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Director Loan
The loan facility can be drawn down by the Company by 30 September 2024 with all funds from the loan to be applied towards working capital purposes of the Company.
The material terms of the loan facility agreement are as follows:
- Loan facility amount: $750,000
- Loan repayment date: 31 March 2025
- Interest rate: 10% per annum accruing daily to be paid at repayment
- Security: nil
- The agreement does not include any right to convert the loan to MOM shares
- The agreement also contains warranties standard for an agreement of this nature
This announcement is authorised by the Board of Directors.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from MOAB Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Moab Minerals
Investor Insight
With its high-quality uranium assets in Tanzania, as well as a highly experienced corporate and in-country management team, Moab Minerals presents a compelling case for investors evaluating opportunities in the rapidly growing uranium market.
Overview
Moab Minerals (ASX:MOM) is an exploration company with the primary goal of developing its uranium assets in Tanzania. On the 8th July 2024 the company announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Katika Resources, a Tanzanian company, that holds the Manyoni and Octavo uranium projects. The Manyoni project was previously explored by Uranex Ltd from the early 2000’s until 2013. The Octavo uranium project is adjacent to Rosatom’s world class Nyota uranium deposit (Mkuju River project), which was formerly held by ASX listed Mantra Resources before the AU$1.02 billion takeover in 2011.
Tanzania is a global leader in identified uranium resources, which coupled with a supportive government, puts the country in a good position to establish itself as a significant player in the global nuclear energy sector. Significant Tanzanian deposits include Namtumbo (Mkuju), Bahi, Galapo, Minjingu, Mbulu, Simanjiro, Lake Natron, Manyoni, Songea, Tunduru, Madaba and Nachingwea. Of these projects, Mkuju River is the largest, boasting a mineral resource of 8,500 tons U3O8 and, once operational, will be the country’s first operating uranium mine.
With a high-calibre team of highly experienced mining and business leaders with successful track records, and a Tanzanian based team of technical experts, Moab is well positioned and well-funded to deliver on its commitment to expedite the exploration and development of its uranium projects in Tanzania.
Company Highlights
- Moab Minerals is a uranium exploration company developing its primary uranium assets in Tanzania - Manyoni and Octavo.
- Tanzania is a global leader in identified uranium resources and companies operating in the country benefit from a supportive pro-mining government.
- Positive outlook for uranium, with demand expected to increase by 28 percent in 2030, and 51 percent by 2040.
- The Company is looking to start drilling 1,500 metres in August/September to validate historical drill results from Uranex (early 2000’s-2013) and to test extensions of the known mineralization at Manyoni.
- Additional upside exists from Moab’s uranium-vanadium asset (REX project) located in Colorado and within trucking distance of the White Mesa Mill.
Key Projects
Manyoni Uranium Project
The Manyoni Uranium Project is strategically located just outside of the town of Manyoni in the Republic of Tanzania, and benefits from established infrastructure such as a modern railway and highway system, as well as available power and water resources.
Manyoni is located in the central part of the Tanzanian Archaean Shield, a stable platform of granite-gneiss terrane with marginal greenstone belts. The uranium is deposited in a shallow playa lake system as schröckingerite (in the lake sediments) and carnotite in the granitic saprolite below the lake sediments. The mineralization varies from flat-lying to shallowly dipping as it follows the direction of the palaeo-drainage to the south-east. The average depth of the mineralized interval is 10 metres.
The Manyoni uranium project was extensively explored and drilled by its previous owner, Uranex (ASX:UNL), now Magnis Energy Technologies (ASX:MNS).
Benefitting from an extensive database of historic drilling results, Moab plans to begin drilling at Manyoni in August/September 2024.
Octavo Uranium Project
The Octavo uranium project is strategically located adjacent to Rosatom’s world-class Nyota uranium deposit (Mkuju River project), formerly owned by ASX-listed Mantra Resources before a AU$1.02 billion takeover deal in 2011.
Uranium mineralization at Octavo consists of Triassic sandstone overlying granite basement rocks.
Exploration Plans
Exploration at the company’s Mayoni project will include: 1) twinning historic drill holes, which involves drilling 60 holes to an average depth of 25 metres, and 2) a bench scale metallurgical test work program. In addition to the 2024 drill program, Moab is planning to undertake an exploration drilling program designed to target extensions to the known mineralization at Manyoni.
At the Octavo uranium project in southern Tanzania, work is focused on the acquisition of high-quality airborne radiometric and magnetic survey data which are expected to deliver uranium targets for ground follow-up.
REX Project
The project is located in Colorado, USA, (60 percent owned by Moab Minerals) within the vicinity of many historic uranium mines, including Blackfoot/Rattlesnake, Wedge, Merry Widow, Sunbeam and Vanadium King. The project boasts 256 contiguous BLM mining claims (~5,000 acres which is 20 sq km) and is located ~130 km east of the town of Moab. The project is within trucking distance of the White Mesa Mill, the only operating conventional uranium-vanadium mill in the US. Recent exploration results from Rex include strongly anomalous uranium and vanadium up to 0.53 percent U3O8and 3.32 percent V2O5.Management Team
Malcolm Day – Managing Director
Malcolm Day has been managing director of Moab Minerals since 1999. He’s a civil engineer and licenced surveyor with eight years of experience in the civil construction industry. Day also spent three years working as a mining and resource exploration surveyor in remote parts of Western Australia. Day has been managing director of Moab Minerals (ASM:MOM) since 1999 and a non-executive director of European Lithium Limited (ASX:EUR) since 2012.
Bryan Hughes – Non-executive Chairman)
Bryan Hughes is the past chairman and founding partner of Pitcher Partners, accountants, auditors and advisors, and now a director of 101 Advisory. Hughes has over 30 years of experience in the resource sector, and has developed and overseen commercial, operational and financial strategies which have led to the development and success of numerous companies in many jurisdictions around the world. Hughes sits on several private and public company boards.
David Wheeler – Non-executive Director
David Wheeler has more than 30 years of senior executive management, directorships, and corporate advisory experience. He is a foundation director and partner of Pathways Corporate, a boutique corporate advisory firm that undertakes assignments on behalf of family offices, private clients, and ASX listed companies. He has engaged in business projects in the USA, UK, Europe, NZ, China, Malaysia, Singapore and the Middle East. Wheeler is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has experience on public and private company boards, currently holding a number of directorships and advisory positions in Australian companies.
Tanzania Management
Godluck Sekwao - Exploration Manager
Experienced geologist with 16 years of experience across all aspects of geological projects, with a particular focus on exploration. Sekwao most recently worked with Shanta Gold across its East African projects.
Charles Sayi Mihayo - Senior Geologist
Charles Sayi Mihayo is an experienced geologist with over 18 years of experience across Africa in project discovery, development, and mining production across a range of commodities.
Ryoba Chacha - Consulting Geologist
Ryoba Chacha has over 15 years of experience working on geological projects, particularly in East Africa. He has also previously worked on the Manyoni project as a project geologist with Uranex.
Odessa Minerals Limited (ASX: ODE) – Trading Halt
Description
The securities of Odessa Minerals Limited (‘ODE’) will be placed in trading halt at the request of ODE, pending it releasing an announcement. Unless ASX decides otherwise, the securities will remain in trading halt until the earlier of the commencement of normal trading on Monday, 30 September 2024 or when the announcement is released to the market.
Issued by
ASX Compliance
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Odessa Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
High-Grade Uranium Interval of 1963ppm at Likuyu North at the Mkuju Uranium Project; Commencement of Initial ISR Work
Gladiator Resources Ltd (ASX: GLA)(Gladiator or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on its ongoing exploration activity at the Mkuju Uranium Project, located in southern Tanzania.
- Drill-hole LNDD020 drilled at the Likuyu North deposit, part of the Mkuju Project, returns 6 mineralised intervals including 7.1 metres averaging 1,963ppm eU3O81, from 63.1 metres depth. This hole was drilled central to the deposit to provide core for an assessment of In Situ Recovery (ISR) of the uranium.
- ISR is the preferred method for mining uranium deposits. ERM Australia Consultants Pty Ltd (ERM) are undertaking an initial ISR assessment for Likuyu North.
- Drill-hole LNDD015 down-dip of the deposit has a ~5m mineralised interval; samples have been dispatched to the lab. This interval is 100m south of the current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE).
- The 2022 JORC compliant MRE for Likuyu North (4.6 Mlbs U3O8) was based on a pit- shell assuming conventional open-pit mining methods; adoption of ISR may support expansion of it.
Commenting on the drill results, Gladiator’s Chairman Greg Johnson said:
“Drillhole LNDD020 demonstrates the quality of the Likuyu North deposit, and we are excited by the potential opportunity the area provides. Grade and other characteristics appear to be well-suited to ISR. With that in mind, Gladiator has appointed ERM (formerly CSA Global) to help advance this strategy, and if the ISR study is encouraging the Company will consider larger-scale exploration at Likuyu North, Likuyu South and at the Mtonya deposit area, with an aim of maximizing the resource available for a potential ISR operation”.
Drillhole LNDD020
This hole was drilled to provide fresh drill-core to assist with initial assessment of the potential of ISR as a mining method for the Likuyu North deposit. The deposit has a JORC compliant Mineral Resource Estimate of 4.6Mlbs U3O8 with an average grade of 267ppm U3O8. The hole was positioned in an area relatively central to the deposit known to have thick and high-grade mineralisation, hosted by medium to coarse grained sandstone beds. Figure 1 is a cross-section and shows LNDD020. The hole contains 6 mineralised intervals (Table 2) including:
- 2.5 metres with an average grade of 438 ppm eU3O8 from 17.1m depth.
- 7.1 metres with an average grade of 1,963 ppm eU3O8 from 63.1m depth.
Figure 1: North-south cross-section showing the downhole logged eU3O8, mineralized layers and oxide/transitional zones. LNDD015 and LNDD020 are shown.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Gladiator Resources Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Forum Energy Metals
Investor Insight
Actively exploring the highly prospective Aberdeen uranium property in Nunavut’s Thelon Basin, Forum Energy’s highly experienced technical team led by former Cameco geologist Dr. Rebecca Hunter is poised to build on its significant Tatiggaq discovery amid a continuing uranium bull market.
Overview
Forum Energy Metals (TSXV:FMC,OTCQB:FDCFF) is an established uranium explorer searching for high-grade deposits in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin and Nunavut’s Thelon Basin. In 2024, the company is primarily focused on exploring the Aberdeen project in Nunavut, where successful drilling confirmed and expanded high-grade uranium mineralization over significant widths at the Tatiggaq discovery. Nunavut’s underexplored Thelon Basin may be the most prospective region for discovering new, high-grade uranium deposits outside Saskatchewan.
With a strong local and regional presence in Saskatchewan, Forum took advantage of weak metals markets to broaden its commodity exposure by adding a diverse portfolio of energy metals exploration projects in the copper, cobalt and nickel space.
Company Highlights
Saskatchewan (Athabasca Basin) and Nunavut (Thelon Basin) Uranium Projects
- Aberdeen Uranium Project (Thelon Basin-Nunavut): Athabasca Basin 2.0? - The Thelon Basin may be the most prospective region in the world for discovering new high- grade uranium deposits outside Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin. Both basins exhibit similar geological characteristics.
Forum’s 2023 Aberdeen Maiden Drill Program Intersects High-grade Uranium
- Between July and August 2023, Forum completed five drill holes totalling 991 meters. The program successfully expanded shallow high-grade uranium mineralization at the primary Tatiggaq Main and West Zones, and confirmed the team’s understanding of the controls of mineralization. Hole TAT23-002 intersected 2.25 percent U3O8 over 11.1 meters at a depth of 148.5 meters in the Main Zone and Hole TAT23-003, a 200-meter step-out to the southwest of the West Zone intersected 0.40 percent U3O8 over 12.8 meters at a depth of 136.8 meters.
Forum’s 2024 Aberdeen 7,000 Meter Drill Program Underway
- Follow-up drilling in 2024 has continued to intersect uranium mineralization at the Main and West deposits along the Tatiggaq Fault. As of August 2024, 17 holes totalling 4,307 meters (within the 1.5 km by 0.7 km Tatiggaq anomaly have been completed. A total 685 samples have been shipped to SRC Laboratories in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for analysis. Results are expected by the end of September 2024. Drilling planned to test 20 other high priority targets on the property.
- Wollaston Uranium: Forum: 100 percent – Located in eastern Athabasca Basin. Limited drilling in 2023 identified elevated uranium and boron values on several geophysical targets on this large property, well located close to the Orano/Denison McClean Lake mill. Forum is reviewing data from its magnetic/electromagnetic survey to plan the next exploration steps.
- Highrock Uranium: Forum: 80 percent, Sassy Gold 20 percent – On trend with Cameco’s past-producing Key Lake Mine.
- Fir Island: Forum: 49 percent, Orano Canada: 51 percent (operator) – Located on the northeastern edge of the Athabasca Basin. Forum is awaiting further exploration plans following Orano’s data review from an extensive resistivity survey.
- Northwest Athabasca Joint Venture (NWA): Forum: 43.3 percent, NexGen: 26.3 percent, Cameco: 18.7 percent, Orano:11.7 percent – Winter 2025 drilling is planned with funding by Global Uranium. The NWA project hosts the historical 1.5-million-lb Maurice Bay deposit grading 0.6 percent uranium oxide to a depth of 50 meters (Not NI 43-101 compliant. Sufficient exploration work has not been completed to verify and classify as a current mineral resource, but the estimate is considered relevant and reliable due to extensive exploration work completed by previous operators and sourced from Saskatchewan Industry & Resources Miscellaneous Reports 2003-07).
- Maurice Point: Forum: 100 percent
- Grease River: Forum: 100 percent (Traction Uranium earn-in option) – Forum and Traction recently completed airborne magnetic, electromagnetic (EM) and radiometric surveys over the entire project area to aid structural mapping and help define drill targets. Analysis of the EM data has outlined prospective targets along several conductive trends in the East claim block north of the Grease River shear zone.
- Henday: UEC: 60 percent, Forum: 40 percent – Strategically located along the Midwest/Roughrider trend near UEC’s Roughrider uranium deposit
- Costigan: Forum: 100 percent – On trend with Cameco’s past-producing Key Lake mine.
- Clearwater: Forum: 75 percent, Vanadian: 25 percent – Located in the Patterson Lake Corridor, Western Athabasca Basin
Key Projects
Aberdeen Project (Thelon Basin, Nunavut)
Nunavut Uranium: Forum’s Aberdeen project claims comprise ground formerly held by Cameco with discoveries made at Tatiggaq, Qavvik and Ayra. The claims surround Orano’s Kiggavik uranium deposit.
Previously explored by Cameco between 2005 and 2012, this ground hosts two uranium discoveries made by former Cameco geologist Dr. Rebecca Hunter, who now leads Forum’s team as VP of exploration.
Cameco abandoned the claims due to the decade-long period of low uranium prices during the post-Fukushima period, which were later acquired by Forum. Renamed the Aberdeen project, Forum’s claims surround Orano Canada-Denison-UEC’s 133-million-lb Kiggavik uranium deposit.
Dr. Rebecca Hunter spotting drill hole locations. As Forum’s VP of exploration, Hunter is managing the Aberdeen uranium exploration project.
Cameco completed 36,000 meters of drilling in 135 drill holes. After reviewing Cameco’s data, Forum’s technical team determined the Tatiggaq deposit to be the primary exploration target. Tatiggaq is found within a large gravity anomaly that remains open along strike for 1.5 kilometers and at depth. Previous drilling by Cameco identified results as high as 2.69 percent U3O8 over 7.9 meters, including 24.8 percent U3O8 over 0.4 meters at a depth of approximately 200 meters.
Examining drill core in the field at the Nunavut camp, August 2023
Forum’s maiden drill program, completed in August 2023, successfully confirmed and expanded high-grade uranium mineralization at the Tatiggaq and West Zones. At Tatiggaq, drilling intersected high-grade near-surface uranium mineralization with TAT23-002 (Main Zone) intersecting 2.25 percent U3O8 over 11.1 meters, while TAT23-003 a 200-meter step-out at the West Zone) intersected 0.40 percent U3O8 over 12.8 meters.
Further drilling in 2024 has continued to intersect uranium mineralization at the Main and West deposits along the Tatiggaq Fault. As of August 2024, 17 holes have been completed, totalling 4,307 meters along the Tatiggaq Fault within the 1.5 km by 0.7 km Tatiggaq anomaly. A total of 685 samples have been shipped to SRC Laboratories in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for analysis. Results are expected by the end of September 2024.Wollaston Uranium Project
The property is located within 10 kilometers of Cameco’s Rabbit Lake uranium mill and 30 kilometers of Orano/Denison’s McClean Lake uranium mill. Its successful winter 2022 drilling program discovered anomalous uranium in all four holes at the Gizmo target. Forum recently received results of an airborne electromagnetic (EM) and magnetic survey to augment structural interpretations and precisely locate the EM conductors. The following maps show these results and identify new target areas for diamond drilling.
New Gravity Trends and Future Target Areas
Energy Metals Projects
- Janice Lake Copper (Forum 100 percent): Former partner Rio Tinto spent $14 million in exploration expenditures to earn a 51 percent interest in the project. As of November 2023, Forum revised and completed the acquisition of Rio Tinto’s interest in the project giving Forum 100 percent interest.
- Love Lake Nickel-Copper-PGM Project (Forum 100 percent): Strategically positioned near Forum’s Janice Lake copper project.
- Still Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project (Forum 100 percent): The 11,411-hectare property surrounds the historic Howard Lake nickel-copper-cobalt deposit located 35 kilometers northwest of La Ronge Saskatchewan. Forum has completed a prospecting and geochemical sampling program, and in Q3 2023, completed electromagnetic and magnetic surveys.
- Fisher Copper Claims (Forum 100 percent): The Fisher property is located 40 kilometers west of Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan. The property hosts a stratabound, volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit with a historical estimate of 650,000 tons grading 0.5 percent copper and 3 percent zinc (Not NI 43-101 compliant. Sufficient exploration work has not been completed to verify and classify as a current mineral resource, but the estimate is considered relevant and reliable due to extensive exploration work completed by previous operators). Forum’s geological team has identified further targets and completed a prospecting and sampling program.
- Quartz Gulch Cobalt, Idaho, USA (Forum 100 percent): On trend with Jervois Mining’s Idaho Cobalt Project, the only permitted cobalt mine in North America.
Forum’s uranium and energy metal projects in northern Saskatchewan
Management & Advisory Team Members
Richard J. Mazur - President, CEO and Director
Richard Mazur is an executive and geoscientist with over 45 years of Canadian and international experience in the exploration and mining industry as a project geologist, financial analyst and senior executive on uranium, gold, diamonds, base metals and industrial minerals projects. Mazur founded Forum in 2004. He is also a director of Big Ridge Gold, Impact Silver and Midnight Sun Mining. Mazur graduated with a BSc in geology from the University of Toronto in 1975 and obtained an MBA from Queen’s University in 1985.
Dr. Rebecca Hunter - Vice-President Exploration
Dr. Rebecca Hunter has over 15 years of experience as a uranium exploration geologist in Saskatchewan and Nunavut. As a project geologist for Cameco from 2005 to 2016, Hunter led the Turaqvik-Aberdeen exploration project, where the high-grade Tatiggaq and Qavvik uranium deposits were discovered nearby to the west of Orano’s (formerly AREVA) Kiggavik uranium project in Nunavut. Hunter completed her PhD at Laurentian University, which focused on the litho-geochemistry, structural geology and uranium mineralization systems of the Tatiggaq- Qavvik uranium trend in the Thelon Basin. She was recently appointed VP of Exploration and will continue her work as the lead member of Forum’s Aberdeen uranium project exploration team in the Thelon Basin, a geologic analogue to the prolific Athabasca Basin.
Allison Rippin Armstrong - Vice-President, Nunavut Affairs
Allison Rippin Armstrong is a biologist and environmental scientist with over 25 years experience specializing in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices across Canada and internationally. Allison’s accomplishments over the years have been recognized on a number of occasions, including being awarded the 2009 Kivalliq Inuit Association Expert Counsel Award and the 2011 Mike Hine Award for her contributions to the mining industry in Nunavut. A long-standing board member of Yukon Women in Mining, past member of the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines, and founding member of the Yukon University Foundation Board, she is also the Board Chair of Tectonic Metals Inc.
As VP Nunavut Affairs, Allison’s focus will be on community, regulatory and government relations in Nunavut Territory.
Dan O’Brien - Chief Financial Officer
Dan O’Brien is a member of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and has over 15 years experience working with public companies in the resource industry. O’Brien is the chief financial officer for a number of publicly listed exploration companies trading on the TSX and TSXV exchanges and was previously a senior manager at a leading Canadian accounting firm where he specialized in the audit of public companies in the mining and resource sector.
Richard Aksawnee - Manager of Nunavut Affairs
Richard Aksawnee was born and raised in Baker Lake. Inspired by his late father, David, who also served as mayor, to pursue leadership roles, Aksawnee served as mayor from 2019 to 2023 and has chaired the Hunter and Trappers' Organization for 20 years. His commitment to community service is further demonstrated by his active involvement in search and rescue operations and youth sporting activities.
Peter Wollenberg - Technical Advisor
Peter Wollenberg has 45 years of experience in the uranium exploration and mining business. He has worked in Europe, Canada, Africa and Australia as an exploration geologist and VP of exploration for Urangesellschaft on the Kiggavik Project, where he was instrumental in the discovery of the End and Andrew Lake deposits. Later he joined Cogema/Areva where he worked in several leading roles in Canada, Africa and Australia. He is currently the director of exploration and resource development for Global Atomic in Niger.
Anthony Balme - Director
Anthony Balme is the managing director of Carter Capital and Lymington Underwriting, two private UK investment funds, where he is an active participant in several global base and precious metals resource ventures in North America, Sweden and the DRC.
Paul Dennison - Director
Paul Dennison worked for 27 years in the front end of three leading investment banks: Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch & Deutsche Bank. His focus was capital markets origination, underwriting, sales and trading in all regions outside the Americas. Thereafter, Dennison managed his own asset management company for 12 years, which was licensed in Singapore, Switzerland and the United States. He is currently based in Zurich and Singapore with his own firm, specializing as an introducing broker, sourcing international investment capital for clients.
Janet Meiklejohn - Director
Janet Meiklejohn is the principal of Emerald Capital, a consulting company providing CFO, strategic, valuation, corporate governance and marketing services to high-growth companies. She was formerly VP of institutional equity sales focused on the mining sector with several Canadian investment banks including Desjardins Securities, National Bank, Salman Partners and Macquarie Capital from 1997 to 2015. Meiklejohn grew up in Saskatchewan and has a close personal interest in the development of the uranium industry in the province.
Larry Okada - Director
Larry Okada is a member of both the Canadian Chartered Professional Accountants and the Washington State Certified Public Accountants Association with over 45 years of experience in providing financial management services to publicly traded companies, with emphasis on junior mineral exploration companies. He holds a B.A. in economics and was in public practice with his own firm of Staley, Okada and Partners and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Okada also serves as chairman of Forum’s Audit Committee.
Michael A. Steeves - Director
Michael A. Steeves has been involved in the mining industry for over 50 years. He has previously held executive positions with Zazu Metals, Glamis Gold, Coeur D’Alene Mines,
Homestake Mining and Pegasus Gold. Steeves also worked for several years as a mining analyst. He holds a Master of Science degree in earth sciences from the University of Manitoba and is also a chartered financial analyst.
Brian Christie - Director
Brian Christie’s professional career spans over 45 years as a geologist, securities analyst, and investor relations executive. During his tenure as vice-president investor relations at Agnico Eagle Mines from 2012 to 2022, Agnico Eagle was consistently recognized as having one of the top investor relations programs in Canada. Christie is currently retained by Agnico Eagle as a senior advisor, investor relations. Prior to joining Agnico Eagle, he worked for over 17 years as a precious and base metals analyst with Desjardins Securities, National Bank Financial, Canaccord Capital, and HSBC Securities, in addition to 13 years as a geologist with several mining companies including Homestake, Billiton, Falconbridge Copper, and Newmont. Christie holds a BSc. in geology (University of Toronto) and an MSc. in geology (Queen’s University). He is also a member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).
Fund Managers: "Highly Constructive" on Uranium Price, Stocks We're Focusing on Now
Keith Watson and Rob Crayfourd, co-fund managers at the Geiger Counter Fund, shared their outlook on uranium supply, demand and prices, plus which companies they think have the most potential moving forward.
While acknowledging the recent price pullback, the experts said the sector's long-term outlook is positive.
"Ultimately we're at the very start of what we expect to be a longer-term imbalance in supply vs. strong demand, and therefore a very healthy price outlook for the sector," Watson explained during the interview.
When asked about the Geiger Counter Fund's focus, Crayfourd highlighted the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada, saying it's a tier-one jurisdiction that's home to a slew of strong uranium assets.
"We think that those projects, particularly Canadian assets that are uncontracted and able to participate in the upside that we see in the market going forward, are best placed," he noted. The fund has a heavy weighting toward NexGen Energy (TSX:NXE,NYSE:NXE), Fission Uranium (TSX:FCU,OTCQX:FCUUF) and IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO,OTCQX:ISENF).
Watson added that it also has exposure to US companies with small but reasonable production profiles that are in the process of starting or restarting output, as well as leverage via stocks with slightly higher-cost deposits.
Watch the interview above for more of their thoughts on uranium stocks, as well as the outlook for the commodity.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
UEC to Grow US Portfolio with Acquisition of Rio Tinto's Wyoming Uranium Assets
Uranium Energy (UEC) (NYSEAMERICAN:UEC) announced the acquisition of Rio Tinto America’s Wyoming assets, including the Sweetwater plant and a portfolio of uranium-focused projects.
UEC said the deal will strengthen its position in the US uranium industry as the country looks to build up domestic supply of the energy fuel following this year's ban on Russian uranium imports.
The uranium projects hold about 175 million pounds of historic resources, while the Sweetwater plant, which is a conventional processing facility, has a licensed capacity of 4.1 million pounds of U3O8 per year.
The plant, located 40 miles from Rawlins, Wyoming, has been under care and maintenance since 1983. According to UEC, it can be also adapted to recover uranium from loaded resins produced by in-situ recovery (ISR) operations.
In total, the agreement with Rio Tinto will give UEC ownership of more than 53,000 acres of exploration and mining rights, along with geological data from about 13,000 drill holes, plus 26,000 assay records.
UEC, which currently has 12 uranium projects in Wyoming’s Great Divide Basin, said the acquisition will create a third production hub within its existing US portfolio. The Sweetwater plant will play a central role in this hub, unlocking the development potential of nearby uranium resources, particularly those suitable for ISR methods.
The company explained that the transaction builds on its previous expansion efforts, such as its acquisition of Uranium One Americas in 2021, which also focused on the Great Divide Basin.
Amir Adnani, UEC’s CEO, emphasized that the purchase comes at a critical time for the uranium market, as global demand for nuclear energy rises and geopolitical factors reshape supply chains.
“The Russian uranium ban and recent comments by Russian government officials regarding restricting future uranium exports to the west underscore the critical importance of maintaining reliable domestic supply chains to power our growing requirements for clean baseload energy," he said in a Monday (September 23) press release.
“With our fourth acquisition since 2021, UEC is continuing to execute towards building the premier and fastest growing North American uranium company,” Adnani added.
The acquisition will be completed through a stock purchase agreement, with UEC acquiring two Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,LSE:RIO,NYSE:RIO) subsidiaries that hold the Wyoming assets. The US$175 million purchase price will be funded through UEC’s existing liquidity, with closing expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Once the deal has gone through, UEC plans to begin upgrading the Sweetwater plant for ISR processing, and will advance exploration efforts at its newly acquired property.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Uranium Reserves: Top 5 Countries (Updated 2024)
Uranium is an important commodity in the energy sector, and knowing the countries with the top uranium reserves is key.
Mined uranium resources have provided fuel for nuclear power generation for more than 60 years, and today nuclear power serves 10 percent of global energy needs. Global uranium demand is anticipated to grow in the coming years, which bodes well for future uranium prices. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), around 60 nuclear reactors are under construction worldwide, and significant increases to capacity at existing plants are also planned.
Global uranium production totaled 57,651 metric tons (MT) of U3O8 in 2022, the latest year for which numbers are available. The five top uranium-producing countries in the world are Kazakhstan, Canada, Namibia, Australia and Uzbekistan, and they were responsible for the vast majority of that production.
But what are the top uranium reserves by country? Here the Investing News Network provides an overview of the five countries with the largest uranium resources, with data sourced from the WNA. Reserves data for deposits owned by public companies is sourced from MiningDataOnline.
1. Australia
Uranium resources: 1,684,100 metric tons (28 percent of world uranium resources)
Which country has the most uranium? While Australia ranks fourth in global uranium production, it takes the lead for the highest uranium reserves in the world.
Australia’s crown jewel is Olympic Dam, the largest-known single deposit of uranium in the world with proven and probable reserves of 588 million MT at an average grade of 590 grams per MT (g/t) uranium in-situ. The mine is owned by BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) and produces uranium as a byproduct.
Other major uranium deposits in the country include Ranger, Beverley and Four Mile. While the latter two are owned by a private company, Ranger is owned by Energy Resources of Australia (ASX:ERA,OTC Pink:EGRAF), in which Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) has a majority interest. However, production at Ranger was brought to a halt in early 2021 and the site is now being rehabilitated.
Australia is key to the global uranium industry, but mining the material is politically contentious in the country. For example, the Western Australian government has put the brakes on any new domestic uranium-mining project approvals, although it is allowing existing projects to go ahead. In addition, the federal government is opposed to nuclear energy.
In July, the Australian Government put the kibosh on Energy Resources of Australia's attempt to renew its licence permit for the Jabiluka uranium project in the Northern Territory in response to community backlash.
2. Kazakhstan
Uranium resources: 815,200 metric tons (13 percent of world uranium resources)
Kazakhstan comes in second in terms of uranium resources, but ranks first in uranium production. The country's national uranium-mining company, Kazatomprom (LSE:KAP,OTC Pink:NATKY), is the world’s largest uranium producer. Kazatomprom's Inkai uranium mine, a 60/40 joint venture with Canada's Cameco( TSX:CCO,NYSE:CCJ), hosts proven and probable reserves of 261.7 million pounds of uranium contained in 305.6 million MT of ore grading 0.04 percent.
At least 67 percent of Kazakhstan's electricity production comes from coal, with the remainder supplied by natural gas (22 percent), hydro (9 percent) and solar and wind (1.5 percent). However, the country's energy development plan details changes to the mix that would include 5 percent of electricity generation from nuclear power and 10 percent from renewable energy by 2030. Kazakhstan has two proposed and planned nuclear power plants.
Russia's war in Ukraine has created a significant roadblock for Kazakhstan's uranium exports to western markets. Sanctions imposed on Russia have made the cost-effective route via St Petersburg no longer a viable option for transport.
Another issues facing Kazakhstan's uranium mining sector is supply shortages of sulphuric acid, which is used during in-situ leaching to dissolve uranium from host rock. This challenge, coupled with construction delays at new projects, led Kazatomprom to cut its production targets for 2025 by 17 percent.
3. Canada
Uranium resources: 588,500 metric tons (10 percent of world uranium resources)
The second largest uranium producer, Canada is third largest in terms of top uranium countries by reserves. Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin is a hotbed for uranium exploration and is known the world over for having the highest-grade uranium deposits on the planet.
The North American nation is home to the world’s top uranium mines: Cameco’s Cigar Lake and McArthur River. Together, they make the province of Saskatchewan an international leader in the uranium sector, although in recent years these operations have spent time offline.
The mines host high-grade deposits, with Cigar Lake's proven and probable reserves totaling 208.6 million pounds of uranium from 600,000 MT grading 17.03 percent, and McArthur River's coming in at 380.5 million pounds of uranium from 2.6 million MT grading 6.72 percent.
Nuclear energy accounts for about 15 percent of Canada’s electricity demand, and its nuclear power infrastructure includes 19 nuclear reactors. As the second largest country by landmass, providing reliable energy to Canada’s many remote regions poses a significant challenge. However, novel reactor technologies, such as small modular reactors, have the potential to supply power to smaller electrical grids or to remote, off-grid areas.
4. Russia
Uranium resources: 480,900 metric tons (8 percent of world uranium resources)
As the largest country by landmass, Russia has a wealth of resources, including 8 percent of the world’s uranium. The majority of Russia’s domestic uranium output comes via Rosatom, a subsidiary of ARMZ Uranium Holding, which owns the Priargunsky underground mine and is developing the Vershinnoye deposit in Southern Siberia.
To meet the nation’s growing energy needs, Russia’s government is keen on increasing its uranium output. According to the WNA, nuclear energy accounted for 19 percent of Russia’s energy mix as of December 2021, the most up-to-date data available. The country has 36 nuclear reactors generating 26,802 megawatts of electricity, with an additional four units under construction.
Russia is among the world's top 10 uranium producers in addition to holding significant reserves, and the country's war with Ukraine has raised questions about the extent to which Russia will be able to continue exports. However, European countries such as France are still importing Russian uranium. In 2023, Russia reportedly accounted for 27 percent of all enriched uranium supplied to US nuclear plants. However, in May 2024, US President Joe Biden signed into law a ban on enriched uranium imports from Russia.
In mid-September 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his government is considering limiting uranium exports in response to ongoing sanctions.
5. Namibia
Uranium resources: 470,100 metric tons (8 percent of world uranium resources)
The world’s third largest uranium-producing country, Namibia, comes in fifth for reserves.
The African nation’s Langer Heinrich mine, owned by Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN,OTC Pink:PALAF), and Rössing mine, majority owned by China National Uranium, are capable of producing 10 percent of the world’s uranium output. Langer Heinrich hosts total proven and probable reserves of 83.8 million pounds uranium from 84.8 million MT at a grade of 448 parts per million.
Significant Namibian deposits also include Trekkopje, which is near Rössing and owned by Orano, and the world-class Husab uranium mine, which is also majority owned by China National Uranium. Husab hosts 224.8 million pounds of probable uranium reserves.
The Namibian government is in favor of expanding the country’s uranium-mining industry. While there are no nuclear power plants in Namibia, there is some support for a national nuclear power industry.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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