ENERGY FUELS INC
For the period ended Oct 16, 2024. Filed Oct 16, 2024.
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Oct 16, 2024 · Filed Oct 16, 2024
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Contents
Note:
- This total represents the total drilling used for the JORC mineral resource estimate and includes drilling on MIN5532 and RL2002.
The table below details the drilling information strictly for RL2002 (wider Donald).
| Company | Year | No. Drillholes | Meters Drilled | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRA Exploration | 1982-1989 | 332 | 8,970 | 300 holes with HM assays 275 holes with VHM assays |
| Zirtanium | 2002 | 23 | 558 | 23 holes with HM assays 15 holes with VHM assays |
| 2004 | 118 | 2,603 | 108 holes with HM assays 51 holes with VHM assays |
| DMS/Astron | 2010 | 179 | 4,607 | 176 holes with HM assays 21 holes with VHM assays |
| 2015 | 153 | 4,206 | 150 holes with HM assays 21 holes with VHM assays | |
| Total | 805 | 20,944 | ||
The table below details the drilling information strictly for RL2003 (Jackson).
| Company | Year | No. Drillholes | Meters Drilled | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRA Exploration | 1982-1989 | 308 | 7,943 | 219 holes with HM assays 193 holes with VHM assays |
| Zirtanium | 2002 | 22 | 498 | 14 holes with HM assays 9 holes with VHM assays |
| DMS/Astron | 2013 | 136 | 3,948 | 132 holes with HM assays 36 holes with VHM assays |
| 2015 | 82 | 1,961 | 80 holes with HM assays 5 holes with VHM assays | |
| Total | 548 | 14,350 | ||
Commencement of the Environmental Effects Statement ("EES") application started in 2005 and was positively assessed in 2008. Since that time there have been amendments to regulations governing mining and environmental protection, and; thus, in addition to updates to the project design for more efficient processing and capital efficiency, have resulted in Donald having to update certain impact assessments. Crucially, as Donald remains largely as described and positively assessed in 2008, a new assessment is not required - rather, these updated assessments will form part of the Work Plan submission to ERR completed in Q3 2023 and expected to be approved in Q4 2024. Following the 2008 EES, Astron through DMS obtained the following permits and licenses for continued advancement of Donald.
| Year | Approval/License Granted |
| 2009 | EPBC Approvals Granted (varied, and renewed in 2018), expires in 2042 |
| 2010 | Mining License (MIN 5532) Granted, expires in 2031 |
| 2011 | Water Supply Rights Purchased (6.975 Glpa bulk water entitlement), expires in 2041 |
| 2014 | Cultural Heritage Management Plan ("CHMP") Approved for Workplan Area of MIN 5532 |
| 2015 | Radiation License Obtained (renewed to 2026) |
| 2023 | Cultural Heritage Disturbance Report demonstrating no statutory requirement for a Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) relating to the road upgrades |
| 2024 | Cultural Heritage Disturbance Report demonstrating no statutory requirement for a CHMP relating to the water pipeline installation |
| 2024 | Planning Permit for Accommodation Village |
| 2024 | Removal of Sites on MIN5532 from Victoria's Heritage Register |
Below are a list of additional approvals and licenses required prior to commencement of construction including those relating to ancillary infrastructure (powerline and water pipeline) and proposed road upgrades.
| Approval Required | Relevant Regulatory Agency | Primary Compliance Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Work Plan | Victorian ERR | • ERR Guidelines • EES Ministerial Assessment requirements • Environmental Protection Act (2017) ("EP Act") requirements general environmental duty ("GED") and other specific requirements • 2017 DEECA vegetation removal and offset requirements |
| Biodiversity Offset Management Plan and Minister's Consent to Commence the Activity | Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water ("DCCEEW") | • Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) (EPBC Act) |
|---|---|---|
| Planning and approvals for off-MIN infrastructure | Department of Transport and Planning ("DTP"), Local Shire(s) | • Compliance with local planning requirements • Assessment of impacts • Rare Earth Element Concentrate ("REEC") export license • CHMP for powerline if required (current draft report indicates no statutory requirement for this) • Permit to remove vegetation, DEECA, relating to the planned road upgrades, water pipeline installation and powerline development (application inputs all well progressed, water pipeline application has in-principal endorsement from DEECA). |
| Secondary licenses and permits | Various agencies | • EPA (A18) Permit(s) to remove, use and return tailings to in-pit tailings storage and/or mining void • License to construct and operate dams/tailings storage facility • EPA development license or permitting for sewage treatment (depending on sewage disposal design) |
The Donald deposit is within the Murray Basin, which comprises flat-lying Cenozoic sediments that unconformably overlie Proterozoic and Paleozoic basement rocks. The mineralization is contained within the Tertiary aged Loxton Sand, a sequence of marine sands representing a range of environments including deep-water (offshore), near shore, tidal, beach and back dunal sediments.
The mineralization at Donald is contained within the marine sequence of the Loxton Sand. The marine sequence of the Loxton Sand unit can be subdivided into three sub-units:
LP1 - fine to very coarse friable quartz sands and minor silty, clay and gravel beds representing dunal, foreshore and surf zone sediments;
LP2 - near-shore, very fine silty micaceous quartz sands, minor clays and gravels, representing sediments deposited below the wave base that show friable laminated and truncated HM mineralized beds. LP2 is the principal fine-grained heavy mineral target throughout the Murray Basin and contains the majority of the mineralization in the Donald deposit; and
LP3 - represents deep water sedimentation containing higher silt and clay material than LP2.
Within the Donald deposit area, the Loxton Sand is underlain by the Geera Clay. The Geera Clay typically consists of black, grey, green or yellow brown plastic clays, with minor silts and is interpreted as to have formed in shallow water, marginal marine, lagoonal or tidal flat environments.
The Loxton Sand is overlain by the fluvio-deltaic Shepparton Formation, which consists of clay and silt.
After the removal of slimes and oversize, the content of HM was determined using heavy liquid separation. The HM content was assayed using grain counts with checks on the zircon, monazite and titanium content using XRF. Starting in 2022, Stationary XRF, Laser ablation-ICPMS and QEMScan instruments were used by industry independent laboratory Bureau Veritas Minerals Pty Ltd to determine valuable heavy minerals.
Quality control consisted of field duplicate samples prepared by DMS and the laboratory. No blanks were submitted. A second laboratory was not used. Company standards of a defined HM, slimes and oversize grade were inserted in the field by DMS (1 in 40 samples) in drilling from 2016 onward (for MIN5532). Laboratory standards were also inserted by Bureau Veritas (1 in 28 samples) in the 2022 assay test work (for MIN5532).
Twin holes, both Air Core and Sonic drilling, were used to check the results of earlier drilling which showed consistency between the different drilling programs. The data was stored in an Access database and checked against the original sample reports.
A series of adjustments to the sample data was made. This included:
For zircon % derived from grain counting the Zircon_Min_pct value was used. The grain count method quantifies mineral zircon so no conversion was applied.
For zircon % derived from XRF results the ZrO 2_HfO 2_pct value. Mineral zircon % = ZrO 2+HfO 2 / 0.667 conversion applied on 2022 drilling XRF assays.
For zircon % derived from other XRF, results use "ZrO2_HfO2_conv" value. Mineral zircon = ZrO 2+HfO 2 / 0.667, conversion previously applied to older XRF assays.
Limited assay values for rutile + anatase % are available. The percentage of rutile is generally contained in the database. For resource estimation the following sample adjustments were made:
Where rutile + anatase % only data was not available, rutile + anatase was calculated from the rutile % data using the following formula which was derived from a correlation plot where both sets of data are available.
The ilmenite % values obtained from the DMS drilling contained magnetite. Based on a comparison with the CRA drilling the DMS ilmenite grades were decreased by 1.6 % to remove the magnetite from the assay.
Mineral Resource Estimates
The Donald Project does not have any S-K 1300 or NI 43-101 compliant mineral resources or mineral reserves.
Prior to the Company entering into an agreement to acquire an interest in the Donald Project, Astron issued a report entitled Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project - Mining License Mineral Resource Update that estimated, in accordance with JORC standards, the mineral resources of the Donald Project as of November 30, 2022. These estimates are summarized below for informational purposes only. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the estimates as current S-K 1300 or NI 43-101 estimates of Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves, and the Company is not treating them as such.
AMC was commissioned in 2016 to carry out the RL2002 Mineral Resource estimate. The Mineral Resource for RL2002 was estimated using Ordinary Kriging. 100 mE x 200 mN x 1 mRL size parent blocks with sub-blocks down to a minimum size of 20 m x 40 m x 0.25 m were assessed at a cut-off grade of 1% HM. Sub-blocks were used to increase the precision at a boundary like topography and grade estimation boundaries.
The estimate is based on 377 drillholes with Heavy Mineral analysis. The general drillhole spacing varies from 125 mE x 450 mN to 250 mE x 500 mN. AMC prepared a resource block model and mineral resource estimates of HM, slimes and oversize. All drillholes were sampled for HM at one-meter intervals.
Valuable heavy minerals ("VHM") Mineralogy analysis was completed on 246 of the 377 drill holes. Approximate spacing of these drillholes were 200mE x 450mN. All drillholes that underwent VHM analysis were Reverse Circulation Air Core ("RCAC") with a nominal rod diameter of 76mm. From these a VHM mineral resource was calculated at a 1% HM cut-off grade. Only the VHM Mineral Resource was used in the conversion to ore reserve for RL2002.
For reported mineral resources within RL2002 outside of MIN5532, heavy minerals are defined as those heavier than 2.96 specific gravity and with a grainsize in-size range between 38µm and 90µm.
Donald Project - 100% Basis - Summary of In-Situ Historical Mineral Resources, November 30, 2022
| Classification · Tonnes (Mt) · HM (Mt) · HM (%) · Slimes (%) · Oversize (%) · Mineral Assemblage as % of HM · EFR Share | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Within MIN 5532) · ILM (%) · RUT (%) · LEUC (%) · ZIR (%) · MON (%) · XEN (%) | ||||||||||||
| Measured | 131 | 5 | 3.8 | 17 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 14 | 1.8 | 0.64 | 3.2% |
| Indicated | 64 | 2 | 3.1 | 27 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 16 | 15 | 1.6 | 0.58 | 3.2% |
| Measured + Indicated | 195 | 7 | 3.6 | 20 | 11 | 19 | 10 | 19 | 14 | 1.8 | 0.63 | 3.2% |
| Inferred | 20 | 0 | 2.3 | 22 | 14 | 19 | 7 | 20 | 13 | 1.8 | 0.55 | 3.2% |
| Classification | Tonnes (Mt) | HM (Mt) | HM (%) | Slimes (%) | Oversize (%) | Mineral Assemblage as % of HM | EFR Share | |||||
| (Within RL2002 outside MIN 5532) | ILM (%) | RUT (%) | LEUC (%) | ZIR(%) | MON(%) | XEN (%) | ||||||
| Measured | 33 | 2 | 5.0 | 20 | 7 | 30 | 7 | 23 | 21 | 2.9 | - | 3.2% |
| Indicated | 90 | 4 | 4.6 | 25 | 2 | 34 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 3.6 | - | 3.2% |
| Measured + Indicated | 123 | 6 | 4.7 | 24 | 3 | 32 | 6 | 19 | 18 | 3.4 | - | 3.2% |
| Inferred | 647 | 32 | 4.9 | 15 | 6 | 33 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 2 | - | 3.2% |
| Classification | Tonnes (Mt) | HM (Mt) | HM(%) | Slimes (%) | Oversize (%) | Mineral Assemblage as % of HM | EFR Share | |||||
| Total Donald Deposit | ILM (%) | RUT (%) | LEUC (%) | ZIR(%) | MON (%) | XEN (%) | ||||||
| Measured | 164 | 7 | 4.1 | 18 | 10 | 22 | 10 | 20 | 16 | 2.1 | - | 3.2% |
| Indicated | 154 | 6 | 4.1 | 26 | 6 | 27 | 5 | 17 | 15 | 2.9 | - | 3.2% |
| Measured + Indicated | 318 | 13 | 4.1 | 22 | 8 | 24 | 8 | 19 | 16 | 2.4 | - | 3.2% |
| Inferred | 667 | 32 | 4.8 | 15 | 6 | 33 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 2 | - | 3.2% |
The mineral resources given in this table conform to the JORC code of reporting and do not represent current Mineral Resources under S-K 1300 or NI 43-101, nor is the Company treating these as current Mineral Resources. These mineral resources are historical in nature and a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the estimates as a current estimate of Mineral Resources. Further drilling and data collection might not prove out the numbers in the table above.
Mineral resources are exclusive of ore reserves.
Mineralization reported above at a cut-off grade of 1.0% total heavy minerals ("HM").
Total HM is from within the +20 µm to -250 µm size fraction and is reported as a percentage of the total material. Slimes are the -20 µm fraction and oversize is the +1 mm fraction.
Bulk density was based on a correlation between bulk density and HM% using the following industry accepted formula: BD = 1.65 + (0.01 x HM%).
RUT (%) is a combination of rutile + anatase.
Numbers might not add due to rounding.
Mineral Reserve Estimate
Prior to the Company entering into an agreement to acquire an interest in the Donald Project, Astron issued a report entitled "Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project - Ore Reserves Update" that estimated, in accordance with JORC standards, the Ore Reserves of the Donald Project as of March 31, 2023. These estimates are summarized below for informational purposes only. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the estimates as current S-K 1300 or NI 43-101 estimates of Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves, and the Company is not treating them as such.
The methodology in determining the updated Ore Reserve was as follows:
The deposit has been assessed through pit optimization, detailed mine design, mine scheduling and economic modelling.
Individual discrete mining blocks have been digitized around ore and overburden. Pillars of in situ material have been left between adjacent mining strips to prevent tails from entering the working areas. Mining dilution and ore loss are inherent in the process and no additional dilution or ore loss has been applied when converting the mineral resource model for mine planning.
The extent and depth of the area to be mined were decided by pit optimization using the Lerchs-Grossman (LG) algorithm. Nested pit shells generated and tested with sensitivities on mining cost, processing cost, metal price, and recoveries formed the basis of the optimal pit shell to maximize value and achieve operational design requirements.
LG pit optimizations assessed Measured and Indicated classified material only. No Inferred material was included in the LG assessment.
Vertical walls were used for the geotechnical slopes for the purpose of the LG optimization. From experience, in WIM style deposits (typically wide and shallow) there is negligible difference in the resultant optimized shape and financial analysis between a mine designed with slopes and with vertical walls due to the shallow depth of the deposit. Any designs intended for construction, are required to be designed with safe slopes.
Required capital expenditure mostly relates to mining vehicles, with a portion related to infrastructure such as fuel storage and a workshop.
The pit will be mined in 500m NS long and 500m EW wide blocks in a strip sequence.
The mining method will be by truck and excavator.
Ore will be fed into a MUP where it is screened and slurried and pumped to the WCP onsite.
Sand tails, from the wet concentrator, will be returned to the mine void and placed in constructed cells to be covered by previously stockpiled overburden prior to rehabilitation.
Donald Project - 100% Basis - Summary of In-Situ Historical Ore Reserves, March 31, 2023
| Within MIN 5532 · Tonnes (Mt) · HM (Mt) · HM (%) · Slimes (%) · Oversize (%) · Mineral Assemblage as % of HM · EFR Share | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classification · ILM (%) · RUT (%) · LEUC (%) · ZIR (%) · MON (%) · XEN (%) | ||||||||||||
| Proved | 263 | 12 | 4.4 | 15.4 | 9.8 | 21.6 | 5.5 | 25.9 | 16.7 | 1.8 | 0.67 | 3.2% |
| Probable | 46 | 2 | 4.1 | 19.7 | 11.1 | 21.6 | 5.5 | 20.1 | 15.3 | 1.8 | 0.64 | 3.2% |
| Proved + Probable | 309 | 14 | 4.4 | 16.1 | 10.0 | 21.6 | 5.5 | 25.1 | 16.5 | 1.8 | 0.66 | 3.2% |
| RL2002 outside MIN 5532 | Tonnes(Mt) | HM (Mt) | HM (%) | Slimes (%) | Oversize (%) | Mineral Assemblage as % of HM | EFR Share | |||||
| Classification | ILM (%) | RUT (%) | LEUC (%) | ZIR (%) | MON(%) | XEN(%) | ||||||
| Proved | 152 | 9 | 5.6 | 7.1 | 18.8 | 31.3 | 9.4 | 18.2 | 21.1 | 1.8 | - | 3.21% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probable | 364 | 15 | 4.1 | 13.7 | 15.7 | 32.8 | 7.5 | 19.3 | 17.1 | 1.6 | - | 3.2% |
| Proved + Probable | 516 | 24 | 4.6 | 11.7 | 16.6 | 32.3 | 8.2 | 18.9 | 18.6 | 1.7 | - | 3.2% |
| Total Donald Deposit | Tonnes (Mt) | HM (Mt) | HM (%) | Slimes (%) | Oversize (%) | Mineral Assemblage as % of HM | EFR Share | |||||
| Classification | ILM (%) | RUT (%) | LEUC (%) | ZIR (%) | MON(%) | XEN (%) | ||||||
| Proved | 415 | 20 | 4.8 | 12.4 | 13.1 | 25.7 | 7.2 | 22.6 | 18.6 | 1.8 | - | 3.2% |
| Probable | 410 | 17 | 4.1 | 14.4 | 15.2 | 31.5 | 7.3 | 19.4 | 16.9 | 1.6 | - | 3.2% |
| Proved + Probable | 825 | 37 | 4.5 | 13.4 | 14.1 | 28.4 | 7.2 | 21.2 | 17.8 | 1.7 | - | 3.2% |
The ore reserves given in this table conform to the JORC code of reporting and do not represent current Mineral Reserves under S-K 1300 or NI 43-101, nor is the Company treating these as current Mineral Reserves. These ore reserves are historical in nature and a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the estimates as a current estimate of Mineral Reserves. Further drilling and data collection might not prove out the numbers in the table above.
A break-even cut-off has been applied defining any material with product values greater than processing ore.
Mining recovery and dilution have been applied to the figures above when estimating the mineral resource for the tenements listed above. However, no additional dilution or ore loss has been applied when converting the mineral resource to ore reserves.
The area is wholly within the mining license area MIN5532.
RUT (%) are a combination of rutile plus anatase.
Numbers might not add due to rounding.
Present Condition of the Property and Work Completed to Date
During 2024, the primary work ongoing at Donald is additional drilling to collect samples for additional metallurgical test work. Sonic drilling was completed earlier this year to gather the necessary materials. The Company is performing some additional test work on the rare earth element concentrate (monazite + xenotime) to optimize the processing of that material at the Mill.
As of June 30, 2024 the total net book value attributable to the Donald Project and its associated equipment on the financial statements of Donald Project Party Ltd. was $77.1 million.
The Company is currently funding a Pre-Final Investment Decision ("FID") budget to move Donald to FID. Ongoing work includes final permitting efforts, community engagement, final engineering design, and updating the JORC compliant Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves to S-K 1300 and NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The Company plans to spend approximately AUD $15.8 million during the Pre-FID period, which is scheduled to end at the end of 2024.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.