April 10, 2024 |
Photo – Uranium Ore – Courtesy Wikipedia
Ur-Energy is preparing to reopen a Shirley Basin uranium mine.
The Littleton, Colorado-based company is one of the largest producers of uranium in North America. The mineral extraction company operates the Lost Creek and Lost Soldier mines, southwest of Bairoil.
Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive mineral and the key ingredient of nuclear energy production.
Ur-Energy is preparing to begin uranium extraction in the Shirley Basin. Chief Executive Officer John Cash told Bigfoot99 that his company purchased the land, situated 30 miles north of Medicine Bow, from the French company Areva NC, in 2013. Cash said Areva pulled 30 million pounds of uranium from the site over 30 years.
Cash said the site has sat dormant since 1991, when high production costs combined with the low price of uranium forced Areva NC to shut down their mining operations.
Cash said testing indicated that the Shirley Basin site still contains roughly 8.8 million pounds of uranium. The Ur-Energy CEO said the minerals are close to the surface and fairly easy to extract. Because uranium prices are high, Cash said his company decided that now was the time to begin pulling the radioactive material from Shirley Basin.
Cash said the uranium at the Shirley Basin site is .23% grade, which means that for every 100 units of material extracted from the area, 0.23 units are uranium. Grades between 0.1% and 1% are considered medium grade.
Cash said all the necessary permits are in place to begin mineral extraction. The Ur-Energy CEO said his company is licensed to pull 1 million pounds of uranium a year from the Shirley Basin site, meaning the mine will be in operation for seven or eight years. Cash said the ease of accessing the uranium means the project will be profitable.
Cash said this year, his company will continue engineering the project and collecting data from the site. The Ur-Energy CEO said he hopes to begin mining next spring. Cash said once needed equipment arrives on site, the mining facility should be constructed in roughly half a year.
Cash said the Shirley Basin site will not be mined using conventional techniques, such as open pit or tunnel mining. The Ur-Energy CEO said uranium will be extracted in situ.
Cash said the Shirley Basin site will be a relatively small operation, with only three bore holes. The Ur-Energy CEO said the extracted uranium and water mixture will be transported to Lost Creek for processing. The wastewater will then be returned to Shirley Basin for recycling.
Ion exchange beads attract and bind to the uranium ions in the water solution. Cash said once the uranium particles are removed from the solution, the water can be reintroduced into the environment. When mining is finished, Cash said the Shirley Basin site will be made safe for grazing and other ag uses.
Cash said supply chain delays are one of the last hurdles his company must overcome before uranium extraction can begin. To ensure it’s ready by the anticipated production start date, equipment must be ordered now, said Cash.
Cash said procuring manpower is another challenge his company faces. The Ur-Energy CEO said he anticipates that Wyoming’s low unemployment rate will make it difficult to fully staff the facility. Cash said he’ll need around 45 to 50 employees, and several contractors, to extract and transport uranium from the site.
Cash said opening the Shirley Basin mine will benefit the people of Carbon County. Not only with the project employ around 50 people, but the Ur-Energy CEO said his company will also pay millions of dollars in taxes over the lifetime of the mine.
On top of the mineral extraction taxes, Cash said Ur-Energy will pay approximately $2 million in property taxes while the mine is operational. Cash said the project will also inject over $40 million into the local economy.
Cash said his company will begin hiring for the Shirley Basin mine next year. The Ur-Energy CEO encouraged people to email him at john.cash@ur-energy.com with any questions.
