ASX-listed uranium exploration and development company Atomic Eagle has achieved uranium recoveries of between 81% and 86% from metallurgical testwork on diamond drill core from its newly discovered Muntanga East deposit, in Zambia.

The testwork, which included bottle-roll and column-leach tests, has been conducted on core samples considered representative of the Muntanga East resource and part of the company’s 100%-owned Muntanga uranium project.

The company has also highlighted that uranium extraction was substantially completed after about 20 days of leaching, while acid consumption during the extraction period was low at about 3 kg/t.

Further, Atomic Eagle says the acid consumption is significantly below the average recorded across the broader Muntanga project.

The results also demonstrate that the project’s favourable heap-leach metallurgy extends beyond its historical deposits, providing further confidence in the metallurgical performance of uranium deposits in the region.

The company adds that the results strengthen its understanding of the processing characteristics of the newly discovered Muntanga East deposit and support the project’s development potential.

“One of the defining strengths of the Muntanga project is its ability to achieve high uranium recoveries through simple heap leach processing with low reagent consumption. This allows lower grade uranium mineralisation to be mined and recovered economically.

“The combination of Muntanga East’s shallow mineralisation, close proximity to the central resource area and favourable metallurgy provides confidence it will contribute towards enhancing the scale and economics of the Muntanga project,” Atomic Eagle CEO Phil Hoskins says.

He adds that the results of the Muntanga East metallurgical programme will be incorporated into ongoing technical studies supporting the continued advancement of the project.

The company concludes that the outcomes further strengthen its understanding of the metallurgical characteristics of mineralisation across the broader Muntanga trend and provide additional confidence in the potential integration of Muntanga East into future mine development planning.