Full Breakdown
Sarytogan Graphite Announces Major Copper Finds at Ilksan Prospect in Kazakhstan
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Discovery
On September 15, 2026, Sarytogan Graphite reported a 318-metre drill intersection at its Ilksan prospect, grading 0.14 % copper and 0.027 g/t gold from surface to the end of the hole. Within this interval the company highlighted higher-grade zones, including an 18.9-metre section at 0.29 % copper starting 5 m downhole and a 15.2-metre segment at 0.4 % copper from 163.4 m depth. The result follows a first hole 150 m away that returned a 229-metre intercept at an almost identical copper grade of 0.14 % from surface. Sarytogan says the consistency between the two holes points to a large, fertile copper porphyry system underlying the Ilksan prospect, which lies 25 km southwest of its flagship graphite deposit and forms part of the broader Baynazar copper exploration project.
Exploration Background
The Ilksan discovery stems from a systematic campaign that began with a review of Soviet-era records, which identified two shallow 1970s drill holes that intersected copper mineralisation. After pegging the ground in 2024, Sarytogan completed high-resolution magnetic surveys, collected more than 6,000 soil samples and conducted trenching that yielded a 270-metre intercept at 0.13 % copper. Subsequent shallow drilling defined a 600-metre-diameter bedrock anomaly with copper grades up to 0.5 %. These steps paved the way for the current three-hole diamond drill program, with the third and deepest hole drilled 150 m north and terminated at 452 m depth when the budget was exhausted.
Graphite Production Prospects
In parallel with the copper work, recent test-work on a 24-tonne bulk sample from Sarytogan’s graphite deposit produced 30 kg of coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG) with a 97.7 % yield and 99.99 % purity—well above the typical 50-60 % yield and the 99.95 % purity required for lithium-ion batteries. The company is preparing a 5-kg CSPG sample for shipment to a leading European prototyping organisation to support large-format pouch-cell battery development and to qualify the product for European offtake partners.
Official Statements & Responses
Managing director Sean Gregory said the drill results confirm the presence of a fertile copper porphyry system and that assays from the deeper third hole are eagerly anticipated. He also noted that the copper discovery represents a strategic diversification that leverages the company’s in-country expertise and Kazakhstan’s low-cost mining environment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The diamond drill core and assays at Ilksan demonstrate the presence of a fertile copper porphyry system. The results of the deeper 3rd hole are eagerly anticipated.” — Sean Gregory, graphite managing director