Aura announces successful production of yellowcake from Tiris samples
Aura Energy has announced the successful production of yellowcake from beneficiation pilot plant concentrate samples from Tiris uranium project, in Mauritania.
The samples used are from uranium recovery test work programme at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation laboratory who indicate that Tiris production could be sold in the international market as a high-standard product without penalties. They are from the programme on 23 June and described the production of yellowcake in the form of uranium oxide concentrate (UOC) as a key milestone for the company as it moves towards near-term Phase 1 uranium production.
Tiris uranium project
“The successful production of yellowcake from material upgraded in the pilot plant is a significant step for Aura Energy. It opens the door to commercial discussions with nuclear utilities, demonstrates the simple processing parameters required for uranium oxide production at Tiris and provides a strong technical basis for moving the project forward. This will allow us to focus on operating efficiencies as we progress to a final investment decision,” said Aura MD Dave Woodall.
The Tiris uranium project is located approximately 680km from the nearby town of Zouerat and 1,440km from the Mauritanian Capital, Nouakchott. It is located on the Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Reguibat Craton that are primarily granitoids, meta-sedimentsand volcanics, generally of high metamorphic grade.
The rocks containing low uranium content appear to be pale grey medium-grained granite with coarse phenocrysts of plagioclase. The higher uranium content rocks are mildly hot granite that appears to be finer-grained pink porphyritic granites, which are typically fractured and foliated.
Uranium mineralisation is formed in 1 to 12m-thick shallow horizontal tabular bodies, hosted in weathered granite and granitic sediments. Vanadium is found with uranium in carnotite, as potassium uranium vanadate.
