TIDMBRES
RNS Number : 6770I
Blencowe Resources PLC
06 December 2022
Date: 06 December 2022 Blencowe Resources
Successful Further Metallurgical Test Work for Orom-Cross
Graphite Project Sets-Up Bulk Sample Test Phase
Larger sample confirms same high quality end product as previous
metallurgical test work
Highlights:
-- Blencowe successfully completes critical metallurgical test
work on substantially up-scaled quantities of Orom-Cross composite
mix, as per what was previously tested by SGS in Canada.
-- Results continue to highlight a high grade, low impurity
concentrate can be delivered from Orom-Cross.
-- Duplication of bench scale testing results now completed through to bulk sample test stage.
-- Test work completed by leading Australian metallurgical test firm IMO.
-- Blencowe now has considerably more volume of end product to
send to interested end users for testing.
Blencowe Resources Plc ("Blencowe" or the "Company"), is pleased
to announce that additional metallurgical test work on its
Orom-Cross graphite project in Northern Uganda has been completed
by leading technical specialist firm IMO based in Perth, Australia.
This work is critical to understanding the quality of the
end-product that Orom-Cross can deliver as a high-grade graphite
concentrate, as well as what the process flow will look like to
achieve this on a pre-commercial scale. It also provides
significantly greater quantum of end product for end user testing
which is critical for the Definitive Feasibility Study.
Blencowe appointed IMO to undertake metallurgical test work on
material gathered from its drilling campaigns which covered both
the Northern Syncline and Camp lode areas within Orom-Cross. The
program was designed to deliver the following objectives:
1. Confirm a 95-97% TGC (Total Graphite Content) pure
concentrate is possible with low impurities (Thorium and
Vanadium).
2. Confirm 90% recovery is achievable for this concentrate.
3. Confirm the liberation process in order to maintain a high
percentage of Jumbo/XL/Large flakes within the concentrate.
4. Confirm the process flow diagram for plant design as part of
the Definitive Feasibility Study.
5. Deliver bulk concentrate samples to allow Blencowe to
initiate discussions with potential off-take partners.
Blencowe is pleased to announce that all 5 objectives have been
met or exceeded in this latest round of test work. Open cycle
floatation testing produced recoveries between 90-92% and
concentrate grades consistently range between 95-98% which are
battery grade.
The additional metallurgical test work was commissioned to test
the upgradeability of the bench scale test work completed by SGS in
Lakefield. A total of 1,400kg was processed (as compared to 100kg
within SGS test work) and all metallurgical test-work undertaken to
date shows a robust flowsheet capable of repeatable metallurgy for
a wide range of feed samples from Orom-Cross.
A total of eight rougher and cleaner flotation tests were
carried out on the Master composite that culminated in the
flowsheet that is atypical of similar graphite projects. The
flowsheet consists of a flash and rougher flotation stage followed
by a primary cleaning circuit with a polishing mill followed by
three stages of cleaner flotation. The intermediate concentrate is
classified and then further upgraded in secondary cleaning circuits
with stirred media mills (SMM) followed by cleaner flotation.
The proposed flowsheet was employed in a continuous pilot
operation to determine the metallurgical response under typical
operating conditions. The final concentrate graded 96.4% C(t) at
90.6% total carbon recovery which exceeded the company's
expectations and places the end product recovered at the higher end
of the spectrum in comparison to its peers.
Test work was focussed on the 5 points above and not geared
towards optimising the flake size fractions. As the resultant
splits using an unoptimised circuit are within 5% of the fractions
as determined by the original SGS bench scale works there may be
further incremental value to be added by optimising ahead. The key
takeaway from these results is that the scaling factors in the
metallurgical testing will likely replicate the original test work
and results through to commercial scale production.
At the end of this larger scale metallurgical program,
approximately 80kg of concentrate was produced (versus 5-8kgs from
SGS in Canada) which will be forwarded to potential end-users and
project partners for additional test work on screening splits and
grade analysis, as well as suitability for further downstream
processing of the concentrate.
The design of the processing plant will be based on both the SGS
and IMO test-work and best practice in similar operations.
Importantly, the process requires no primary crushing or grinding
of the ore, thus preserving the larger flake sizes, which is a
material advantage over hard-rock graphite deposits.
Executive Chairman Cameron Pearce commented:
"We are delighted with these IMO met test results as they not
only continue to underpin Orom-Cross concentrate as high quality in
all key areas relevant to end users but the test work has
highlighted that we can now deliver these end results on a much
greater scale of raw material as processed. This is a key steps
towards commercial stage production testing in a pilot plant
facility. It also highlights the potential to increase the
percentage of the more valuable coarse flake products through
further optimisation of the processing circuits and this will be
considered in the next round of testing.
This latest set of results sets us up nicely for the bulk sample
trial we will be conducting on 100 tonnes of Orom-Cross composite
in 1H 2023 and if these same results are produced from that
exercise we will be largely pre-qualified in terms of end products
delivered as concentrate."
For further information please contact:
Blencowe Resources Plc www.blencoweresourcesplc.com
Sam Quinn Tel: +44 (0)1624 681 250
info@blencoweresourcesplc.com
Investor Relations Tel: +44 (0) 7891 677 441
Sasha Sethi sasha@flowcomms.com
Tavira Financial Tel: +44 (0)20 3192 1733
Jonathan Evans jonathan.evans@tavira.group
First Equity Limited Tel: +44(0)20 7330 1833
Jason Robertson jasonrobertson@firstequitylimited.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/BlencoweRes
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/72382491/admin/
Background
Orom-Cross Graphite Project
Orom-Cross is a potential world class graphite project both by
size and end-product quality, with a high component of more
valuable larger flakes within the deposit.
A 21-year Mining Licence for the project was issued by the
Ugandan Government in 2019 following extensive historical work on
the deposit and Blencowe is moving into the Definitive Feasibility
Study phase shortly as it drives towards first production.
Orom-Cross presents as a large, shallow open-pitable deposit,
with a maiden JORC Indicated & Inferred Mineral Resource
deposit of 24.5Mt @ 6.0% Total Graphite Content. Development of the
resource is expected to benefit from a low strip ratio and free dig
operations, thereby ensuring lower operating and capital costs.
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