The Dumbara Project consists of four exploration licences (EL/264, EL/311, EL312, EL/313) covering 34km2, which are located approximately 50km southeast of Colombo. Dumbara is recorded as the first graphite mining area in Sri Lanka, dating back to the 1850s.
The GSMB surveyed the broader Dumbara area in 1975 and identified abandoned graphite mines and pits at 45 locations (Ceylon Geological Survey, 1975). The graphite mineralisation is described as “predominantly confined to the centre of the Dumbara Antiform”.
Several Priority 1 airborne EM (AEM) targets were delineated during the 2017 survey. Due to the topography and increased flight heights, the targets generated from the AEM are not quite as clear as the targets returned from Pathakada and Aluketiya. As a result, the Company’s geophysical consultants Southern Geoscience (SGC) have recommended follow up FLEM surveys to be conducted over the most prospective anomalies. Validating the AEM survey results will be done by completing at least two FLEM surveys over two of the highest priority targets. The aim of this work is to confirm the size and strength of the AEM conductive anomalies and thus rule out the need for further ground EM surveys in the area.
