Etango identifies capital savings at Namibia uranium project
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – A processing optimisation study at the Etango uranium project, in Namibia, has reduced the expected capital costs by about $73-million, from a previous estimate of $870-million.
Project developer Bannerman Resources on Thursday reported that the largest capital reductions came from a simplified crushing circuit, and confirmation that ion-exchange was a viable alternative to solvent extraction.
Potential operating cost savings have also been identified on the back of improved recovery and reduced reagent consumption, leading Etango to formulate an update of the previously completed definitive feasibility study (DFS) targeting operating cost savings of about $3/lb of uranium oxide.
Etango told shareholders that a range of further potential operating cost saving opportunities, such as reduced maintenance assumptions associated with capital reductions, and the operating benefits of a simplified processing circuit, would also be considered during the definitive level engineering and procurement, which would be conducted under the DFS update.
Furthermore, a membrane study, targeting potential improvements to capital and operating costs deriving from membrane acid recovery and the potential for uranium recovery by nano-filtration, would also be undertaken and was due for completion in the first quarter of 2018.
The completed processing optimisation study and the membrane study were both expected to provide input to the DFS update, which would continue in 2018.
The previous DFS estimated that the project would cost about $870-million to develop.
Based on average yearly production of 7.2-million pounds of uranium oxide over an initial mine life of 15.7 years, the Etango project is expected to have a net present value of $419-million and a post-tax internal rate of return of 15%.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Showroom
FlameBlock is a proudly South African company that engineers, manufactures and supplies fire intumescent and retardant products to the fire...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Leading condition monitoring specialists, WearCheck, help boost machinery lifespan and reduce catastrophic component failure through the scientific...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
