Here's a presentation by Timcal (now Imerys) from Dec 2011. Slide 11 onwards is telling on what it takes to compete in the high-purity graphite market....

http://www.slideshare.net/GraphiteExploration/graphite-availability-and-market-requirements-by-fabrizio-corti

If you can read the slide behind the Imerys fellow speaking, the strategy is still relevant today...

https://twitter.com/PGilfillan_MB/status/542254385938829312