Name of the Project
Orom-Cross graphite project.

Location
Orom district, northern Uganda.

Project Owner/s
Blencowe Resources.

Project Description
The proposed graphite mining and processing project is characterised as a large, shallow openpitable deposit. 

The definitive feasibility study (DFS), released in December 2025, envisages an initial two-phase development, starting with a smaller Phase 1 operation producing up to 20 000 t/y of concentrate and micronised products.

Phase 2 will start development within two years of Phase 1 commissioning to expand mine output to up to 70 000 t/y of concentrate. 

It is planned that a downstream beneficiation facility will upgrade small flake concentrate into battery-ready 99.95% total graphitic carbon uncoated spheronised purified graphite (USPG) product, initially up to 20 000 t/y, with modular expansion aligned to the scale-up of mining.

Beyond Phase 2 production, Orom-Cross is expected to expand in stages towards 175 000 t/y of concentrate and 80 000 t/y of USPG, funded entirely by cash flow generated in house.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated in the provided DFS announcement.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The DFS reports an after-tax net present value, at a 10% discount rate, of $1.087-billion and an internal rate of return of 96% for the integrated mine and downstream beneficiation facility.

Capital Expenditure
Phase 1 is at estimated at $40-million and Phase 2 at $120-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Phase 1 is targeting first production in the first half of 2027.

Latest Developments
Additional metallurgical testwork has confirmed that graphite concentrate from the project is suitable for synthetic industrial diamond production, adding a new potential value stream.

The programme, completed by American Energy Technology Co (AETC) in Chicago, is part of Blencowe’s broader strategy to validate non-China downstream routes for Orom-Cross material. The testwork delivered a diamond conversion yield of 53.6% by weight, above the commonly referenced 50% economic threshold for synthetic diamond manufacture outside China. This is a key project outcome, as lower conversion rates generally reduce commercial viability in higher-cost processing jurisdictions.

Results also suggest Orom-Cross graphite has physical characteristics that support efficient diamond synthesis. AETC has reported that the deposit’s finer, more compressible flake structure has performed better than many natural graphites, including some East African sources, where thicker flakes can limit conversion efficiency.

For Orom-Cross, the findings expand downstream optionality – beyond concentrate sales and battery-related markets – into a specialised, higher-value industrial segment.

Blencowe has said this could support offtake development while reinforcing the project’s positioning as a high-quality, non-China graphite source aligned with Western supply-chain diversification and local processing goals.

The company is continuing drilling and resource-definition work, with further assay results from the Iyan and Beehive programmes expected in stages and intended to feed into subsequent Joint Ore Reserves Committee resource updates.

Blencowe has indicated that the combined technical and exploration progress is supporting ongoing funding and offtake discussions as the project advances towards first production.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
CPC Engineering (DFS management and sign-off)

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