Name of the Project
Orom-Cross graphite project.

Location
Uganda.

Project Owner/s
Graphite, nickel and copper developer Blencowe Resources.

Project Description
A prefeasibility study (PFS) has highlighted an exceptional long-life project that delivers considerable returns over an initial life-of-mine (LoM) of 14 years.

An estimated 600 000 t/y of ore will be mined from the commissioning date and this will increase to 2.4-million tonnes a year by the time the project is fully ramped up in Year 10.

Mining will be free-dig, with no drill-and-blast required. Initial ore will come from saprolite (clay) at an average depth of about 15 m to 20 m. Both deposits (Northern syncline and Camp lode) identified in the drilling programmes will be mined and a composite blend of both will be fed into the processing plant that will be built on site.

An initial 36 000 t/y of end-product will be delivered from the plant as concentrates, which will increase in two additional stages to 147 000 t/y once the mine is fully ramped up. 

Further resources, higher production volumes and an extended mine life can all be obtained at any stage by drilling additional ready-targets. This, however, is not currently considered a priority.

The processing flowsheet comprises a flash and rougher flotation stage, followed by a primary cleaning circuit with a polishing mill and three stages of cleaner flotation. The intermediate concentrate is classified and then further upgraded in secondary cleaning circuits using stirred media mills, followed by cleaner flotation.

Orom-Cross will deliver at least five different end-products, characterised by +50 mesh, +80 mesh, +100 mesh, +150 mesh and -100 mesh. These products will have different markets and will be branded and packaged on site.

Initially, transport to port will be by road, but it is expected that a rail option might be available by 2025, further reducing logistics costs.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $482-million and an internal rate of return of 50%.

Capital Expenditure
The initial capital requirement has been lowered by 23%, to $62-million, since the preliminary economic assessment was announced in 2021. 

Planned Start/End Date
The initial start-up phase of Orom-Cross development is targeted for 2026.

Latest Developments
Blencowe has announced that the first assay results from its Stage 7 drilling programme have confirmed significant extensions of high-grade graphite at the Camp Lode and Northern Syncline deposits.

The results, which come from eight geotechnical holes drilled to support pit design, also highlight zones of higher-grade ore within the existing deposits.

At Camp Lode, hole CLGT03 returned 27.54 m at 8.68% total graphitic carbon (TGC), including narrower intervals grading 18.98% and 13.46% TGC, confirming high-grade extensions to the orebody in the south-east.

Other intersections, including 3.96 m at 9.08% TGC at depth in CLGT02, and shallow mineralisation in CLGT01 and CLGT04, indicate potential to extend the pit to the north and add higher-grade tonnes to the resource, supporting optimised mine scheduling for early production phases.

At the Northern Syncline, hole NSGT02 returned 27.98 m at 4.61% TGC, including 5.57 m at 8.10% TGC within 30 m of the surface, while NSGT04 returned 12.37 m at 6.09% TGC. These results confirm shallow, high-grade continuity in critical infill zones, which are important for low-cost, openpit mining.

The company has said that all geotechnical data will directly inform the definitive feasibility study (DFS) for pit wall design and mine scheduling. The results will be incorporated into a Joint Ore Reserves Committee- (Jorc-) compliant resource upgrade expected to materially increase reserves and support large-scale mining over the LoM.

Further assay results from infill, step-out and deep drilling at the newly identified Beehive deposit are expected in the coming months.

In parallel, construction of a permanent camp at Orom-Cross is under way. The facility is intended to support ongoing exploration in 2026 and provide accommodation and operational infrastructure for contractors during future mine construction. The camp represents the first permanent structures at the project, underscoring progress on site.

Blencowe executive chairperson Cameron Pearce has said the steady release of assay results, Jorc upgrade and DFS milestones will provide the platform to advance into project financing and position Orom-Cross as a robust global graphite project. 

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Battery Limits (PFS); IMO (technical testwork); and CPC Engineering (DFS).

Contact Details for Project Information
Blencowe Resources, tel +44 1624 681 250 or email info@blencoweresourcesplc.com.