Denison Mines Reports Favorable Leach Test Results at Phoenix

Denison Mines (TSX:DML,NYSEAMERICAN:DNN) has released the initial data from core leach tests conducted on the Phoenix uranium deposit.

As quoted from the press release:

Initial data includes elemental uranium concentrations, after the initial test startup, in the range of 13.5 grams per litre (“g/L”) to 39.8 g/L. This compares favourably to the previous metallurgical test work completed to assess the use of the In-Situ Recovery (ISR) mining method at the high-grade Phoenix uranium deposit – which supported a uranium concentration of 10 g/L for the ISR processing plant design used in the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) completed for the Company’s 90 percent owned Wheeler River uranium project, located in northern Saskatchewan, Canada.

David Bronkhorst, Denison’s Vice President Operations, commented, “The initial data from the core leach test shows that uranium can be recovered from intact core samples at a concentration that is significantly higher than the levels used in the PFS. The implications of a higher uranium concentration coming from the ISR wellfield are potentially significant – allowing the metallurgical team to explore various combinations of lixiviant parameters to optimize operating costs, and processing plant configurations to potentially reduce capital costs while maintaining the same level of annual uranium production.”

Background

The test work incorporated into the PFS included column leach and agitated leach tests, which led to the design of the Phoenix processing plant in the PFS based on a minimum of 10 g/L uranium content in the uranium bearing solution expected to be recovered from the ISR wellfield. The current metallurgical test program has been designed to build upon the laboratory test data collected as part of the PFS.

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