U3O8 Corp.'s Test Work Simplifies Proposed Uranium-Vanadium Extraction from its Laguna Salada Deposit
Original announcement by tmx on
- Company
- U3O8 Corp.
- Ticker
- UWE
- Exchange
- TSX
- Region
- Argentina
- Primary commodity
- Uranium
- Secondary commodities
- Vanadium
- Document categories
- Metallurgy
- Extracted
- 2026-09-12 07:57:59 UTC
Analysis by Minestarters Atlas
Minestarters Atlas analysis
Summary
U3O8 Corp. reported positive metallurgical test results for its Laguna Salada deposit in Argentina, demonstrating that a simplified process can remove 78% of gypsum (sulphate) using a coarse 0.85mm screen. This simplification is expected to reduce both capital and operating costs by eliminating expensive dewatering circuits and improving reagent efficiency.
Reasoning: The test work demonstrates that a significantly simpler flowsheet can achieve comparable gypsum rejection to the complex process modeled in the PEA, directly addressing a major OPEX driver and reducing CAPEX requirements.
Positive factors
- Process simplification potential
- Reduction in capital cost (CAPEX) through elimination of dewatering circuits
- High gypsum rejection (78%) using a much coarser screen (0.85mm) compared to previous PEA (0.075mm)
- Significant impact on operating costs (OPEX) as sulphate removal is ~40% of PEA OPEX
Facts used in scoring: 3
Classification and evidence
Mill Routeneutral
Processing via mill or concentrator (CIL, CIP, tank leach, flotation).
Why it applies: The process involves screening, washing, and potentially leaching/separation.
Evidence · text
“washed with water in a rotating barrel”
Single Domain Onlynegative
Testing limited to one composite or domain — representativeness not established.
Why it applies: only one composite was tested
Extracted facts
Stored fact records: 3. Some facts used in scoring do not have a stored record.
Metallurgical Results (3)
screening and washingLaguna Salada · uraniumRecovery: 89 %View all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Laguna Salada
- Commodity
- uranium
- Region
- argentina
- Reported Region
- Argentina
- Ticker
- UWE
Test Work
- Program Status
- optimization
- Test Type
- screening and washing
- Processing Route
- screening (0.85mm) and water washing
- Sample
- Laguna Salada gravel (fine material passing 0.85mm screen)
Recovery
- Recovery
- 89 %
Lab
- Laboratory
- ANSTO
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2019-03-22T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: 89% of the uranium is recovered in the fine material passing the 0.85mm screen.
Positive factors
- High recovery of uranium (89%) in the fine fraction
Evidence · text
“Only 25% of the gravel passed through the 0.85mm mesh, along with 89% of the gravel's uranium”
screening and washingLaguna Salada · vanadiumRecovery: 46 %View all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Laguna Salada
- Commodity
- vanadium
- Region
- argentina
- Reported Region
- Argentina
- Ticker
- UWE
Test Work
- Program Status
- optimization
- Test Type
- screening and washing
- Processing Route
- screening (0.85mm) and water washing
- Sample
- Laguna Salada gravel (fine material passing 0.85mm screen)
Recovery
- Recovery
- 46 %
Lab
- Laboratory
- ANSTO
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2019-03-22T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: Only 46% of the vanadium is recovered in the fine material passing the 0.85mm screen.
Negative factors
- Lower recovery of vanadium (46%) in the fine fraction compared to uranium
Evidence · text
“along with 89% of the gravel's uranium and 46% of its vanadium”
screening and washingLaguna Salada · uraniumRecovery: 78 %View all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Laguna Salada
- Commodity
- uranium
- Region
- argentina
- Reported Region
- Argentina
- Ticker
- UWE
Test Work
- Program Status
- optimization
- Test Type
- screening and washing
- Processing Route
- screening (0.85mm) and water washing
- Sample
- Laguna Salada gravel (gypsum removal test)
Recovery
- Recovery
- 78 %
Lab
- Laboratory
- ANSTO
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2019-03-22T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: The combined screening and washing process removed 78% of the gypsum.
Positive factors
- High gypsum rejection (78%) using a coarse screen
Evidence · text
“The screening described in step 2, followed by washing the fine component of the gravel with water, removed 78% of the gypsum”
How Atlas produces this analysis
Minestarters Atlas uses automated extraction to summarize mining announcements, identify reported measurements, and classify supporting evidence. Sentiment reflects the extracted narrative and classification rules; it is an interpretation, not a reported measurement. Evidence quotes and context are provided where available. Missing data, low-confidence results, and review flags indicate limitations. Check the original publisher announcement before relying on an interpretation.