Denison Mines Moves Closer to Federal Approval for Phoenix ISR Uranium Project

Dual listed uranium miner Denison Mines (TSX:DML,NYSEAMERICAN:DNN) announced that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has scheduled public hearings for the Wheeler River uranium project in Saskatchewan, marking a significant step toward final federal approval.

Denison Mines is a uranium mining, development and exploration company focused on the Athabasca Basin region of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The company holds an effective 95 percent interest in its flagship Wheeler River uranium project, the largest undeveloped uranium project in the Eastern Athabasca Basin.

The public hearing, set for later this year on October 8 and December 8 through 12, will be the final stage in the environmental assessment process and the decision regarding the company’s application for a Licence to Prepare and Construct a Uranium Mine and Mill.

If the CNSC grants approval shortly after the hearings, Denison expects to begin site preparation and construction for the Phoenix in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium project located within its Wheeler River land package in early 2026.

The project has already cleared several major regulatory hurdles, including the completion of the technical review phase of the federal environmental assessment process in November 2024.

Additionally, the CNSC determined that the company’s license application met sufficiency requirements that same month and accepted Denison’s final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in December.

“With the potential to commence construction in early 2026, we expect to be able to maintain our target of achieving first production from Phoenix by the first half of 2028,” said David Cates, president and CEO of Denison, in a February 27 statement.

In mid-2023, Denison completed a feasibility study for the Phoenix deposit as an ISR mining operation and updated a 2018 pre-feasibility study for the Gryphon deposit, which is being planned as a conventional underground mining operation.

According to these studies, both deposits have the potential to be among the lowest-cost uranium mining operations globally. Permitting for the Phoenix ISR operation began in 2019, with major milestones achieved in 2024, including the submission and acceptance of final federal licensing documents and the Environmental Impact Statement by both the CNSC and the Province of Saskatchewan.

Beyond Wheeler River, Denison holds interests in a variety of uranium operations and projects in the Athabasca Basin, including a 22.5 percent interest in the McClean Lake Joint Venture with partner Orano Canada. The pair plans to restart mining at the McClean Lake North deposit this year using the venture's proprietary SABRE mining method. The partnership also owns the McLean Lake mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.