK26001A was drilled vertically to 318m from the centre of the highest KGK copper anomaly, while DDH-ILK26003 was drilled 150m further north and reached 452m.
Samples from both holes have been submitted for analysis, with Sarytogan expecting to report results as they become available, likely within the current quarter.
Further drilling will be required to understand the extent of the mineralisation at Ilksan and to test other prospects within the Baynazar tenements.
Read the full Sarytogan Graphite ASX announcement: Copper Porphyry Mineralisation at Ilksan – full announcement
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