International Consolidated Uranium Inc. ("
CUR")
(TSXV: CUR) (OTCQB: CURUF) and Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE
American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) (“
Energy Fuels”) are
pleased to announce that CUR has entered into a definitive asset
purchase agreement (the “
Purchase Agreement”) with
certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of Energy Fuels (collectively,
the “
EF Parties”) whereby CUR will acquire a
portfolio of conventional uranium projects located in Utah and
Colorado (the “
Projects”) from the EF Parties
(collectively, the “
Transaction”). In connection
with the closing of the Transaction, the companies have also agreed
to enter into toll-milling and operating agreements with respect to
the Projects which positions CUR as a potential near-term US
Uranium producer subject to an improvement in uranium market
conditions and/or CUR entering into acceptable uranium supply
agreements.
Transaction Highlights:
- New
Entrant into the U.S. Uranium Sector – The acquisition and
alliance is expected to establish CUR as a new player in the U.S.
uranium sector. The U.S. is currently the largest generator of
nuclear power in the world and, by extension, the largest consumer
of uranium. At the same time, domestic production of uranium is
almost non-existent due to low prices and anti-competitive
practices by foreign suppliers. In late 2020, the U.S. government
approved the proposed establishment of a U.S. national strategic
uranium reserve. Uranium mined by CUR, at one of the acquired
Projects, and processed into natural uranium concentrates at Energy
Fuels’ White Mesa Mill located near Blanding, Utah, is expected to
qualify for the proposed reserve.
- Unlocks
the Value of Past Producing Mines, Permitted and Well-Positioned
for Rapid Restart – The portfolio of Projects being
acquired pursuant to the Transaction includes, among other assets,
the following three permitted, past-producing mines in Utah, which
are expected to be the immediate focus of CUR:
- Tony M
Mine – Located in the Henry Mountains area of southeastern
Utah, the Project is a large-scale, fully-developed and permitted
underground mine that operated most recently in 2008.
- Daneros
Mine – Located in the White Canyon District, the Project
is a fully-developed and permitted underground mine that was most
recently in production in 2013.
- Rim
Mine – Located in the East Canyon portion of the Uravan
Mineral Belt, the Project is a fully-developed and permitted
underground mine that was most recently in production in 2009.
-
Strategic Alliance with Energy Fuels, the Leading U.S.
Uranium Producer – With the toll-milling agreement for
production from the Projects to be executed on closing of the
Transaction, CUR will become the only current U.S. uranium
developer (other than Energy Fuels) with guaranteed access to
Energy Fuels’ White Mesa Mill, which is the only permitted and
operating conventional uranium mill in the U.S. Further, the
operating agreements will allow the Projects to continue to be
managed by the experienced team at Energy Fuels, ensuring a smooth
transition.
-
Compelling Acquisition Terms and Structure – The
consideration payable to Energy Fuels for the acquisition of the
Projects and for securing the toll-milling and operating agreements
includes US$2 million payable at closing, Cdn$6 million of deferred
cash payable over time, Cdn$5 million of deferred cash payable on
commencement of commercial production, and such number of CUR
shares that results in Energy Fuels holding 19.9% of the
outstanding CUR common shares immediately after closing. CUR will
also pay Energy Fuels a management fee, along with a toll milling
fee for ore produced at the Projects in the future.
- Board of
Directors Strengthened with Addition of Mark Chalmers. On
closing, it is expected that Mark Chalmers, President and CEO of
Energy Fuels, will join the CUR Board of Directors. Mr. Chalmers, a
mining engineer by training, is a recognized leader in the uranium
sector, both in the US and globally, and will bring decades of
experience in uranium project development and mining to CUR.
Philip Williams, President and CEO of CUR
commented, “We could not be more excited about today’s
announcement. Our strategy has been to acquire uranium projects
around the world, create critical mass, and target the acquisition
of larger, more advanced projects. While the recently announced
acquisition of the high-grade Matoush Project in Quebec was a big
step forward for CUR, today’s acquisition and alliance with Energy
Fuels represents a giant leap. In one transaction, we are entering
the important U.S. uranium sector by acquiring past producing mines
which are permitted and well positioned for a rapid restart when
market conditions are right. And, with the toll-milling agreement
for the Projects, we are now the only company other than Energy
Fuels to have secured guaranteed access to the White Mesa Mill.
This is a truly unique position for CUR. Add to that the operating
agreements, which allow us to benefit from the decades of
experience that the Energy Fuels team has with these projects, and
the addition of Mark Chalmers to the board, and the benefits to CUR
and its shareholders are substantial.”
Mark Chalmers commented, “This transaction has
all the hallmarks of a true win-win for both parties. Energy Fuels
currently holds the largest and highest quality portfolio of
uranium production, development, and exploration projects in the
U.S. The assets we are selling to CUR are proven U.S. uranium
mines, and in fact production from these mines since 2006 has
accounted for over 1,050,000 lbs of US uranium production, which
would rank those mines as fifth among all current uranium producers
in the US over those years. However, because Energy Fuels is
focusing its attention on its core projects – the Nichols Ranch and
Alta Mesa ISR properties and the Pinyon Plain, La Sal and other
conventional properties, we do not believe markets have properly
valued the Projects within our expansive portfolio of exceptional
assets. We believe that, in order to realize the full value of our
expansive portfolio, certain assets, such as the Projects, can be
repositioned to the benefit of Energy Fuels and its shareholders,
provided we find the right vehicle to unlock the value of these
assets. In this transaction, we believe we have found that vehicle
in CUR. Having known and worked with the team behind CUR for almost
15 years, I have watched keenly as they have gained market support
for their consolidation strategy. This is why we have structured
the transaction to provide Energy Fuels with significant exposure
to the future share price performance of CUR through a 19.9% equity
interest and speaks to our belief in and our commitment to these
assets. My joining the CUR board, as well as Energy Fuels’ entering
into the toll-milling and operating agreements for the Projects,
should also be strong signals as to how important we view our
alliance with CUR for these assets.”
Terms of the Asset Purchase
Agreement
Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, CUR will
acquire from the EF Parties 100% of the Tony M, Daneros and Rim
mines in Utah, as well as the Sage Plain property and eight DOE
Leases in Colorado, for the following consideration:
- the payment of
US$2.0 million in cash, payable on closing of the Transaction;
- the issuance of
that number of CUR shares that results in Energy Fuels holding
19.9% of the outstanding CUR common shares immediately after
closing of the Transaction;
- the payment of
Cdn$3.0 million in cash on or before the 18-month anniversary of
closing of the Transaction;
- the payment of
an additional Cdn$3.0 million in cash on or before the 36-month
anniversary of closing of the Transaction; and
- the payment of
up to Cdn$5.0 million in contingent cash payments tied to achieving
commercial production at the Tony M Mine, the Daneros Mine and the
Rim Mine.
The Purchase Agreement includes provision for
the return of the Projects to Energy Fuels in the event that CUR
does not make the deferred cash payments as described above.
Closing of the Transaction is subject to
satisfaction of certain closing conditions including, among other
things, CUR receiving approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All
securities issued in connection with the Agreement are subject to a
hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of
issuance.
The Strategic
Alliance
The strategic alliance
between CUR and Energy Fuels for the Projects involves three key
components:
- The
Toll-Milling Agreement – Under this agreement, the EF
Parties will toll-mill ore mined from the Projects at the White
Mesa Mill, subject to payment by CUR of a toll-milling fee and
certain other terms and conditions.
- The
Operating Agreements – Under these agreements, the EF
Parties will provide ongoing services for a fee to maintain the
Projects in good standing, as well as additional services as agreed
to by the parties.
- The
Investor Rights Agreement – Under this agreement, for so
long as Energy Fuels’ equity ownership in CUR remains at or above
10%, it will be entitled to equity participation rights to maintain
its pro rata equity ownership in CUR and to appoint one nominee to
the CUR Board of Directors. Energy Fuels has also agreed to certain
resale restrictions on the shares of CUR it will hold and to
provide voting support in certain circumstances.
Strengthening the Board of
Directors
In accordance with the terms of the investor
rights agreement to be entered into on closing of the Transaction,
for so long as Energy Fuels maintains its equity ownership in the
common shares of CUR at or above 10%, Energy Fuels is entitled to
nominate one member to the CUR Board of Directors. On closing of
the Transaction, it is expected that Energy Fuels will nominate
Mark Chalmers, its current President and CEO, to the CUR Board of
Directors. Mr. Chalmers has spent nearly his entire career in the
uranium industry, taking the role of President and Chief Executive
Officer of Energy Fuels on February 1, 2018. He returned to Energy
on July 1, 2016 after 15 years working in the uranium sector in the
Southern Hemisphere. From 2011 to 2015, Mr. Chalmers served as
Executive General Manager of Production for Paladin Energy Ltd., a
uranium producer with assets in Australia and Africa, including the
Langer Heinrich and Kayelekera mines where, as head of operations,
he oversaw sustained, significant increases in production while
reducing operating costs. He also possesses extensive experience in
ISR uranium production, including management of the Beverley
Uranium Mine owned by General Atomics (Australia), and the Highland
Mine owned by Cameco Corporation (USA). Mr. Chalmers has also
consulted to several of the largest players in the uranium supply
sector, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Marubeni and, until
recently, served as the Chair of the Australian Uranium Council, a
position he held for 10 years. Mr. Chalmers is a registered
professional engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining
Engineering from the University of Arizona.
The Tony M Mine
The Tony M Mine is
located in eastern Garfield County, Utah approximately five miles
north of Ticaboo, Utah and approximately 127 road miles west of the
White Mesa Mill. The deposit currently forms part of the Henry
Mountains Complex.
Uranium mineralization
on the property is hosted by favorable sandstone of the Salt Wash
Member of the Morrison Formation, a principal uranium host in the
US. Mineralization primarily consists of coffinite with minor
uraninite, which usually occurs in close association with vanadium
mineralization.
The Tony M Mine was
originally developed by Plateau Resources Ltd.
(“Plateau”) in the late 1970s to provide a nuclear
fuel supply to its parent company Consumers Power Company
(Consumers) of Michigan. In 1984, operations were suspended.
In February 2007,
Denison Mines Corp. (“Denison”) acquired the Tony
M property and, following rehabilitation work and re-establishment
of surface facilities in 2006, received the necessary operational
permits for the reopening of the Tony M underground workings, after
which it commenced mining activities in September 2007. Denison
operated the mine from September 2007 to November 2008. The
following table sets forth the historic production from the Tony M
Mine by Plateau and Denison:
Tony M Historic
Production
Company |
Tons (000s) |
%U3O8 |
Lbs
U3O8
(000s) |
Plateau (1979-1984) |
237 |
0.12 |
569 |
Denison (2007-2008) |
162 |
0.13 |
422 |
Totals |
399 |
0.12 |
991 |
In 2008, the Tony M
Mine was placed on care and maintenance, and in June 2012, Energy
Fuels acquired all of Denison’s uranium properties in the United
States, including the Henry Mountains Complex. Since acquiring the
Henry Mountain Complex, Energy Fuels has not carried out any
further exploration work nor conducted any further mine development
at the Tony M Mine. The Tony M Mine is currently being maintained
in a ready state with all required permits in place to resume
operations as market conditions warrant.
In June 2012, Roscoe
Postle Associates Inc. prepared a technical report entitled
“Technical Report on the Henry Mountains Complex Uranium Property,
Utah U.S.A.” for Energy Fuels, which detailed the mineral resource
estimate set out in the table below for the Tony M Mine. This
mineral resource estimate is considered to be a “historical
estimate” for CUR as defined under NI 43-101 – Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). A
Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the
historical estimate as a current Mineral Resource, and CUR is not
treating the historical estimate as a current Mineral Resource. See
below under “Technical Disclosure and Qualified Person”.
Tony M Mine
Historical Mineral Resource Estimate
Category |
Tons (000s) |
%U3O8 |
Lbs
U3O8
(000s) |
Indicated |
1,690 |
0.24 |
8,130 |
Inferred |
860 |
0.16 |
2,750 |
Notes:1. Mineral Resources were classified in
accordance with CIM Definition Standards.2. Cut-off grade is 0.10%
eU3O8 over a minimum thickness of 2 ft. for the Tony M-Southwest
deposit.3. Mineral Resources have not been demonstrated to be
economically viable.4. All mine production by Plateau and Denison
has been deducted.5. Some totals may not add due to rounding.
Following closing of
the Transaction, CUR intends to undertake a program to verify the
historical estimate as a current mineral resource estimate and
complete a preliminary economic assessment to quantify the cost,
development activity and time required to bring the mine back into
production.
The Daneros Mine
The Daneros Mine is located on the Colorado
Plateau in San Juan County, Utah approximately 70 miles west of the
White Mesa Mill. The property is in the Red Canyon portion of the
White Canyon Mining District.
Major uranium deposits in the White Canyon
District occur at or near the base of the Upper Triassic Chinle
Formation, in fluvial channel deposits of the Shinarump Member, the
basal member of the Chinle Formation. Uranium mineralization
appears to be related to low-energy depositional environments in
that uranium is localized in fluvial sandstones that lie beneath
organic-rich lacustrine-marsh mudstone and carbonaceous delta-front
sediments.
The Daneros Mine operated from 2009 until
October 2012 when the mine was placed on standby. Initially, White
Canyon Uranium Limited (“White Canyon”) brought
the mine into production by sending millfeed to the White Mesa Mill
under a toll-milling agreement with Denison. Daneros was White
Canyon’s principal asset. Denison acquired White Canyon in June
2011 for AU$57 Million in cash and continued to operate the mine
until its U.S. operations were acquired by Energy Fuels in June
2012. The following table sets forth the historic production from
the Daneros Mine:
Daneros
Historic Production
Project |
Tons (000s) |
%U3O8 |
Lbs
U3O8
(000s) |
Daneros (2010-2013) |
120 |
0.26 |
628 |
Other Mines1 |
73 |
0.22 |
314 |
Notes:1) Other Mines include
the Cove (Lark), Bullseye and Spook former mines. These former
mines are located on claims obtained as part of the
Transaction.
In March 2018, Peters
Geosciences produced a technical report entitled “Updated Report On
The Daneros Mine Project, San Juan County, Utah, U.S.A.” for Energy
Fuels, which detailed the mineral resource estimate set out in the
table below for the Daneros Mine. This mineral resource estimate is
considered to be a “historical estimate” for CUR as defined under
NI 43-101. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to
classify the historical estimate as a current Mineral Resource, and
CUR is not treating the historical estimate as a current Mineral
Resource. See below under “Technical Disclosure and Qualified
Person”.
Daneros Mine
Historical Mineral Resource Estimate
Project |
Tons (000s) |
%U3O8 |
Lbs
U3O8
(000s) |
Indicated |
20 |
0.36 |
142 |
Inferred |
7 |
0.37 |
52 |
Notes:1) Mineral Resources were classified in
accordance with CIM Definition Standards.2) Mineral Resources are
estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.23% eU3O8.3) Mineral Resources
are estimated using a long-term uranium price of $55 per pound
U3O8.4) A minimum thickness of 1 foot was used.5) Bulk density is
0.07143 ton/ft3 (14 ft3/ton).6) Mineral Resources are exclusive of
Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.7)
Numbers may not add due to rounding.
The Daneros Mine remains fully permitted and
well-positioned for restarting operations on an expeditious basis
as market conditions warrant. Following closing of the Acquisition,
CUR intends to perform surface drilling to verify the historical
estimate as a current mineral resource estimate and connectivity of
resources. Following mine restart, CUR expects to perform
underground long hole drilling to determine the likely location of
any mineral resources and where to drive mine headings to best
access these resources.
Rim Mine
The Rim Mine is a permitted, formerly producing
mine located 15 miles northeast of Monticello, Utah in San Juan
County, approximately 62 road miles from the White Mesa Mill. The
property consists of 26 unpatented lode mining claims, a private
lease, and a Utah State Mineral Lease totaling about 1,100 acres.
The mine has operated historically on a periodic basis starting in
the mid-1960s. Mining last occurred in early 2008 by Denison and
ceased in late 2010. Energy Fuels acquired the property in 2012 and
has maintained it on care and maintenance since that time, such
that it can be restarted with relatively little permitting or
development costs as market conditions warrant.
A previous internal
resource estimate by Energy Fuels (this estimate was not completed
in accordance with the disclosure standards of NI 43-101),
indicated that the project has high vanadium grades at 1.83% V2O5
and a ~9.15:1 uranium-to-vanadium ratio, and the table below sets
out the previous resource estimate (using categories other than
those set out in section 1.2 and 1.3 of NI 43-101). This estimate
is considered to be a “historical estimate” for CUR as defined
under NI 43-101. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to
classify the historical estimate as a current Mineral Resource, and
CUR is not treating the historical estimate as a current Mineral
Resource. See below under “Technical Disclosure and Qualified
Person”.
Rim Mine
Historical Mineral Resource Estimate
|
Tons (000s) |
%U3O8 |
Lbs
U3O8
(000s) |
%V2O5 |
Lbs
V2O5
(000s) |
Inferred |
82 |
0.20 |
327 |
1.83 |
3,028 |
Notes:
1) The historical estimates for RIM do not comply
with CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral
Reserves as required by NI 43-101 and have no comparable resource
classification.2) Mineral Resources are estimated
at a cut-off grade of 0.10% U3O8.3) A minimum
thickness of 3 feet was used.
Sage Plain
The Sage Plain Property is located about 16
miles northeast of Monticello, Utah and approximately 54 road miles
from the White Mesa Mill. The Sage Plain District (also referred to
as the Egnar District or Summit Point District) is a portion of the
greater Slick Rock District. It is the southwest continuation into
Utah of the prolific Uravan Mineral Belt.
Uranium-vanadium deposits were first discovered
in the Morrison Formation 32 miles north of the Sage Plain Project
in the 1880s. Uranium and vanadium mineralization at the Sage Plain
project is hosted in sandstones of the Salt Wash Member of the
Morrison Formation, which is also the host unit for the uranium
deposits at the Rim Mine, Tony M project and the DOE leases in
western Colorado. The Morrison sediments accumulated as oxidized
detritus in the fluvial environment. However, there were isolated
environments where reduced conditions existed, such as oxbow lakes
and carbon-rich point bars where the uranium precipitated. While
Sage Plain is part of the Uravan Mineral Belt, it has a
significantly higher ratio of V2O5:U3O8 in the rock than the
deposits farther north. Vanadium may have been leached from the
detrital iron-titanium mineral grains and subsequently deposited
along with or prior to the uranium.
The project area is at the location of the
historic Calliham Mine. The current Sage Plain landholdings consist
of two fee mineral leases covering about 960 acres (Calliham and
Crain) and a Utah State lease of 640 acres.
The Calliham Mine was in production from the
1970s to the early 1980s by Atlas Minerals. The Calliham Mine
property was explored in the early 1970s by Hecla Mining Company.
The Calliham lease was acquired by Atlas Minerals and went into
production in March 1976. Atlas Minerals departed the uranium
business in the region in the mid-1980s. The Calliham Mine and
associated leases were acquired by Umetco Minerals
(“Umetco”) in 1988 and operated briefly in
1990-1991 during a spike in vanadium prices. During Umetco’s
tenure, the Calliham Mine produced 13,300 tons of ore averaging
0.21% U3O8 (~56,000 lbs. U3O8) and 1.29% V2O5 (~343,000 lbs. V2O5).
This ore was milled at the White Mesa Mill near Blanding, Utah. All
infrastructure from the historic mine has been removed and all
permits have lapsed. The following table sets forth the historic
production from the Calliham Mine:
Calliham Mine Historic
Production
Operator |
Tons (000s) |
%U3O8 |
Lbs
U3O8
(000s) |
%V2O5 |
Lbs
V2O5
(000s) |
Atlas |
209 |
0.15 |
605 |
0.90 |
3,773 |
Umetco |
13 |
0.21 |
56 |
1.29 |
343 |
Total |
221 |
0.15 |
661 |
0.93 |
4,116 |
In a technical report entitled “UPDATED
TECHNICAL REPORT ON SAGE PLAIN PROJECT (Including the Calliham
Mine)” dated March 18, 2015, the mineral resource estimate set out
in the table below was published. This mineral resource estimate is
considered to be a “historical estimate” for CUR as defined under
NI 43-101. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to
classify the historical estimate as a current Mineral Resource, and
CUR is not treating the historical estimate as a current Mineral
Resource. See below under “Technical Disclosure and Qualified
Person”.
Calliham/Crain
Historical Mineral Resource Estimate
|
Tons (000s) |
%U3O8 |
Lbs
U3O8
(000s) |
%V2O5 |
Lbs
V2O5
(000s) |
Measured |
240 |
0.16 |
772 |
1.32 |
6,349 |
Indicated |
13 |
0.10 |
26 |
0.77 |
199 |
Inferred |
10 |
0.13 |
25 |
0.94 |
188 |
Notes: 1) Grades and
tonnages shown as diluted amounts.2) Vanadium grades are based on
assays where known, otherwise estimated at the average V2O5:U3O8
ratios for the individual properties used by previous operators
based on core assay data and past production.3) Mineral Resources
were classified in accordance with CIM Definition Standards.
The DOE Leases
The DOE leases are
located in the historically productive Uravan Mineral Belt portion
of Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel Counties, Colorado. The tracts
are designated C-SR-12, C-SR-16A, C-AM-19, C-AM-19A, C-AM-20,
C-CM-24, C-G-26, and C-G-27. The leases are located 80-175 road
miles from the White Mesa Mill. New 10-year leases for these lease
tracts were executed by Energy Fuels on January 6, 2020.
Technical Disclosure and
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information
contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Dean T.
Wilton, CPG-7659, who is a “Qualified Person” (as defined in NI
43-101).
Each of the above estimates are considered to be
“historical estimates” as defined under NI 43-101 for CUR, and have
been sourced as follows:
- Tony M Mine: reported by Energy
Fuels in a Technical Report entitled “Technical Report on the Henry
Mountains Complex Uranium Property, Utah U.S.A.” prepared by
William E. Roscoe, Douglas H. Underhill, and Thomas C. Pool of
Roscoe Postle Associates, Inc., dated June 27, 2012;
- Daneros Mine: reported by Energy
Fuels in a Technical Report entitled “Updated Report on the Daneros
Mine Project, San Juan County, Utah, U.S.A.”, prepared by Douglas
C. Peters, C. P. G., of Peters Geosciences, dated March 2,
2018;
- Rim Mine: reported by Energy Fuels
in an internal company report entitled “Rim Resource Evaluation”
prepared by Energy Fuels dated June 14, 2018; and
- Sage Plain Project: reported by
Energy Fuels in a Technical Report entitled “Updated Technical
Report on Sage Plain Project (Including the Calliham Mine)”,
prepared by Douglas C. Peters, CPG of Peters Geosciences, dated
March 18, 2015.
In each instance, other than with respect to
Rim, the historical estimate is reported using the categories of
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as defined by the Canadian
Institute CIM Definition Standards for mineral reserves, and
mineral reserves that are incorporated by reference into National
Instrument 43-101, and these “historical estimates” are not
considered by CUR to be current. The historical estimates for Rim
do not comply with CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources
and Mineral Reserves as required by NI 43-101 and have no
comparable resource classification. In each instance, the
reliability of the historical estimate is considered reasonable,
but a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the
historical estimate as a current Mineral Resource and CUR is not
treating the historical estimate as a current Mineral Resource. The
historical information provides an indication of the exploration
potential of the properties but may not be representative of
expected results.
For the Tony M Mine, as disclosed in the above
noted technical report, the historical mineral resources were
estimated by Denison using the contour method and were audited by
Scott Wilson RPA in the 2009 Technical Report (Underhill and
Roscoe, 2009). CUR would need to review and verify the scientific
information and conduct an analysis and reconciliation of
production data in order to verify the Tony M historical estimate
as a current Mineral Resource.
For the Daneros Mine, as disclosed in the above
noted technical report, the historical estimate was prepared by
Energy Fuels using a wireframe model of the mineralized zone based
on an outside bound of a 0.05% eU3O8 grade cutoff at a minimum
thickness of 1 foot. CUR would need to conduct surface drilling to
confirm resources and connectivity of resources in order to verify
the Daneros historical estimate as a current Mineral Resource.
For the Rim Mine, as disclosed in the above
noted internal report, the historical estimate was prepared
internally by Energy Fuels using the inverse distance squared
interpolation method and checked by the nearest neighbor
(polygonal) method. CUR would need to conduct an exploration
program, including twinning of historical drill holes in order to
verify the RIM historical estimate as a current Mineral
Resource.
For the Sage Plain Project, as disclosed in the
above noted technical report, the historical estimate was prepared
by Peters Geosciences using modified polygonal method. CUR would
need to conduct an exploration program, including twinning of
historical drill holes in order to verify the Sage Plain historical
estimate as a current Mineral Resource.
About Energy Fuels Inc.
Energy Fuels is a
leading U.S.-based uranium mining company, supplying U3O8 to major
nuclear utilities. Energy Fuels also produces vanadium from certain
of its projects, as market conditions warrant, and is ramping up to
commercial production of rare earth carbonate in 2021. Its
corporate offices are in Lakewood, Colorado, near Denver, and all
of its assets and employees are in the United States. Energy Fuels
holds three of America's key uranium production centers: the White
Mesa Mill in Utah, the Nichols Ranch ISR Project in Wyoming, and
the Alta Mesa ISR Project in Texas. The White Mesa Mill is the only
conventional uranium mill operating in the U.S. today, has a
licensed capacity of over 8 million pounds of U3O8 per year, has
the ability to produce vanadium when market conditions warrant, as
well as REE carbonate from various uranium-bearing ores. The
Nichols Ranch ISR Project is on standby and has a licensed capacity
of 2 million pounds of U3O8 per year. The Alta Mesa ISR Project is
also on standby and has a licensed capacity of 1.5 million pounds
of U3O8 per year. In addition to the above production facilities,
Energy Fuels also has one of the largest NI 43-101 compliant
uranium resource portfolios in the U.S. and several uranium and
uranium/vanadium mining projects on standby and in various stages
of permitting and development. The primary trading market for
Energy Fuels' common shares is the NYSE American under the trading
symbol "UUUU," and Energy Fuels’ common shares are also listed on
the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "EFR." Energy
Fuels' website is www.energyfuels.com.
About International Consolidated
Uranium
International Consolidated Uranium Inc. (TSXV:
CUR) is well financed to execute its strategy of consolidating and
advancing uranium projects around the globe. The Company has
acquired a 100% interest or has entered into option agreements to
acquire a 100% interest in seven uranium projects, in Australia,
Canada, and Argentina, each with significant past expenditures and
attractive characteristics for development. CUR has entered into
option agreements with Mega Uranium Ltd. (TSX: MGA) to acquire a
100% interest in the Ben Lomond and Georgetown uranium projects in
Australia; with IsoEnergy Ltd. (TSXV: ISO) to acquire a 100%
interest in the Mountain Lake uranium project in Nunavut, Canada;
with a private individual to acquire a 100% interest in the Moran
Lake uranium and vanadium project in Labrador, Canada; and with
U3O8 Corp. (TSXV: UWE.H) to acquire a 100% interest in the Laguna
Salada uranium and vanadium project in Argentina. CUR has also
acquired a 100% interest in the Dieter Lake uranium project and
entered into an agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Matoush
uranium project, both in Quebec, Canada. The option agreement with
IsoEnergy for Mountain Lake and the option agreement with U3O8
Corp. for Laguna Salada both remain subject to regulatory
approval.
Contacts
International Consolidated Uranium
Inc.
Philip Williams
President and CEO+1 778 383
3057pwilliams@consolidateduranium.com
Energy FuelsCurtis
MooreVP of Marketing & Corporate
Development(303) 974-2154 cmoore@energyfuels.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations
Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Information.
This news release contains "forward-looking
information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S.
securities legislation. “Forward-looking information” includes, but
is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or
developments that CUR and Energy Fuels expect or anticipate will or
may occur in the future including: any expectation that the
Transaction will be completed; any expectation as to the accuracy
of mineral resource estimates; any expectation with respect to any
permitting, development or other work that may be required to bring
any of the Projects into production; any expectation that any of
the Projects can be brought back into production rapidly or
expeditiously; any expectations as to future exploration potential
for any of the Projects; any expectation as to the outcome or
success of any proposed programs for any of the Projects; any
expectation that the proposed strategic alliance will be successful
or that the transition of ownership of the Projects will be smooth;
any expectation that the Transaction will be a win-win transaction
for both CUR and Energy Fuels; any expectation that the Transaction
will result in the market properly valuing the Projects; any
expectation as to the future performance of CUR’s shares and the
value of Energy Fuel’s share position in CUR; any expectation that
Energy Fuels will maintain its share position in CUR in the longer
term; any expectation that market conditions will warrant future
production from any of the Projects; any expectation that any
future production payments will become due and payable and be paid;
any expectation that the TSXV will approve the Transaction; any
expectation that the proposed uranium reserve will be established
and the terms and conditions of the proposed uranium reserve; and
any expectation that any uranium produced from the Projects will be
eligible for the proposed uranium reserve. Generally, but not
always, forward-looking information and statements can be
identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is
expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”,
“intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or the negative connotation
thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that
certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”
or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved” or the negative
connotation thereof. This information involves known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual
results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in
such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those anticipated in these
forward-looking statements include risks associated with: the
failure to close the Transaction; potential conflicts of interest
between CUR and Energy Fuels; the costs associated with bringing
any of the Projects back into production; permitting and regulatory
delays; litigation risks; competition from others; market factors,
including future demand for and prices realized from the sale of
uranium and vanadium; the proposed uranium reserve never being
established or the uranium reserve if established not benefitting
the Projects; government actions that could restrict or eliminate
the ability to mine on public lands, such as through the creation
or expansion of national monuments or through mineral withdrawals;
and the policies and actions of foreign governments, which could
impact the competitive supply of and global markets for uranium and
vanadium. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as
of the date of this news release, and CUR and Energy Fuels
disclaim, other than as required by law, any obligation to update
any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new
information, results, future events, circumstances, or if
management’s estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will
prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. CUR and Energy Fuels assume no
obligation to update the information in this communication, except
as otherwise required by law.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fcaa709f-cf8f-44b2-8431-6ffc952d2dd8
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