(enCore Energy, 25.Oct.2024) — enCore Energy Corp., a uranium producer and America’s Clean Energy Company™, provided an update on the production ramp up at its South Texas Alta Mesa In-Situ Recovery (“ISR”) Uranium Central Processing Plant (“Alta Mesa CPP”) and Wellfield.
The company has achieved an important milestone in the expansion of production and is now nearing flow capacity at the first of Alta Mesa CPP’s three ion exchange circuits (“IX circuits”). The three IX circuits can provide dissolved uranium in groundwater to the Alta Mesa CPP from multiple wellfields simultaneously.
Significant operational highlights include:
- The three IX circuits each have 2,500 gallons per minute (“gpm”) capacity. The first IX circuit was commissioned in Jun. 2024, with the second IX circuit planned to commence operation in 1Q:25 and the third IX circuit planned to be online by year end of 2025. Ion exchange is a filtration system which removes liquid uranium from groundwater before it is dried and processed into U3O8 (“yellowcake” or “uranium”) at the CPP;
- The Alta Mesa CPP’s three IX circuits have a total flow rate of 7,500 gpm, equaling an annual recovery capacity of 1.5 million pounds of yellowcake when operating at full capacity;
- Since the Jun. 2024 start-up of the Alta Mesa CPP, enCore has expanded Wellfield 7 from 27 injection and 34 recovery wells to 46 injection and 52 recovery wells while bringing the flow rate up to 2,100 gpm. Wellfield 7 is projected to provide the initial feed to all three IX circuits;
- The next ramp up currently underway, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 2024, will further expand the number of injection and production wells at Wellfield 7 and is expected to increase flow rates to the capacity of the first IX circuit.
Paul Goranson, the company’s Chief Executive Officer said, “We have been very pleased with the results from the first phase at Alta Mesa and production from the initial startup. As we expand Wellfield 7, we expect continued success which will build up flow rates to support all three of the IX circuits at the Alta Mesa CPP. We continue to work towards reaching full capacity through 2025 with plans to be fully operational at all three of our IX circuits.”
Alta Mesa In-Situ Recovery (“ISR”) Uranium Central Processing Plant (“CPP”) & Wellfield (“Alta Mesa”)
The Alta Mesa CPP and Wellfield hosts a fully licensed and constructed ISR uranium plant, located on 200,000+ acres of private land in the state of Texas. Alta Mesa is enCore’s second producing location and operates under a 70/30 joint venture between enCore Energy Corp. and Boss Energy Limited with enCore Energy as the managing operator.
Total operating capacity at the Alta Mesa CPP is currently 1.5 million lbs. U3O8 (“uranium”) per year with an additional drying and packaging capacity of more than 0.5 million lbs. U3O8. The Alta Mesa CPP historically produced nearly 5 million lbs. U3O8 between 2005 and 2013, when full production was curtailed as a result of low uranium prices.
Alta Mesa CPP and Wellfield highlights:
- Alta Mesa CPP’s operations are located on 200,000 acres of private land, with 100% of minerals privately owned, and in a supportive jurisdiction with primary regulatory authority residing with the State of Texas.
- The Alta Mesa CPP utilizes well-known ISR technology to extract uranium in a non-invasive process using natural groundwater and oxygen, coupled with a proven ion exchange process, to recover the uranium.
John M. Seeley, Ph.D., P.G., C.P.G., enCore’s Manager of Geology and Exploration, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this news release on behalf of the company.
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MAIN PHOTO CAPTION: enCore Energy’s Alta Mesa Plant. Source: enCore Energy Corp.
