Energy Fuels and Astron Corporation Limited Execute Definitive Agreements to Jointly Develop the Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project in Australia; Uranium Production from the Company's U.S. mines and Alternate Feed Materials Continues to Ramp up as Planned

Energy Fuels and Astron Corporation Limited Execute Definitive Agreements to Jointly Develop the Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project in Australia; Uranium Production from the Company's U.S. mines and Alternate Feed Materials Continues to Ramp up as Planned

  • The Donald Project is an advanced-stage project with the potential to supply approximately 7,000 – 14,000 tonnes of monazite sand in a rare earth element (" REE ") concentrate (" REEC ") per year to Energy Fuels' White Mesa Mill (the " Mill "), located in Utah, U.S.A. , for processing into separated REE oxides, as early as 2026.
  • Under the joint venture, Energy Fuels has the right to invest AUD$183 million (approximately $122 million ) and issue $17.5 million in Energy Fuels shares to earn up to a 49% interest in the project.
  • Of these amounts, Energy Fuels expects to issue $3.5 million in Energy Fuels shares in 2024 and to invest approximately $10.6 million in 2024 from its existing working capital (approximately $225 million at March 31, 2024 ) , prior to making a final investment decision to proceed with the development of the first phase of the project. A positive final investment decision would require the approval of both Energy Fuels and Astron and would generally require commitments for satisfactory offtake and/or sales agreements for the REE oxides expected to be produced from REEC at the Mill, as well as commitments for non-recourse and/or government-backed debt financing for the project.
  • The REEC production of approximately 7,000 to 8,000 tonnes per year from the first phase of the Donald Project would be processed at the Mill's recently constructed REE oxide separation circuit, which is expected to be fully commissioned by the end of Q2 2024 and has the capacity to process up to 10,000 tonnes of monazite sand per year into up to 1,000 tonnes of NdPr oxide per year, along with a heavy mixed REE carbonate, without the need for any further capital expenditures at the Mill.
  • During 2024 and 2025, the Company also plans to continue to design, permit, and construct an expansion of REE oxide production capacity at the Mill to 40,000 – 60,000 tonnes of monazite per year, which is expected to be completed in 2027, and would have the capacity to process the second phase of monazite production from the Donald Project of 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of REEC per year, which could be available as early as 2029/2030, as well as planned monazite production from the Company's Bahia Project in Brazil and the Company's planned acquisition of the Toliara Project in Madagascar .
  • The Company's REE production initiatives will not diminish in any way the Company's U.S. leading uranium production capabilities, which are proceeding as planned. The Company expects to produce approximately 150,000 to 500,000 pounds of uranium oxide (" U 3 O 8 " ) in 2024 from its U.S. mines and alternate feed materials ramping up to mining at a run-rate of approximately 1.1 million to 1.4 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year later this year from three of its existing mines, with plans to increase mining to the rate of approximately 2 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year by 2025 and up to 5 million pounds per year in coming years if market conditions continue to be positive, as expected.

Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) ( "Energy Fuels" or the "Company" ), a leading U.S. producer of uranium, REEs, and vanadium, is pleased to announce that it has executed binding agreements with Astron Corporation Limited (" Astron ") creating a joint venture (the " Venture ") to develop and operate the Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project, located in the Wimmera Region of the State of Victoria, Australia (the " Donald Project "). All references to dollars or $ in this news release are references to US$ unless otherwise indicated.

The Donald Project is a world-class, world scale, REE and heavy mineral sand (" HMS ") deposit that has the potential to provide Energy Fuels with a near-term, low-cost, and large-scale source of monazite sand in an REE concentrate (" REEC ") that would be transported to the Company's Mill in Utah, USA for processing into REE oxides and other advanced REE materials to fuel the clean energy transition and meet critical U.S. national security needs.

With most licenses and permits in place (or at an advanced stage of completion), the Donald Project is expected to provide Energy Fuels with approximately 7,000 to 8,000 metric tons (" tonnes ") of REEC per year (" Donald – Phase 1 "), commencing as early as 2026. 8,000 tonnes of REEC from the Donald Project would contain approximately 4,700 tonnes of total REE oxides (" TREO "), including roughly 990 tonnes of neodymium-praseodymium (" NdPr ") oxide, 84 tonnes of dysprosium (" Dy ") oxide, and 14 tonnes of terbium oxide(" Tb ").

Following the construction and commissioning of Donald – Phase 1, Energy Fuels and Astron will evaluate increasing production from the Donald Project to 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of REEC per year (" Donald – Phase 2 "), all of which would be delivered to the Mill for processing into REE oxides by Energy Fuels. 14,000 tonnes of REEC from the Donald Project would contain up to 8,200 tonnes of TREO per year, including 1,700 tonnes of NdPr oxide, 140 tonnes of Dy oxide and 25 tonnes of Tb oxide, providing a rich source of critical rare earth elements necessary to meet the demand for electric vehicles, clean energy and national security technologies.

NdPr, Dy, and Tb are known as the "magnet rare earths," as they are key ingredients in powerful permanent REE magnets used in the most efficient electric vehicles (" EVs "), hybrids, wind generators, and other defense-related and advanced technologies. Monazite concentrates typically have superior grades and distributions of the "magnet" REEs compared to other REE-bearing minerals.

For context, REEs provide significantly greater power and range for EVs and hybrid vehicles, with the typical REE-powered vehicle using about one kilogram (" kg ") of NdPr oxide, along with roughly 50 grams of Dy and/or Tb oxide. Therefore, the Donald Project alone could supply enough of each of these critical elements for up to 1.7 million EVs per year during Donald – Phase 2.

Construction and development of the Donald Project could begin as soon as 2025, subject to a unanimous final investment decision (" FID ") of both Energy Fuels and Astron. A positive FID would generally require Energy Fuels to have secured commitments for satisfactory offtake and/or sales agreements for the REE oxides expected to be produced from REEC at the Mill, Astron having secured commitments for satisfactory offtake and/or sales agreements for ilmenite and zircon expected to be produced from heavy mineral sand concentrates (" HMC ") from the project, and the Venture having secured commitments for non-recourse and/or government-backed debt financing for the project. Energy Fuels expects to spend approximately $10.6 million to advance the Donald Project in 2024, which is expected to be funded from the Company's working capital (approximately $225 million as of March 31, 2024 ).

THE DONALD PROJECT

The Donald Project is a world-class, advanced-stage, large-scale critical mineral deposit underpinned by the Ilmenite, zircon and monazite-rich Donald deposit in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia .

On June 27, 2023 , Astron released the outcomes of its Phase 2 Pre-Feasibility study (the " 2023 PFS "), which expands upon its April 26, 2023 Definitive Feasibility Study (the " 2023 DFS ") (see Note 1) for the Donald Project. This combined, updated study estimates Donald – Phase 1 and 2 production of 200,000 – 500,000 tonnes per year HMC and 7,000 – 14,000 tonnes per year of REEC, and forecasts total funding expenditures of AUD$392 million to achieve first production. An additional AUD$431 million in capital would be required in 2029 or 2030 for the construction of Donald – Phase 2. According to the 2023 PFS, the Donald deposit's estimated ore reserves of 825 million tonnes at 4.5% heavy mineral, are sufficient to support an initial 58-year mine life at Donald – Phase 2 production rates of approximately 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of REEC per year (See Note 2). Astron and the Company intend to update the 2023 DFS prior to the Donald – Phase 1 FID, to take into account the most current information and to conform the report to the standards of NI 43-101 and S-K 1300, as well as update the 2023 PFS to a DFS standard post- Donald – Phase 1 production.

The Donald Project is expected to provide a long-term and large-scale supply of REEC to the Mill for processing into REE oxides and other advanced REE materials. As the REEC will be a byproduct of the Donald Project's ilmenite and zircon production, the total cost of production of REE oxides at the Mill is expected to be low-cost and globally competitive.

THE DONALD PROJECT JOINT VENTURE

Under the Venture, Energy Fuels has the right to invest AUD$183 million (approximately $122 million at current exchange rates) to earn up to a 49% interest in the Venture. Of this amount, Energy Fuels expects to invest approximately $10.6 million in 2024 from its existing working capital (approximately $225 million as of March 31, 2024 ), to be used by the Venture to update and expand the 2023 DFS and to otherwise prepare the Venture to make a FID to proceed with the development of Donald – Phase 1. In addition, Energy Fuels will issue to Astron Energy Fuels common shares having a total value of $17.5 million , of which $3.5 million in shares will be issued to Astron or its subsidiaries on the date that all conditions precedent to formation of the Venture are satisfied (the " Commencement Date "), which is expected to be in Q3 or Q4 2024, and the remaining $14.0 million in Energy Fuels shares will be issued to Astron or its subsidiaries on a positive FID.

If a positive FID is made by the Venturers within three years from the Commencement Date, then Energy Fuels will proceed to expend the remaining balance of its AUD$183 million cash expenditure required to earn into a 49% interest in the Venture plus issue the remaining $14.0 million in Energy Fuels common shares to Astron or its subsidiaries at the time of the positive FID. If a positive FID is not made unanimously within three years after the Commencement Date, but Astron has voted in favor of the FID then Astron would have the right to buy out Energy Fuels for the fair market value of Energy Fuels' interest in the Venture as at that date. If Astron does not exercise this option, or if there is otherwise no unanimous positive FID within three years after the Commencement Date, Energy Fuels will remain a minority member of the Venture (receiving a percentage interest based on the amount funded by Energy Fuels to that date) and all future funding will be made by the Joint Venturers pro-rata in accordance with their percentage interests in the Venture.

If a positive FID is made, Energy Fuels' investment of AUD$183 million is expected to satisfy most of the equity capital requirements for the construction of Donald – Phase 1. Any additional equity required post-project financing will be shared by the Joint Venturers on a pro-rata basis.

Astron is the Manager and Operator of the Venture, with specified major decisions subject to approval of both parties. After Energy Fuels has completed its investment of AUD$183 million, further Venture expenditures for the development of Donald – Phase 1 and the development of Donald – Phase 2, would be funded by Energy Fuels and Astron on a pro-rata basis.

Under the Venture, Energy Fuels has entered into an offtake agreement for 100% of the Donald Project's future Phase 1 and Phase 2 REEC production based on market prices of the contained REE oxides, subject to a floor price below which Energy Fuels would not be obligated to purchase REEC from the Venture. The Venture will sell its HMC product to global customers, subject to Astron having the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an offtake agreement with the Venture for up to 100% of the HMC product at market prices. Following payment of all joint venture expenses, all profits from the Venture will be distributed to Energy Fuels and Astron, pro-rata according to their respective ownership percentages. The REEC offtake agreement may be terminated in certain circumstances by the Venture including if Energy Fuels remains a minority member where Astron does not exercise the option to buy out Energy Fuels or if there is otherwise no unanimous positive FID within three years after the Commencement Date, both as described above.

As soon as practicable after commencing Donald – Phase 1 commercial production, the Venture would expect to evaluate constructing Donald – Phase 2 which would be expected to double ore production to 15 million tonnes per year to produce approximately 400,000 to 500,000 tonnes per year of HMC and approximately 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes per year of REEC, providing a consistent and significant feed for decades to come. Capital expenditures for Donald – Phase 2 would be made pro-rata by the Joint Venturers in accordance with their percentage interests in the Venture. The FID for Donald – Phase 2 would be made by the agreement of both Joint Venturers.

The Venture agreements also grant Energy Fuels a first right of refusal over participation in the development of Astron's Jackson Deposit, which is contained in the tenement RL2003 and adjoins the Donald Deposit to the south-west, should Astron plan to pursue such development with a third party.

REE SEPARATION AT THE WHITE MESA MILL

Energy Fuels is rapidly creating a significant new REE supply chain of world significance that can reduce America's reliance on REE's from China . The Company is actively securing long-term and large-scale sources of monazite sands to provide the raw materials needed to produce advanced REE materials at the Mill through offtake (Chemours), joint venture (the Donald Project in Australia ), and direct ownership (the Bahia Mineral Sand Project in Brazil and the previously announced proposed acquisition of Base Resources and the Toliara Mineral Sand Project in Madagascar ). Through these assets, Energy Fuels is building a world material REE oxide supply chain that the Company believes will be attractive to automotive, clean energy, and government customers.

Further, Energy Fuels has demonstrated its ability to process monazite at its U.S. White Mesa Mill, providing mixed REE carbonate to the market since 2022, and is currently commissioning an REE separation facility at the Mill which will allow for commercial scale REE separation in the United States .

Energy Fuels completed construction of its Phase 1 REE Separation Circuit at the Mill in Q1-2024 for a total cost of approximately $16 million , which has a current installed capacity to process up to 10,000 tonnes of REEC per year and produce up to 1,000 tonnes of NdPr oxide per year along with a samarium plus (" Sm+ ") heavy mixed REE carbonate containing Dy and Tb. Final commissioning is expected by June 30, 2024 , at which time the Phase 1 – REE Separation Circuit is expected to be fully operational and available to process the Donald – Phase 1 REEC production, which is expected to commence in 2026 and total 7,000 to 8,000 tonnes of REEC per year. Energy Fuels does not need to finance or construct further expansions of its Phase 1 – REE Separation Circuit to accommodate REEC from Donald – Phase 1.

The Company is also in the process of designing its Phase 2 REE Separation and Phase 3 REE Separation Circuits at the Mill. The Phase 2 REE Separation Circuit, which is currently expected to be completed in 2027, subject to receipt of any required regulatory approvals and the Company securing sufficient supplies of monazite sands, will consist of expanding NdPr oxide capacity to process 40,000 to 60,000 tonnes of monazite sands per year and produce approximately 4,000 to 6,000 tonnes of NdPr oxide per year. The Company also plans to construct a dedicated "crack-and-leach" circuit in conjunction with its Phase 2 Separation Circuit, in order to allow the Mill to simultaneously process conventional uranium ore and monazite sands independently, thereby allowing for more efficient utilization of Mill capacity. The Phase 3 REE Separation Circuit, which is currently expected to be completed in 2028, subject to receipt of any required regulatory approvals, will consist of installing the capacity to produce "heavy" REE oxides, including Dy, Tb, and potentially other oxides.

The Phase 2 REE Separation Circuit is expected to be completed in time to process the expected Donald – Phase 2 production of approximately 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of REEC per year, which could be available by as early as 2029/2030 depending on market conditions, final design and permitting. The Phase 2 REE Separation Circuit would also accommodate monazite production from the Company's Bahia Project in Brazil , which is currently in the exploration and permitting phase and which could be producing 3,000 – 10,000 tonnes of monazite per year as early as 2026; the Company's planned acquisition of Base Resources Limited and its Toliara heavy mineral sands project, if that acquisition is successful, which could add an average of approximately 22,000 tonnes of monazite per year, subject to successful negotiation of an investment agreement with the Madagascar government, the lifting of the current suspension relating to the Toliara project, the receipt of additional permits for the recovery of Monazite at the Toliara project, and other factors.

The Sm+ mixed heavy REE carbonate will either be sold in the international market as a mixed Sm+ REE carbonate or stockpiled at the Mill for processing into Dy and Tb oxides and potentially other heavy REE oxides once the Phase 3 REE Separation Circuit is fully commissioned.

The Company also continues to evaluate opportunities to enter the REE metal, alloy, and magnet-making space, in order to fully-integrate the entire REE magnet supply chain.

ENERGY FUELS' CONTINUED URANIUM PRODUCTION RAMP-UP:

Once the Phase 1 REE Separation Circuit commissioning is complete, which is expected by the end of Q2, 2024, the Company expects to begin processing stockpiled uranium ore from its three currently operating U.S. mines and alternate feed materials for the remainder of 2024 and thereafter, from which the Company expects to produce approximately 150,000 to 500,000 pounds of U 3 O 8 in 2024, ramping up to mining at a run rate of approximately 1.1 million to 1.4 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year later this year from those three mines. The Company expects to potentially increase its uranium production to a mining run rate of approximately 2 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year by bringing two additional mines into operation as early as 2025, and to a mining run rate of up to approximately 5 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year over the coming years by bringing our additional longer-term projects into operation, if uranium market conditions continue to be strong, as expected.

The Company's REE initiatives will not diminish in any way the Company's U.S. leading uranium production capabilities.

MARK S. CHALMERS , PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ENERGY FUELS STATED:

"Energy Fuels is truly excited to embark on this joint venture with Astron on the development and operation of the Donald Project in Australia . We have enjoyed working with the Astron team, and we look forward to making this world-class rare earth and critical mineral deposit a reality in Australia , which is one of the closest allies of the U.S.

"I'll add that the sequencing of our uranium, rare earth and mineral sand production ramp-ups is proceeding extremely well in relation to commodity markets, while maximizing operating capacity and workforce allocation at our White Mesa Mill. Uranium markets are currently gaining strength, and we have long-term supply contracts to fulfill, so 2024 is a good year to ramp-up our low-cost uranium production. At the same time, rare earth markets are currently soft. Therefore, 2024 is a good year to install and commission REE processing capacity, design and plan additional REE processing capacity, and secure mineral positions in this critical industry, such as through our Donald Project joint venture with Astron and proposed acquisition of Base Resources. Assuming heavy mineral sand markets remain strong, and we are able to secure satisfactory offtake agreements and financing, we look forward to beginning development of the Donald Project as soon as 2025. We believe the Donald Project will be a 'flagship' mining project for Australia and the State of Victoria , producing many of the raw materials needed for the energy transition."

Note 1

The financial information relating to the Donald deposit's mineral sands is based on the 2023 PFS and 2023 DFS. These studies constituted a "Pre-Feasibility Study" and a "Feasibility Study," respectively, for the purposes of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves, 2012 Edition (" JORC ") and the ore reserves underpinning these studies were estimated in accordance with JORC. The results from these studies and the estimated ore reserves may not be comparable to (as the case may be) data or estimates under either National Instrument 43-101 (" NI 43-101 ") or Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K (" S-K 1300 ")– see disclosure below under "Qualified Person".

NOTE 2

The JORC estimate of ore reserves is presented for informational purposes only. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify these estimates as current NI 43-101 or S-K 1300 estimates of mineral resources, mineral reserves, or exploration results. Energy Fuels is not treating these estimates as a current estimate of mineral resources, mineral reserves, or exploration results – see note below under "Qualified Person".

QUALIFIED PERSON

The technical information in this press release has been prepared in accordance with both U.S. and Canadian requirements set out in S-K 1300 and NI 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the Company by Dan Kapostasy , VP, Technical Services of the Company, a Qualified Person under both S-K 1300 and NI 43-101 regulations. The JORC compliant Mineral Reserves contained herein were disclosed by Astron on 27 June 2023 . The Company has not completed the necessary due diligence on the Mineral Reserves to disclose them as current Mineral Reserves. Therefore, the Company is treating the contained tables as historical in nature as a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the Mineral Reserves as current under S-K 1300 or NI 43-101. These historical Mineral Reserves are relevant to this disclosure, as they provide information on the potential size and scale of MIN5532 and RL2002. The method used to estimate the in-situ resources was ordinary kriging utilizing octant and ellipsoid search parameters. The mineralized zone was domained into three zones: low grade, medium grade (>3% & 5%) heavy mineral. The block model used a 100 m x 200 m x 1 m block, which is approximately half the drillhole spacing in the well drilled areas. The model was visually verified against drillholes, SWATH plots were used to check average grade trends, and the current estimate is similar to previous estimates. To convert the Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves, modifying factors including mining methods (dry mining), metallurgical testwork (including processing size assumptions, >38 µm size fraction) producing both a heavy mineral concentrate (Ti and Zr minerals) and a rare earth mineral concentrate (monazite + xenotime), capital cost, operating costs, and environmental factors. Additional details regarding the historical Mineral Reserves are available in the Astron press release dated 27 June, 2023 :

https://www.astronlimited.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20230627-Phase-2-Ore-Reserve-Update.pdf

ABOUT ENERGY FUELS

Energy Fuels is a leading US-based uranium and critical minerals company. The Company, as a leading producer of uranium in the United States , mines uranium and produces natural uranium concentrates that are sold to major nuclear utilities for the production of carbon-free nuclear energy. Energy Fuels recently began production of advanced REE materials, including mixed REE carbonate, and plans to produce commercial quantities of separated REE oxides commencing in 2024. Energy Fuels also produces vanadium from certain of its projects, as market conditions warrant, and is evaluating the recovery of radionuclides needed for emerging cancer treatments. Its corporate offices are in Lakewood, Colorado , near Denver , and substantially all its assets and employees are in the United States . Energy Fuels holds two of America's key uranium production centers: the White Mesa Mill in Utah and the Nichols Ranch in-situ recovery (" ISR ") Project in Wyoming . The White Mesa Mill is the only conventional uranium mill operating in the US today, has a licensed capacity of over 8 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year, and has the ability to produce vanadium when market conditions warrant, as well as REE products, from various uranium-bearing ores. The Nichols Ranch ISR Project is on standby and has a licensed capacity of 2 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year. The Company recently acquired the Bahia Project in Brazil , which is believed to have significant quantities of titanium (ilmenite and rutile), zirconium (zircon) and REE (monazite) minerals. In addition to the above production facilities, Energy Fuels also has one of the largest NI 43-101 compliant uranium resource portfolios in the US and several uranium and uranium/vanadium mining projects in production, on standby and in various stages of permitting and development. The primary trading market for Energy Fuels' common shares is the NYSE American under the trading symbol "UUUU," and the Company's common shares are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "EFR." Energy Fuels' website is www.energyfuels.com .

ABOUT ASTRON

Astron Corporation Limited (ASX: ATR) is an Australian-based company listed on the ASX. With over 35 years of operating history, Astron has been involved in mineral sands processing, downstream product development, as well as the marketing and sales of zirconium and titanium related products. Astron's prime focus is on the development of its large, long-life Donald Rare Earths and Mineral Sands Project in regional Victoria, Australia . Astron's website is www.astronlimited.com.au .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain "Forward Looking Information" and "Forward Looking Statements" within the meaning of applicable United States and Canadian securities legislation, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: any expectation that the Company will maintain its position as a leading U.S.-based uranium and critical minerals company or as the leading producer of uranium in the U.S.; any expectation as to production levels or timing or duration of production from the Donald Project or any of the Company's other mines or projects; any expectations as to costs of production at the Donald Project or any of the Company's mines or other projects; any expectation that the Company will be successful in creating a new REE supply chain that can reduce America's reliance on China ; any expectation that the Company will be successful in entering the REE metal, alloy, and magnet-making space, in order to fully-integrate the entire REE magnet supply chain; any expectation that the addition of REE production will not diminish in any way the Company's U.S. leading uranium production capabilities; any expectation that the Donald Project is a world-class, world scale, REE and HMS deposit; any expectation that any ore reserves estimated to date will accurately reflect actual reserves or resources; any expectation that Astron and the Company will update the 2023 DFS prior to the Phase 1 FID, to take into account the most current information and to conform the report to the standards of NI 43-101 and S-K 1300, or at all; any expectation that the Company will update the 2023 PFS to a DFS standard post- Donald – Phase 1 production, or at all; any expectation that the Company's AUD$183 million investment in the Venture will satisfy most of the equity capital requirements for the construction of Donald – Phase 1; any expectation that the Company will be successful in securing any additional low-cost monazite concentrates globally, or at all; any expectation that the Company will be successful in advancing its REE initiatives or that it will be successful in installing REE production capacity at the Mill and the timing of installation of any such production capacity; any expectation as to the success of the Company's permitting programs; any expectation that the Company's proposed acquisition of Base Resources and the Toliara project will be completed or if completed, completed on the terms and time proposed; any expectation that the Company will be able to secure commitments for satisfactory offtake and/or sales agreements for REE oxides produced from monazite at the Mill, that Astron will be able to secure commitments for satisfactory offtake and/or sales agreements for ilmenite and zircon produced from HMC from the project, or that any such commitments obtained would support non-recourse and/or government-backed debt financing for the Donald Project; any expectation that Energy Fuels will be successful in obtaining any grants, low-interest debt, non- or limited-recourse debt, loan guarantees, or other support vehicles from any government agencies or offices, or at all; any expectation that a positive Donald – Phase 1 FID or Donald Phase 2 FID will be made; any expectation that an investment agreement relating to the Toliara project will be negotiated with the Madagascar government on suitable terms or at all; any expectation that the current suspension relating to the Toliara project will be lifted by the Madagascar government in the near future or at all; and any expectation that the additional permits for the recovery of Monazite at the Donald Project or Toliara project will be acquired on a timely basis or at all . Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans," "expects," "does not expect," "is expected," "is likely," "budgets," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates," "does not anticipate," or "believes," or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will be taken," "occur," "be achieved" or "have the potential to." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, herein are considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements express or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with:  commodity prices and price fluctuations; engineering, construction, processing and mining difficulties, upsets and delays; permitting and licensing requirements and delays; changes to regulatory requirements; legal challenges; the availability of feed sources for the Mill; competition from other producers; public opinion; government and political actions; the failure of the Government of Madagascar to agree on fiscal terms or provide the approvals necessary to achieve sufficient fiscal and legal stability on acceptable terms and conditions or at all; the failure of the current suspension affecting the Toliara project to be lifted by the Madagascar government on a timely basis or at all; the failure of the Company to obtain the required permits for the recovery of Monazite from the Toliara project or Donald Project; the failure of the Company to provide or obtain the necessary financing required to develop the Donald Project, the Toliara project or any of the Company's other projects or initiatives; available supplies of monazite; the ability of the Mill to produce rare earth carbonate, rare earth element oxides or other rare earth element products to meet commercial specifications on a commercial scale at acceptable costs or at all; market factors, including future demand for uranium, rare earth elements and HMC; the ability of the Mill to be able to separate radium or other radioisotopes at reasonable costs or at all; market prices and demand for medical isotopes; and the other factors described under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is available for review on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml , on SEDAR at www.sedar.com , and on the Company's website at www.energyfuels.com . Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information in this communication, except as otherwise required by law.

Cautionary Note for U.S. Investors Concerning Mineral Resources and Reserves: Certain technical disclosure contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code . The JORC Code differs from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC "), and resource information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by domestic United States companies subject to the SEC's reporting and disclosure requirements.

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SOURCE Energy Fuels Inc.

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Energy Fuels Achieves Commercial Production of 'On-Spec' Separated Rare Earths at its White Mesa Mill in Utah, While Simultaneously Advancing Uranium Production

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Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) ( "Energy Fuels" or the "Company" ), a leading U.S. producer of uranium, rare earth elements (" REEs "), and vanadium, is pleased to announce that it has achieved commercial production of separated neodymium-praseodymium (" NdPr ") at its White Mesa Mill in Utah (the " Mill "). Critically, the NdPr produced by Energy Fuels' meets the applicable product specifications of REE metal-makers, who specialize in the manufacture of REE-based alloys required for the permanent magnets widely used for electric motors in both battery powered electric vehicles (" EVs ") and dual power hybrids. Further, this 'on-spec' NdPr is now able to be produced by Energy Fuels at the full design capacity of its new Phase 1 REE separation circuit (850 to 1,000 metric tons (" tonnes ") of NdPr per year). The Company expects to have commercial quantities of separated NdPr available for shipment by the end of June 2024 . Energy Fuels believes this is the first time in several decades that a U.S. company has produced on-spec separated REE's from monazite on a commercial scale.

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Clean Energy and Precious Metals Hybrid Virtual Investor Conference: Presentations Now Available for Online Viewing

Virtual Investor Conferences, the leading proprietary investor conference series, today announced the presentations from the Clean Energy and Precious Metals Hybrid Virtual Investor Conference held May 23 rd are now available for online viewing.

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Energy Fuels Announces 2023 Results: Record Net Income and Earnings per Share, Uranium Production Ramp-Up, and Near-Term Production of Separated Rare Earth Elements

Energy Fuels Announces 2023 Results: Record Net Income and Earnings per Share, Uranium Production Ramp-Up, and Near-Term Production of Separated Rare Earth Elements

Conference Call and Webcast on February 26, 2024

Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) ("Energy Fuels" or the "Company") today reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC ") and may be viewed on the Electronic Document Gathering and Retrieval System (" EDGAR ") at www.sec.govedgar. html on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (" SEDAR ") at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.energyfuels.com . Unless noted otherwise, all dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars.

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Energy Fuels Announces Sale of Secured Convertible Note and Receipt of Payment in Full for Prior Sale of Alta Mesa ISR Project

Energy Fuels Announces Sale of Secured Convertible Note and Receipt of Payment in Full for Prior Sale of Alta Mesa ISR Project

Together with $41.8 million previously paid by enCore, net proceeds from the Note total $64.2 million

Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) ( "Energy Fuels" or the "Company" ) is pleased to announce that, on November 9, 2023 it sold to MMCAP International Inc. SPC (" MMCAP ") the remaining unpaid balance of $20 million owed under the Secured Convertible Note (the " Note ") issued to the Company by enCore Energy Corp. (" enCore ") as partial consideration for enCore's purchase of the Alta Mesa In-Situ Recovery Project (the " Alta Mesa Sale "), as previously announced on February 15, 2023 for total consideration of $21 million plus $1.5 million in unpaid accrued interest, less a sales commission of $100,000 paid to a third-party broker. As disclosed in the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 enCore previously paid $40 million toward the $60 million principal Note balance and $1.8 million of interest to the Company in partial fulfillment of its obligations under the Note. As a result of enCore's earlier paydown and the $22.4 million received in connection with the Note's sale, the Company has now received payment in full for the Alta Mesa Sale, and no further consideration is owed in connection therewith. All references to dollar amounts in this press release are references to US$.

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South Star Battery Metals Announces Successful Metallurgical Results for its BamaStar Graphite Project in Alabama, USA

South Star Battery Metals Announces Successful Metallurgical Results for its BamaStar Graphite Project in Alabama, USA

Highlights:

  • Metallurgical work completed on representative oxide, transition and fresh rock composite samples ranging in grade from 2.36% Cg for fresh rock to 3.04% Cg for oxide samples.
  • Bond abrasion and work index testing show low to medium abrasion and low energy requirements.
  • Open circuit flotation tests resulted in excellent concentrates grade ranging from 94.4% Cg for fresh rock materials to 99.5% Cg for oxide samples with a simple flowsheet that maximizes graphite recovery and minimizes flake degradation.
  • The open circuit graphite recoveries were high, ranging between 87.5% and 91.5%.
  • Given the superior response of the oxide and transitional material, the next phase of work will investigate mining pit design to maximize processing of oxide and transitional material early in the project life and postpone mining of the fresh ore in order to decrease initial CAPEX, lower OPEX and target improved project economics.
  • The NI43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment results for BamaStar are scheduled for release in August 2024.

South Star Battery Metals Corp. ("South Star" or the "Company") (TSXV:STS)(OTCQB:STSBF) is pleased to announce successful results from the ongoing metallurgical process development program for the Bama Star graphite project in Alabama, USA

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ALX Resources Corp. Acquires Blackbird Project in Northern Saskatchewan

ALX Resources Corp. Acquires Blackbird Project in Northern Saskatchewan

alx resources corp. (TSXV: AL) (FSE: 6LLN) (OTC: ALXEF) ("ALX" or the "Company")  is pleased to announce that it has acquired the Blackbird Project ("Blackbird", or the "Project") in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Blackbird consists of twelve mineral claims staked in June 2024 on behalf of the Company, giving the Project a total area of approximately 11,628 hectares (28,733 acres). Blackbird is located approximately 70 kilometres (47 miles) north of LaRonge, Saskatchewan in a newly-emerging metallogenic district south of the historic Rottenstone Mine, which produced nickel, copper, gold and platinum group metals ("PGMs") from 1965 to 1969.

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QX Resources Ltd  High Grade Gold Trenching Program and Reassessment in QLD

QX Resources Ltd High Grade Gold Trenching Program and Reassessment in QLD

Perth, Australia (ABN Newswire) - QX Resources Ltd (ASX:QXR) announces a new program of trenching to extend known high grade gold mineralisation at Big Red Project, where prior trenching including mineralised widths of 9m @ 5.9g/t Au.

- A follow-up trenching program has been planned at the Big Red Gold Project, Queensland.

- Previous trenching at Big Red returned high grade gold results including 9m @ 5.9g/t Au, with gold mineralisation remaining open along strike.

- Interpreted strike length over Big Red currently exceeds 450m with probable further concealed extensions beneath sandy loam surficial cover.

- The Company's Gold projects are located in the Drummond Basin in central Queensland - an underdeveloped region with a long history of ongoing gold mining region with an endowment of over 8.5 million ounces.

- A reassessment of two shuttered open pit gold mines within QXRs ground has commenced as these mines were last operated when the gold price was less than A$500/oz.

- QXR has numerous gold and copper-gold targets which will be developed towards further drilling leading to potential production scenarios with updated permitting guidelines.

The trenching is an initial phase, prior to drilling, as part of a plan of reassessment around potentially reopening closed open pit gold mines and further drill targets with the aim of future gold production scenarios.

High Grade Gold in Trenches at Big Red Project

Gold trenching is planned to extend current high grade gold results in trenches at the Disney-Big Red Project (ASX announcement 1 Nov 2021). Two elongate gold anomalous zones were defined over 650m and may extend up to 1200m long. Best historic trench results from hard rock at the base of trenches at Big Red were:

- Trench 1 - 9m @ 5.9 g/t Au within a mineralised zone 35m wide. Large zone 80m @1.2 g/t Au

- Trench 2- 3m @ 2.2 g/t Au within a mineralised zone 13m wide. Large zone 28m @ 1.8 g/t Au

- Trench 4 - 2m @ 23 g/t Au with a mineralised zone 7m wide. Large zone 32m @ 1.7 g/t Au

These results produced a drill ready target, but that drill program was delayed twice due to weather and soft ground (ASX announcement 13 July 2021, 31 April 2022). Further trenching is planned to extend the current zone of high-grade gold mineralisation prior to a drilling program over a number of shallow targets. The Company believes the potential of Big Red may be similar to nearby Twin Hills deposit with 1.0Moz (23.1Mt@1.5g/t Au) incl 49m @5.2g/tAu and Lone Sister 0.48Moz (12.5Mt@1.2g/t Au) incl. 28m @45.2g/t Au (c.f. ASX GBZ announcement 5 Dec 2022, 28 Apr 2023, 9 Jun 2023) Reassessment of Open Pit Gold Mines A reassessment of the potential of past open pit gold mines is underway. The two open cut mines, Belyando and Lucky Break, were closed when gold was less than A$500/oz. Drilling data by QXR and previous explorers shows potential exists for down dip extensions to known gold mineralised zones and parallel features, as well as extensions along strike.

QXR Managing Director, Stephen Promnitz, said: "QXR has excellent potential for a gold discovery at Big Red in Queensland, which will be followed-up in the planned trenching program and followed later by a drill program, previously delayed due to inclement weather. Nearby closed open pit gold mines were operating at much lower gold prices and show potential for future production as part of a reassessment of their potential."

Next Steps

Trenching

A new program of trenching at Big Red Project (Disney) is an initial phase to extend two north-east trending elongate zones previously encountered in QXR trenches with high grade gold results occurring over a strike length of 650 metres. The zones may potentially be up to 1200m long based on past soil sampling and geophysics (magnetic low zones within magnetic highs). Mineralised widths included 9m @ 5.9 g/t Au in trenches (ASX announcement 1 Nov 2021, 16 Feb 2022). Quartz breccias show textures similar to gold producing zones elsewhere in the region.

Drill targets

Revised drill targets will be generated from the trenching results, merged with geophysical data. These results produced a drill ready target, but that drill program was delayed twice due to weather and soft ground (ASX announcement 13 July 2021, 31 April 2022).

Resource models

Updated resource modelling for Belyando and Lucky Break have been commissioned. Both mines show potential exists for down dip extensions to known gold mineralised zones and parallel features, as well as extensions along strike.

Background

QXR holds nearly 100,000 hectares of leases in the Drummond Basin of central Queensland - an underdeveloped region with a long history of ongoing gold mining region with an endowment of over 8.5 million ounces. Gold mineralisation is largely related to intrusives into the region with the largest producer - Pajingo (ex-Newmont) having produced 3.4 Moz since 1986 and was instrumental in the creation of gold miner Evolution when they purchased the mine from Newmont (Newcrest).

The QXR leases show potential for epithermal gold and porphyry related copper gold deposits and include two historical open pit gold mines, Belyando and Lucky Break, that were last producing when the gold price was under A$500/oz. QXR holds 85,800 Ha of exploration leases on a 100% basis and 11,500 Ha (70%QXR) in a JV with private company, Zamia Resources.

QXR has previously defined a potential new discovery at the Disney-Big Red project with trenching returning high grade gold intercepts and a drill ready target with considerable extension potential (ASX announcement 1 Nov 2021). Multiple unexplored targets exist with epithermal gold and porphyry related Copper-Gold targets. QXR also holds the Anthony molybdenum deposit with potential copper and gold extensions nearby, related to c.450 million year old Devonian-Carboniferous intrusives and volcanics (490-400 Ma).

Shuttered Gold Mines

Belyando is adjacent to the highway, 70km northwest of Clermont in QLD's Central Goldfield. The pit was mined from 1989 to 1993 within oxide and transition ore to approx. 60m depth yielding 85,850 oz Au, initially from CIP processing with recoveries c.72% and later from heap leaching. Gold was sold forward in 1989 at A$470/oz Four parallel ore shoots >1.8g/t Au within a lower grade halo above 0.5 g/t Au. Drilled to 150m and open at depth down plunge and laterally. Extensions to the north west confirmed by industry experts from prior drilling, lying within a radiometric anomaly. Parallel mineralised features may exist as well.

Lucky Break is adjacent to the highway, 85km northwest of Clermont in QLD's Central Goldfield. The shear hosted lode gold style mineralisation was mined in the pit from 1987 to 1988 within oxide only to approx. 15m depth yielding 90 Kt of ore at a diluted head grade of 2.4 g/t Au for approx. 6,900 oz Au. Extensions identified down dip and to the south and north in drilling together with a parallel mineralised feature to the east (sparsely drilled), lying within a radiometric anomaly (ASX announcement 13 July 2021). Results included 2m @ 8.98 g/t Au, from 4m down hole in LB220 including 1m @ 11.55 g/t Au.

*To view tables and figures, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/0P98BLSG



About QX Resources Ltd:

QX Resources Limited (ASX:QXR) is focused on exploration and development of battery minerals, with hard rock lithium assets in a prime location of Western Australia (WA), and gold assets in Queensland. The aim is to connect end users (battery, cathode and car makers) with QXR, an experienced explorer/developer of battery minerals, with an expanding mineral exploration project portfolio and solid financial support.

Lithium hard rock portfolio: QXR's lithium strategy is centred around WA's prolific Pilbara province, where it has four projects in strategic proximity to some of Australia's largest lithium deposits and mines. Across the Pilbara, QXR's regional lithium tenement package (both granted or under application) spans more than 350 km2.

Lithium brine: QXR drilling and geophysics indicate the existence of a large brine basin at the Liberty Lithium Brine Project USA and geological similarities confirmed with the nearby Silver Peak lithium brine producer Albemarle, in Clayton Valley Nevada. QXR holds an Option to Purchase Agreement to earn-in to 75%.

Gold portfolio: QXR is developing Central Queensland gold projects through a 70% agreement with Zamia Resources Pty Ltd and also on a 100% basis. The gold and copper-gold-moly projects are strategically located within the Drummond Basin, a region that has a >8.5moz gold endowment.

Nickel sulphides: QXR has a significant 39% shareholding in unlisted public Australian company Bayrock Resources Limited, which has a portfolio of highly prospective battery minerals assets in Sweden, primarily in nickel, cobalt and copper. QXR is assisting Bayrock with project development and financing initiatives.

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Lancaster Resources Announces Update on Exploration Plans at Uranium Prospective Catley Lake and Centennial East Properties in Athabasca Basin and Announces Financing

Lancaster Resources Announces Update on Exploration Plans at Uranium Prospective Catley Lake and Centennial East Properties in Athabasca Basin and Announces Financing

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Lancaster Resources Inc. (CSE:LCR | OTCQB:LANRF | FRA:6UF0) ("Lancaster" and the "Company") announces an update on its exploration plans for its Uranium prospective Catley Lake & Centennial East properties in the Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan, Canada.

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South Star Battery Metals Announces Land Purchase, Construction Update, and the Approval of the Definitive Mining Licenses For Phases 1, 2 & 3 for its Santa Cruz Graphite Mine in Brazil

South Star Battery Metals Announces Land Purchase, Construction Update, and the Approval of the Definitive Mining Licenses For Phases 1, 2 & 3 for its Santa Cruz Graphite Mine in Brazil

Santa Cruz Graphite Mine Highlights:

  • Final payment of land purchase for Phase 1 Plant and Operations.
  • Approval of the Definitive Mining Licenses For Phases 1, 2 & 3. All mining and environmental licenses/permits are approved and in-hand for the future phased, modular expansion of Santa Cruz graphite production up to 50,000 tonnes/year.
  • Phase 1 construction is on schedule for substantial completion by the end of June 2024 followed by a 6-week plant commissioning and ramp-up period. Commercial sales are planned to start in September 2024. Name plate production capacity is expected to be reached in Q4 2024.

South Star Battery Metals Corp. ("South Star" or the "Company") (TSXV:STS)(OTCQB:STSBF) is pleased to announce the final payment of the previously announced (Aug. 02, 2022) land purchase required for construction of the Phase 1 mine and plant facilities. The farm totals approximately 325 hectares and is where all the plant facilities, mine and infrastructure installations are required for the first three years of operations at its Santa Cruz Graphite Project in Bahia, Brazil

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QX Resources Ltd  Large Basin Confirmed in Drillholes at Liberty Lithium Brine

QX Resources Ltd Large Basin Confirmed in Drillholes at Liberty Lithium Brine

Perth, Australia (ABN Newswire) - QX Resources Limited (ASX:QXR) can confirm that the Liberty Lithium brine project in California, USA, is a large brine basin with numerous brine aquifers, shown in downhole sampling and geophysics in the second hole of the Company's two-hole diamond drill program (Table 1*).

- Drilling and geophysics indicate the existence of a large brine basin at Liberty Lithium Brine Project USA, with brine intersected over 400 m vertically.

o Geological similarities confirmed with the nearby Silver Peak lithium brine producer Albemarle, in Clayton Valley Nevada, with encouraging initial lithium assay results, aquifers and salinity.

- Lithium brine specialists have proposed additional drilling to intersect deep lithium brines in the centre of the basin, in a more favourable setting, further west of recent drilling.

- Discussions continue with various USA based battery supply participants who are keen to work with potential new lithium developers within the USA, including with Stardust who aim to IPO in June.

- QXR and IG Lithium Option Agreements are being amended to facilitate undertaking further drilling.

- QXR aims to provide an update soon on progress with gold exploration in Queensland.

Porous conglomerates saturated with brines were intersected beneath fine grained lake sediments with sandy layers. The geology intersected is very encouraging as it is similar to the producing sequences of Clayton Valley Nevada, where Albemarle's producing lithium brine deposit is located. Detailed downhole geophysics together with initial downhole brine sampling (packer sampling) shows increasing salinity with depth, together with large brine volumes, both encouraging for discovering a potentially economic lithium brine deposit in the properties.

Although the maximum lithium assay values were 50mg/l Li over 15 metres near the base of hole #2 (Table 2*), the salinity and conductivity increased with depth, at levels similar to known producers. Ingress of fresh water into the aquifers may explain the lower lithium values in drill holes #1 and #2 being located close to a range front fault on the edge of the basin. These initial holes were located near the edge of the basin in part for logistics and access reasons as well as the surface lithium anomaly.

Hole #2 also intersected thick porous brine horizons - critical for future success- which is considered encouraging, together with the geological similarity to Clayton Valley NV (Albemarle's Silver Peak mine). These similarities include basal porous conglomerate units containing brine beneath finer grained lake sediments.

However, the best producing horizons at Clayton Valley are tuff units within the sediment package which have not been intersected in drillholes to date, but which outcrop 4km to the southwest of hole #2 (Figure 4*).

Results were analysed by external lithium brine specialists to produce interpretations, including the globally recognised Hydrominex Geoscience Consulting. Lithium brine specialists have advised additional drilling is required to potentially intersect deep lithium brines in the centre of the basin, further west of drilling undertaken by QXR, based on lab results to date.

QXR Managing Director, Stephen Promnitz, said: "QXR has defined a new large scale brine basin, saturated with brines, at the Liberty Lithium Brine Project. A large near-surface brine field with lithium potential is rare to date in the USA. The geological setting, with conglomerates loaded with brines, is similar to Albemarle's producing deposit. We are yet to find tuff horizons similar to Clayton Valley, which are the best brine aquifers - although they do outcrop nearby, suggesting they may exist within the basin. Surface and downhole geophysics make it compelling for further drilling to the west, in the centre of the basin under deeper sediments, which may intersect higher grade lithium brine, compared to the drilling to date."

Next Steps

Applications for further drillholes were submitted some time ago. To provide operational flexibility, an amended drill program has been submitted to regulators for approval. Bulk volumes of brine will be submitted for testwork with selected direct lithium extraction (DLE) providers, as well as with lithium refiner Stardust Power Inc, with whom QXR holds at Letter of Intent (ASX announcement 29 Feb 2024). Stardust expects to list on NASDAQ in June via a c.US$490m deal and then plans to build a lithium refinery in Oklahoma.

Discussions continue with various USA based battery supply participants who are keen to work with potential new lithium developers within the USA.

QXR and IG Lithium are currently discussing amendments to the Option Agreements to facilitate the undertaking of further drilling.

Background

The Liberty Lithium Brine Project, located in SaltFire Flat, California, covers contiguous claims over 102km2 (25,300 acres), being one of the largest single lithium brine projects in the USA (Figure 1*). The Company entered an Option to Purchase Agreement and an Operating Agreement (Option Agreements) to earn a 75% interest in the large scale Liberty Lithium brine project in California, USA, from vendor IG Lithium LLC (ASX announcement 5 October 2023). Based on results received to date, the Company is currently in discussion with IG Lithium regarding potential renegotiation of the Option Agreements to allow a longer period of time to conduct additional drilling prior to any future commitments.

Two vertical diamond drill holes were completed (369m & 443 metres depth), spaced 4km apart (Figure 2, 3*).

Holes were centred over an extensive lithium brine surface anomaly and significant MT geophysical target, interpreted as a series of conductive brine bearing aquifers at depth. Brine horizons were intersected in both holes with numerous brine aquifers intersected in drillhole #2 (ASX announcement 8 Feb 2024).

QXR entered into a Letter of Intent with Stardust Power Inc., a development stage American manufacturer of battery-grade lithium products, to assess the lithium brines from the Liberty Lithium Brine Project. The parties intend to evaluate options to potentially supply Stardust Power with lithium brine products, dependent on results, on a non-exclusive basis for processing into battery-grade lithium materials for electric vehicles (ASX announcement 29 Feb 2024). The Company plans to share the results of the two hole drill program with Stardust as part of ongoing discussions.

Drillholes

Drillhole #1 (LLD23001) was completed at 369 metres depth. Target horizons were intersected at 49m depth and 329m depth. Fine grained sediments, gravels and coarse alluvial fan material were intersected down the length of the hole. An interpretation is that the drillhole went through the range front fault at 249m depth.

Drillhole #2 (LLD24002) was completed at 433 metres depth, located 4km to the south of drillhole #1. Both drillholes were centred over significant MT geophysical targets interpreted as a series of conductive brine bearing aquifers at depth. Both holes were positioned within an extensive lithium brine surface anomaly of over 10km defined in auger samples. An interpretation is that the drillhole went through the range front fault at 370m depth.

Figures 5 shows the increase in lithium and chloride concentration in brine with increasing depth. Figures 6-8* show interpretations of the possible geology on MT geophysical lines and the location of proposed drill holes.

The location of the proposed drill holes is also shown in Figure 9*.

Recommendations

Results were analysed by external lithium brine specialists to produce interpretations, including the globally recognised Hydrominex Geoscience Consulting, and others who have closely reviewed the geological setting of Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine producer in Clayton Valley, Nevada. Their recommendations included additional drilling further west of drilling undertaken by QXR, to potentially intersect deep lithium brines in the centre of the basin, based on lab results to date. Surface and downhole geophysics suggests that the basin is angled to the west with deeper sediments and brines to the west of recent drilling. Further, the geochemistry of the brine samples may suggest an ingress of fresh water into the aquifers, resulting in lower lithium grade in the two holes drilled to date, as the holes were drilled adjacent to a range front fault with significant fresh water inflows into the basin, along the basin edge.

*To view tables and figures, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/C58T0H5U



About QX Resources Ltd:

QX Resources Limited (ASX:QXR) is focused on exploration and development of battery minerals, with hard rock lithium assets in a prime location of Western Australia (WA), and gold assets in Queensland. The aim is to connect end users (battery, cathode and car makers) with QXR, an experienced explorer/developer of battery minerals, with an expanding mineral exploration project portfolio and solid financial support.

Lithium portfolio: QXR's lithium strategy is centred around WA's prolific Pilbara province, where it has acquired a controlling interest in four projects through targeted M&A - all of which sit in strategic proximity to some of Australia's largest lithium deposits and mines. Across the Pilbara, QXR's regional lithium tenement package (both granted or under application) now spans more than 350 km2.

Gold portfolio: QXR is also developing two Central Queensland gold projects - Lucky Break and Belyando - through an earn-in agreement with Zamia Resources Pty Ltd. Both gold projects are strategically located within the Drummond Basin, a region that has a >6.5moz gold endowment.

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