Uranium production has officially started at the Alta Mesa in-situ recovery (ISR) central processing plant in South Texas, US. The facility, majority-owned by enCore Energy, is anticipated to produce 1.5mlb of uranium annually. Additionally, Boss Energy, holding a 30% stake in the project, has the rights to sell and market its share of the uranium extracted.
This development makes enCore Energy the sole US uranium producer with multiple operational facilities. The company is now preparing for its first yellowcake shipment from the plant in roughly 60-90 days.
The Alta Mesa project covers over 200,000 acres and incorporates a central processing plant and wellfields. Utilizing ISR technology, the project aims to extract uranium in a non-invasive manner, utilizing natural groundwater and oxygen.
Historically, the Alta Mesa plant reported a uranium production of around 5mlb from 2005 to 2013 before production cutbacks due to low prices.
This news follows Boss Energy’s recent commencement of production at its Honeymoon project, which is forecasted to produce 2.45mlb of uranium annually. With both projects progressing, Boss Energy is expected to significantly impact the global uranium market.
Boss Energy’s Managing Director, Duncan Craib, expressed optimism about the company’s future, with plans to reach a combined production target of 3mlb of uranium per year. He highlighted the favorable market conditions following recent legislation signed by US President Joe Biden to ban Russian uranium imports, indicating a positive outlook for uranium projects in North America and Australia.
