As a mineral resource company focused on the exploration and development of uranium properties in Africa, GoviEx Uranium CEO Daniel Major will shed light on the role of uranium in the global energy transition at this year’s London Indaba, to be held at the Intercontinental London Park Lane hotel, in London, in the UK, from June 26 to 27.

GoviEx is currently the only uranium developer with two African mine-permitted projects in development with projected near-term production.

GoviEx’s principal objective is to become a significant uranium producer through continued exploration and development of its flagship mine-permitted

Madaouela project, in Niger, its mine permitted Muntanga project, in Zambia, and its multi-element Falea project, in Mali.

Following a successful drilling programme in 2022 at Muntanga,

GoviEx will also complete an update of the project’s environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), and undertake additional drilling to target mineralisation extensions along sections at the project’s Dibbwi East deposit.

In 2022, the company conducted a 15 500 m infill drilling programme at the Dibbwi East deposit, which is targeting conversion of the current 29-million pounds of triuranium octoxide from the inferred category, to the indicated category. In this regard, GoviEx intends to provide an update to its mineral resource estimate in the coming weeks.

Further, analysis of the 2022 drilling results has highlighted that the Dibbwi East deposit is open up- and down-dip, as several sections are not closed off to the uranium resource.

As a result, GoviEx plans to conduct 7 000 m of mud rotary drilling to target these areas of open mineralisation at the deposit and further enhance its understanding of the deposit’s potential.

Four tons of ore samples have been delivered to the Copperbelt University in Zambia, where confirmatory metallurgical testwork is ongoing. This will be used to support the feasibility study’s process design and costing.

“Our continued progress on the Muntanga uranium project reflects our commitment to responsible and sustainable development in Africa,” he says.

With the completion of GoviEx’s ESIA and feasibility study planned for 2024, Major says the company is “well positioned” to advance this project towards near-term production, and to become a significant contributor to the global uranium market.

“We are excited about the potential of the Muntanga project and the positive impact that it will have on our stakeholders and the local community,” he enthuses.

With the updated mineral resource expected soon, and metallurgical testwork under way, GoviEx has appointed specialist mining services provider Ukwazi Site Services, engineering consultant SGS Bateman and mining consultant SRK UK as the project team to undertake the feasibility study for the Muntanga project.

These firms will provide specialised expertise and guidance to ensure that the final design and development of the Muntanga project is enhanced for efficiency, safety and sustainability, as well as ensure that GoviEx’s commitments to environmental, social and governance (ESG) are included in the study.

During 2022, the company committed to updating Muntanga’s ESIA to bring it to an International Finance Corporation standard and to include the Dibbwi East deposit, which was only discovered after the previous ESIA was approved.

Most of the baseline studies have been completed and Phase 1 of the relocation action plan is currently under way.

As part of the 2022 programme, GoviEx achieved a significant milestone by successfully submitting and obtaining approval of the term of reference document with the Zambia Environmental Management Agency.

Based on the 2017 preliminary economic assessment, Muntanga’s anticipated output is forecast to be 2.5-million pounds a year, while Madaouela is forecast to produce 2.6-million pounds a year. This places GoviEx in a favourable position within the uranium industry and as an attractive partner for offtakers.

“We remain dedicated to advancing our projects and delivering value to stakeholders,” says Major.

Educational Initiatives

GoviEx has announced the launch of two education programmes in the vicinity of the Muntanga project – the Back to School Project and GoviEx’s Youth Trainee Programme.

Both initiatives were born out of GoviEx’s commitment to local employment and local development. The company has recognised the challenges in hiring local talent, owing to a lack of formal education and has taken a proactive step towards addressing this issue.

By equipping the community with the necessary literacy and numeracy skills, GoviEx aims to unlock the full potential of the local workforce, enabling them to actively participate in the development of Muntanga.

“As part of our commitment to ESG, and specifically local employment, we recognise the low levels of literacy in the project area and want to address this challenge by supporting an initiative that will provide educational opportunities for adults who have not had access to formal education and youngsters who would like to further their education [through] a traineeship,” he says.