Atlas Critical Minerals Reports Largest Graphite Resource in South America
News related to:Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation · 2 min read
Brazil-based Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation has announced the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for its 100%-owned Malacacheta Graphite Project, located in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The MRE, detailed in a Technical Report Summary (TRS) filed as Exhibit 96.1 to the Company's Report on Form 6-K, was prepared independently by SGS Canada Inc., a well-respected mineral evaluation company.
The TRS, in accordance with Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K, reports a significant graphite resource. The MRE covers one of the Project's three contiguous mineral tenements and is based on a 2.0% graphitic carbon (Cg) cut-off grade. According to the report, the resource includes:
- 17.2 million tonnes (Mt) Indicated at 5.73% Cg, containing approximately 986,000 tonnes of graphite. - 7.0 Mt Inferred at 5.40% Cg, containing approximately 378,000 tonnes of graphite.
Atlas Critical Minerals believes that the Project is the largest graphite resource in South America reported under a globally recognized mineral reporting code (S-K 1300, NI 43-101 or JORC). The Indicated grade of 5.73% Cg is approximately 25% higher than the 4.6% Cg Measured and Indicated grade reported for Graphite Creek in Alaska, as described by the U.S. Geological Survey. It is also nearly double the 2.91% Cg Inferred grade at the Kilbourne Graphite Project in New York, which is reported under NI 43-101 at a lower 1.5% Cg cut-off.
The maiden resource estimate is supported by a comprehensive diamond drilling program of 21 HQ core holes totaling approximately 2,394 meters, completed in 2026. The program was designed from geological mapping and an induced polarization (IP) survey, and every drillhole returned significant graphite intercepts. The results show consistent mineralized widths and grades, supporting the geological interpretation and the Company's understanding of the deposit.
The MRE covers only one tenement (approximately 997 hectares) of three contiguous tenements totaling ~2,822 hectares. The reported drilling covers only approximately 2.5 km of strike, leaving ~8.5 km untested along the same mineralized trend. SGS has recommended continued drilling to extend the limits of the deposit and to upgrade its resource classification.
The Company will now focus on advancing the Project through additional exploration, metallurgical testwork, and technical studies. Planned work includes resource expansion drilling, step-out and depth drilling at the first tenement, infill drilling to convert Inferred Mineral Resources to the Indicated category, metallurgical testwork, and economic evaluation, including a Preliminary Economic Assessment targeted for Q2 2027.
Graphite is the dominant anode material in lithium-ion batteries, which are essential for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. High-purity graphite is also used in nuclear reactors and advanced industrial applications. Several governments, including the U.S., recognize graphite as a critical mineral. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the United States had no domestic natural graphite production in 2025 and remained 100% reliant on imports.