Haranga Resources Ltd (ASX:HAR) has achieved an industry-standard level of uranium extraction, yielding up to 90 percent through leaching work on ore taken from its Saraya deposit in Senegal.
This work was a follow up on previous testing which had revealed that ore from Saraya – whose resource is inferred at 12.45 million tonnes at 587 parts per million (ppm) eU3O8
for 16.1 million pounds (Mlbs) U3O8 – was suitable for leaching extraction.
Haranga can now move forward with confirmation that when leached according to industry standard concentrations and conditions, Saraya’s extraction rates are consistent with other contemporary uranium development projects and operations.
Furthermore, both acid and alkaline optimisation paths can be pursued, with acid leaching yielding extraction rates of more than 96 percent uranium oxide – better than other uranium operations – while alkaline leaching achieved extraction rates of 84 percent.
Managing director Peter Batten said the follow-up test work had proven positive for Haranga’s hopes for Saraya.
“The initial, aggressive testwork had already proven that the uranium mineralisation within the company’s Saraya deposit was leachable,” he said.
“This next round of tests was undertaken to determine if the leach rates at industry standard concentrations and conditions were consistent with existing uranium operations.”
“Uranium recoveries are in line with industry standards from both acid and alkaline routes and provide further scope to optimise extractions using both routes and determine which method is likely to provide optimum project economics.”
Haranga has been trading at 12 cents.