Updated study cuts Wiluna’s projected costs

7th March 2019 By: Esmarie Iannucci - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – An updated scoping study for the Wiluna uranium project, in Western Australia, has reduced the potential capital cost from A$91.6-million to A$87.9-million.

Projected operating costs have also been reduced from A$16.08/lb of uranium dioxide (U3O8), to A$14.59/lb.

Toro said on Thursday that the updated study also pointed to potential improvements in the overall uranium recovery from the plant to 82.77%, up from the 80.25% estimated in the original 2016 scoping study.

The updated scoping study incorporated opportunities highlighted by testwork completed as part of the beneficiation and process design studies that Toro has been undertaking since the completion of the initial scoping study.

The Wiluna project is expected to produce at a rate of about 1.3-million tonnes a year over a 16-year mine life, producing 30.1-million pounds of U3O8 over that period.

Mining will be undertaken from the Centipede, Millipede, Lake Maitland, Lake Way, Dawson Hinkler and Nowthanna deposits.