Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) is expecting to deliver the first drum of uranium from its Honeymoon Mine in South Australia within the next two weeks after passing the final technical milestone in its restart strategy.
Boss, which has a $2.02 billion market capitalisation, says as part of this ‘critical’ phase, uranium-rich lixiviant from the wellfields has filled the processing plant ion-exchange column, where loaded resin will result in production of concentrated ‘high-grade’ eluate.
Managing Director Duncan Craib says: “Since acquiring Honeymoon, Boss’ strategy has been to increase the uranium tenor in the wellfield feed solution to the plant and develop a larger processing facility utilising Ion Exchange technology.
“This approach is to improve the economics of the project by increasing production rates and reducing operating costs. We have now achieved both of these key goals and as a result are set to fill our first drum with uranium in the coming days”.
Lixiviant is a leaching fluid which, once optimised and injected into the orebody through injector wells, moves through the ore zones within that horizon dissolving the uranium mineralisation at its origin and producing uranium-rich fluid.
Boss expects concentrated ‘high-grade’ eluate will be recovered through an upgraded precipitation circuit next week before being calcined to produce a saleable uranium oxide product.
Boss Energy is an ASX-listed uranium company focused on restarting its Honeymoon Mine in South Australia. The project is fully permitted, with $170 million of established infrastructure already in place, including a well-maintained plant.
As of December 2023, Boss Energy had $226.72 million in cash and cash equivalents at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.
Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au
Images: Boss Energy
