Canada’s first ‘no-dig’ uranium mine is on its way.
Canadian uranium is key to unlocking a green nuclear energy future. The big question is how to responsibly extract it? At the Wheeler River Project in Saskatchewan, Denison Mines has an innovative answer with their Phoenix deposit.
Phoenix is estimated to contain over 50 million pounds U3O8 in proven and probable uranium reserves, and Denison plans to extract it without a conventional mine. Instead, they will create a protective perimeter with ground freezing and use In-Situ Recovery (ISR) technology to saturate the sandstone hosting the uranium (400 metres below surface) with a mining solution injected and recovered through boreholes. Despite significant annual production (~5 per cent of global supply), the surface footprint of the project is only one square kilometre, and the comprehensive environmental assessment prepared shows potential for a superior standard of sustainability.
With production planned to commence as early as 2027, Phoenix marks the first time this method has been deployed in Canada. ISR also has the potential to be low cost, with Denison’s Feasibility Study projecting production costs among the world’s lowest.
To learn more, visit denisonmines.com.
