URANIUM: NexGen sums up Arrow studies

Drilling at the Rook 1 project in the Athabasca Basin. (Image: NexGen Energy)

SASKATCHEWAN - NexGen Energy of Vancouver has taken a look at all the pre-feasibility stage technical studies done on the Arrow uranium deposit at the Rook 1 project in the Athabasca Basin. Here is a peek at what will go into the pre-feasibility study.

The bench scale metallurgical study demonstrated that high purity yellowcake could be produced using peroxide and magnesium oxide. Leaching of the test samples resulted in a uranium recovery rate of 97.6%, and when this was followed by solvent extraction, the recovery rose to 99.6%. The suitability of tailings for use in paste backfill was also studied and found to surpass the targeted high strength goal of 1.5 MPa.

The suitability of using conventional longhole stoping was confirmed by a geotechnical study. Stope stability is expected to be excellent with 30-metre level spacing and a nominal stope strike length of 15 to 30 metres.

A hydrogeological study measured hydraulic conductivity and found it to be consistent with that predicted in in the basement rocks. Conductivity, which measures the presence of water, decreases with depth and is expected to be lowest at depths associated with mine development.

NexGen says that studies are continuing. All the information will be assembled into the maiden pre-feasibility study due to be complete for the end of Q3 or early Q4 2018. A summer drilling program will also be conducted.

Additional details from the recent studies are posted at www.NexGenEnergy.ca in the news release for June 13, 2018.