Petrogenesis of magmatic-hydrothermal graphite deposits: A case study of the Albany graphite deposit, northwestern Ontario

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Vein-type graphite deposits hosted in igneous rocks are globally rare; however, these deposits have the potential to produce high-purity graphite required to compete with the $8 billion per year synthetic graphite market. Ultra high-purity graphite (>99.95% C) is required to support Canada's emerging green technology sector, as this type of graphite is required for the manufacturing of Li-ion batteries, fuel cells, graphene-based applications, pebble-bed nuclear reactors. Canada is on the verge of potentially developing the world's first igneous-hosted vein graphite deposit, the Albany deposit, near Hearst, ON. Zenyatta Ventures Ltd, who is the industrial sponsor of the proposed research, discovered Albany in 2010. As mining and processing costs for vein graphite would come at much lower production and environmental costs than synthetic graphite (produced by expensive and energy demanding refinement of petroleum coke), the principal benefit to Canada is the establishment of its own supply of ultra-high purity graphite for its emerging green technology sector. Although the potential economic benefits are significant, the geological understanding of igneous-hosted is limited owing to very few known global discoveries and the resulting paucity of data on igneous-hosted vein deposits. Consequently, a research partnership between Zenyatta Ventures and Lakehead University has been established to study the origin of the Albany deposit. This research will involve the integration of field and laboratory techniques, including core logging, microscopic studies, whole-rock geochemistry, spectroscopic investigations, radiogenic isotope geochemistry, geochronology and stable isotope geochemistry. In addition to the potential long-term economic benefits, Canada will benefit in the short-term through student training and research, which will lead to the development of more robust mineral deposit models, which can be applied by exploration industries in Canada and by Canadian companies working abroad to aid in future discoveries.