(last updated 14 Jul 2024)
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Increase of uranium concentrations in snow on East Antarctic Plateau attributed to uranium mining in Australia
> View here
Recent increase in Antarctic Peninsula ice core uranium concentrations caused from Australia's uranium mines, study finds
> View here
Australian trade union bans workers from uranium mines
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) in Queensland and the Northern Territory 
is banning its members from working on uranium mines or within the nuclear energy industry.
ETU secretary Peter Simpson says corporate interests and political leaders are trying to bribe workers with the promise of high wages while denying the health risks of uranium mining.
"We have got a world renowned expert on the subject, we have got several other experts in Australia that have gone out and done the research on this stuff," he said.
"Whilst the industry will tell you that it is all fine and that gamma radiation is not an issue, they don't tell you about the hidden dangers that are associated with this product."
(ABC June 1, 2010)
Australian uranium dust found in Antarctic ice
> View here
Anglican Church's investment fund in Australia removes ban on uranium mining shares
Glebe Asset Management Ltd. , the second-biggest so-called ethical investment fund in Australia, removed its ban on buying uranium mining shares after a three-month review, Director David Andrews said. The company decided to scrap the restriction after BHP Billiton in June bought WMC Resources Ltd., owner of the world's largest deposit of the nuclear fuel.
(Bloomberg Aug. 23, 2005)
Activists finish 2000 km uranium mining protest trek
Anti-nuclear activists have arrived at Parliament House in Canberra, after walking more than 2,000 kilometres from the Roxby Downs uranium mine in South Australia.
Aboriginal elder 'Speedy' McGuiness and activist William Taylor are calling for an end to uranium mining in Australia. (ABC March 30, 2004)
Review report backs acid ISL uranium mining in South Australia
On Nov. 9, 2004, South Australia's Environment Protection Authority released the review report on the environmental impacts of the acid in-situ leach uranium mining process.
The review recommends the practice be allowed to continue.
South Australian Environment Minister John Hill told Parliament the State's Environment Protection Authority has accepted recommendations made in the report. (ABC Nov. 9, 2004)
Review of Environmental Impacts of the Acid In-situ Leach Uranium Mining Process, by Graham Taylor, Vic Farrington, Peter Woods, Robert Ring and Robert Molloy, CSIRO Land and Water Client Report, August 2004
> Download Full report (1.1M PDF)
SA EPA invites submissions for In-situ acid leach mining review
A public meeting will be held on 4 March 2004.
The closing date for written submissions is 2 April 2004.
SA EPA issues tender for review of the environmental impacts of the In-situ acid leach mining process
> View Tender EPA009148 info
Tender closed at 5:00 PM Adelaide time 1 August 2003.
South Australia to assess environmental impact of acid in-situ leach uranium mining
The South Australian Government has announced plans to assess the impact of acid-leach uranium mining on the surrounding environment - the mining method used at the Beverley and Honeymoon uranium mines. The investigation will be coordinated by the SA Environment Protection Authority . (ABC 27 Mar 2003)
> See also: Senate launches inquiry into uranium mining
General ·
Ranger
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New Mining Projects ·
Decommissioning Projects ·
Legislation & Regulations
> See also Data for:
Deposits, Proposed and Active Mines ·
Old Mines and Decommissioning
> View extra page
General ·
Beverley ·
Four Mile ·
Honeymoon ·
Olympic Dam
> See also Issues for:
New Mining Projects ·
Decommissioning Projects ·
Legislation & Regulations
> See also Data for:
Deposits, Proposed and Active Mines ·
Old Mines and Decommissioning
Protesters disrupt uranium conference in Adelaide
Anti-nuclear protesters have disrupted a uranium conference in Adelaide, with the small group calling for a halt to uranium mining.
A lone protester wearing white protective overalls and a mask stood at the back of the Paydirt conference during opening speeches today and called for SA's uranium to be left in the ground.
(The Australian Feb. 28, 2012)
> View deposit info
Spill at Four Mile in situ leach uranium mine
On 27 January 2022, approximately 15,000 litres of extraction mining solution spilled from the Four Mile West Wellfield 13 filter skid. Of this volume, approximately 5,000 litres flowed into an undisturbed environment including 2,000 litres entering a creek.
(South Australia Department for Energy and Mining May 27, 2023)
General Atomics subsidiary to become sole owner of Four Mile in situ leach uranium mine
On July 13, 2015, Alliance Resources Ltd announced that it has accepted a revised offer from Quasar Resources Pty Ltd to purchase all of Alliance Craton Explorer Pty Ltd's (ACE) interest in the Four Mile Uranium Project, including ACE's share of uranium oxide concentrates already mined, for a total consideration of A$ 73.975 million.
Complete production from two years at Four Mile in situ leach uranium mine to be stockpiled
[Majority owner] Quasar has made it clear that it intends to stockpile all Four Mile production from both the 2014 Program and Budget (which had included projected sales of 1.5 million lbs of UOC [577 t U] in 2014) and the 2015 Program and Budget.
(Alliance Resources Nov. 7, 2014)
First uranium shipment from Four Mile in situ leach uranium mine
On Oct. 6, 2014, Alliance Resources Limited announced that the first shipment of product from the Four Mile Project occurred in September. 300,000 lbs of uranium ore concentrate [115 t U] were shipped to Cameco Corporations' conversion facility at Blind River, Ontario, Canada.
> View older issues
> View deposit info
> See also: Beverley Four Mile ISL project (Alliance Resources Ltd)
> See also: South Australia to assess environmental impact of acid in-situ leach uranium mining
> View PIRSA announcements
Tanker truck leaks 4,500 litres of sulphuric acid en route to Beverley uranium mine
A tanker has leaked 4,500 litres of sulphuric acid across regional South Australia.
It was on its way from Port Pirie to the outback Beverley uranium mine.
The EPA says the spill had caused no apparent environmental damage, possibly thanks to rain.
(ABC Aug. 4, 2021)
Legal battle over whereabouts of mining royalties from Beverley uranium mine
A battle for control of millions of dollars in mining revenues that belong to the Adnyamathanha people of South Australia has erupted in the courts, as a trust company fights off efforts by a Commonwealth-appointed administrator to find out where the money has gone.
The revenues derive from two uranium mines operated by US-owned Heathgate Resources on the ancestral lands of the Adnyamathanha, in and around the Flinders Ranges.
For nearly two decades the mining company has paid the moneys into an Indigenous-run trust called Rangelea Holdings Pty Ltd, which is meant to hold and distribute the funds to all Adnyamathanha people based on their native title rights.
But Rangelea has refused to open the books to the broader Adnyamathanha community and is also refusing to open them to a special administrator appointed by the federal government regulator, the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations.
Instead the trust company has mounted a challenge in the courts.
Special administrator Peter McQuoid told the Herald he'd asked the mining companies, Heathgate and its affiliate Quasar Resources, to stop all payments to Rangelea until such time as Rangelea gave him access to the trust’s financial records.
An estimated $40 million has been paid to Rangelea by the miners since 2003, but many Adnyamathanha say they have seen very little benefit either to themselves or for the community.
Rangelea last week hit back in the Supreme Court of South Australia, seeking an injunction to force the mining companies to resume their payments to Rangelea.
(Sydney Morning Herald July 20, 2021)
Court orders books opened over Beverley uranium mine royalty millions:
South Australia's Chief Justice has ruled three members of a traditional lands association be allowed to inspect documents relating to the distribution of mining royalties.
(The Australian Apr. 10, 2023)
Beverley and Beverley North in situ leach uranium mines on care and maintenance
According to South Australia's Department of State Development, Heathgate's Beverley and Beverley North in situ leach uranium mines are currently on care and maintenance (Mar. 16, 2015).
Owner of Beverley in situ leach uranium mine suffers loss for second year in a row
Heathgate Resources, the owner of the Beverley uranium mine in northern South Australia, has suffered losses totalling a whopping A$ 60 million over the past two years.
Heathgate Resources made a loss of A$ 34.5 million in calendar 2012 according to its latest financial statements lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
This followed a loss of A$ 25.6 million in 2011.
Heathgate's total revenue in calendar 2012 was A$ 59 million, according to its financial statements, a substantial slump from the 2011 when total revenue was A$ 84.6 million.
(Australian Financial Review Aug. 26, 2013)
Beverley uranium protesters win legal costs in fight with South Australian Government
A court has ordered the South Australian Government to pay the legal bills of nine people who were assaulted and unlawfully detained during an anti-uranium protest.
The Supreme Court had already awarded more than $700,000 in damages.
Back in April, it found eight protesters, a news cameraman and a girl were unlawfully detained and assaulted during a protest at the Beverley mine in South Australia's far north-east, a decade ago.
Police locked some of the group in a shipping container and the girl, who was 11, had capsicum spray used on her.
The judge awarded extra damages over comments by the South Australian treasurer and police minister that they would not negotiate.
Justice Timothy Anderson said video footage should have prompted the state to compromise.
Now the government has been ordered to pay the group's legal bills after the judge was told the protesters had offered to settle before the trial.
Seven protesters who were awarded more by the court than their settlement offers will get extra money for their legal bills.
(ABC June 30, 2010)
Beverley uranium mine protesters awarded compensation
Uranium mine protesters who were beaten, capsicum-sprayed and locked in a shipping container by police have been awarded compensation by a South Australian judge, who criticised the state's Deputy Premier and Police Minister for provocative comments they made about the case.
The South Australian Supreme Court yesterday (April 9) awarded $724,560 to eight protesters, a television cameraman and a then 11-year-old girl involved in a protest at the Beverley uranium mine about 600km north of Adelaide, on May 9, 2000.
Judge Timothy Anderson found some of the force used by police was unwarranted: "Some of those arrested, some being plaintiffs, were mere passive observers, several of whom were taking video footage." And he said the use of the shipping container as a holding cell was "ill-conceived and resulted in fundamental breaches of human rights".
(The Australian April 10, 2010)
> View court judgment White & Ors v State of South Australia [2010] SASC 95 (9 April 2010)
Beverley uranium mine now under native title
The largest native title claim in South Australia, covering a uranium mine and the iconic Wilpena Pound rock basin, will be signed off today by the Federal Court in Adelaide, in a move welcomed by state and federal governments.
The claim by the Adnyamathanha people was lodged in 1994 after the landmark Mabo judgment in the High Court, recognising the existence of native title.
The Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, chaired by Vince Coulthard , will manage the native title rights and interests of the region.
(Australian March 30, 2009)
The Mining and Rehabilitation Program (MARP) for the construction and operation of the Beverley North Field Leach Trial has been approved.
> View PIRSA release Jan. 7, 2011
> Download: Beverley North Mine: Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation , Nov. 2013 (37.6 MB PDF - DMITRE)
South Australia Premier Mike Rann today announced approval for a Heathgate Resources uranium project at Beverley North.
(Adelaide Now Dec. 28, 2010)
Environment Minister Tony Burke has given approval for US-owned and privately held Heathgate to develop its Beverley North uranium project in South Australia.
Overall production from the greater Beverley area is to remain about the same although the incorporation of reserves from the northern deposits will lengthen the life of the project.
(Sydney Morning Herald Dec. 7, 2010)
> Download Approval - Beverley North-Extension to the Beverley uranium mine , Dec. 6, 2010 (3M PDF - Environment Australia)
Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd have submitted two applications in relation to the proposed Beverley North Uranium mine:
- a Retention Lease Application, seeking approval for Heathgate to conduct an ISR Field Leach Trial at Beverley North, and
- a Mining Lease Application/Public Environment Report (PER), seeking approval for Heathgate to undertake commercial mining of uranium at Beverley North.
Members of the public are now invited to submit comments on either or both of these applications during a 6 week consultation period which closes at 5pm on Friday 28 May 2010.
> View Beverley North Uranium Project (PIRSA)
On Feb. 18, 2010, the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts issued a notification of assessment approach: The project will be assessed by Public Environment Report.
On Oct. 16, 2009, Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd submitted a referral for the Beverley North Extension to the Beverley Uranium Mine.
> View EPBC Referral No. 2009/5138
- Feb. 20, 2016: 8980 L barren injection solution spill
- Dec. 2, 2013: Monitor well excursion
- Nov. 30, 2013: 22.4 m3 bleed solution spill
- July 21, 2013: 1200 L barren injection solution spill
- July 17, 2013: Monitor well excursion
- Apr. 1, 2013: 5.3 m3 pregnant injection solution spill
- Jan. 17, 2013: 72 m3 barren injection solution spill
- May 12, 2012: Monitor well excursion
- May 2, 2012: Monitor well excursion
> See also: Beverly North uranium mine incident summary report (DMITRE)
Approval of Beverley ISL uranium mine extension a “blank cheque licence for pollution”
The Australian Government has approved the expansion of a controversial uranium mine in South Australia, but environmental groups say the radioactive waste increase will greatly impact surrounding areas.
“Fundamentally, they have allowed the area of pollution from the Beverly mine to be expanded quite significantly,” ground water specialist Dr Gavin Mudd told The Epoch Times.
Dr Mudd, a lecturer in environmental engineering at Monash University, says he has looked at the data from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and it is not convincing.
The Government's expansion plans for the mine are a “blank cheque licence for pollution”, he said.
“Until they have got that data on the public record that has been independently verified by people who are independent and not subservient to the mining industry - until that's done - I think they really have been given a blank cheque to leave groundwater in a much worse state than before.”
(The Epoch Times Sep. 2, 2008)
Beverley Uranium Mine Extension approved
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has approved the expansion of South Australia's Beverley uranium mine.
Output will remain within the already approved 1500 tonnes of uranium oxide per year.
(AdelaideNow Aug. 28, 2008)
Claim Public Environment Report for the Beverley Uranium Mine Extension ignores groundwater
An environmental engineer says a report on the extension of the Beverley uranium mine does not address the potential risks to groundwater.
Mining company Heathgate Resources wants to extend the lease area of its mine in South Australia's north-east and issued the report in response to public submissions about the mine plan, as part of the approval process.
Dr Gavin Mudd from Monash University says the report inadequately deals with the public submissions.
"Their response has always been, 'Well it's still the same category of water quality and it's not impacting on the potential uses of that water'," he said.
"When you look at the increasing value of water and the ability for desalination plants now to desalinate water or sea water or quality like that - and Beverley's a lot less than sea water - then I think we need to be taking an attitude that we protect our groundwater resources."
"The nature of the acid leaching process is they inject the acid, it removes a lot of the uranium obviously but also in that same process it also mobilises a lot of the other metals and so on, so it leaves the groundwater quality a lot worse than what it was prior to mining."
(ABC Apr. 24, 2008)
Heathgate releases draft Public Environment Report for the Beverley Uranium Mine Extension
Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd announces the publication of its draft Public Environment Report for the Beverley Uranium Mine Extension. The proposed development outlined in the Mining Proposal is an extension of the area outside
the existing Mining Lease in which wellfields may be installed. There are no proposed changes to the existing operations at the Beverley processing plant, and no increased production above the existing approved level is sought.
On April 18, 2008, Heathgate issued a Response Document following public consultation.
> View Referral 2006/3167 (Environment Australia)
> View Public Notice (PIRSA)
Heathgate seeks mining lease extension
On Nov. 23, 2006, Heathgate Resources has applied to extend the operation of the Beverley uranium mine for at least 20 years.
Heathgate is seeking a new mining lease surrounding the existing Beverley lease. A request has also been made to Native Title claimants for negotiations to commence for a new Mining Agreement.
On Nov. 6, 2009, Petratherm Ltd announced that the Paralana Geothermal Energy Project has been awarded a A$62.762 million Renewable Energy Demonstration Program (REDP) grant. The grant monies are to be applied to the development of a 30 MW geothermal demonstration project post the proof of concept stage currently underway at the Paralana project.
Petratherm's Paralana project's longer-term aim is to develop Australia's first large-scale (260+ MW) base load geothermal power station to deliver zero emission electricity to the National Electricity Market.
On Sep. 3, 2008, Petratherm Ltd and its joint venture partners Beach Petroleum and TRUenergy announced that they have secured a 2,000 HP Drilling Rig from Weatherford Drilling International Australia Pty Ltd for the Paralana Geothermal Energy Joint Venture Project.
Petratherm expects to spud the Paralana 2 well (up to 4 kms deep) in February 2009 and is planning to spud the Paralana 3 well in early 2010.
The Paralana JV aims to supply power to Heathgate Resources' Beverley Uranium Mine in the second half of 2010.
Heathgate Resources has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a geothermal developer, Petratherm Ltd. , to explore opportunities to supply the Beverley mine with more power, produced by geothermal, or hot rock, sources.
(AAP Nov. 1, 2006)
Dispute between aboriginal communities over mining royalty
Heathgate has filed papers in the District Court asking it to resolve a dispute between members of the Adnyamathanha and Kuyani communities for the royalties, due to be paid in about a month.
(news.com.au Feb. 15, 2002)
Production at Beverley in-situ leach uranium mine halted after spill
The Beverley uranium mine will not resume production until an independent inquiry was held into a 60,000-litre spill of radioactive liquid, federal and state politicians said on Jan. 14, 2002. (The Age, Canberra Times, Jan. 15, 2002)
Meanwhile, the Beverley mine has resumed commercial production, after modifications to the plant were made to ensure a repeat spillage would not happen. (WNA News Briefing 02.07, Feb 13, 2002)
License violations and reportable events at Beverley in-situ leach mine
It has been revealed that there have been more leaks from the Beverley uranium mine in South Australia's north since the last publicised leak in May 2002.
Almost 15,000 litres of acid uranium solution leaked in that incident, and a further nine leaks ranging from 50 litres to more than 6,000 have now been reported on the South Australian Government's Primary Industries website. (ABC Sep 12, 2002)
Spills of 1000+ litres:
- Feb. 28, 2012: spill of 30 - 34 cubic metres
- Feb. 19, 2011: spill of 10,000 - 15,000 litres of injection solution (7 ppm U)
- Apr. 22, 2006: spill of 14,400 litres of solution containing approx. 0.5% uranium
- Oct. 31, 2005: spill of 23,700 litres of mining solution, containing approx. 0.06% uranium
- Aug. 8, 2005: spill of 13,500 litres of extraction fluid containing approx. 0.01% uranium
- Mar. 7, 2005: spill of 50,000 - 60,000 litres of injection fluid
- Dec. 8, 2004: spill of approx. 2,300 litres of mining solution, containing 0.028% uranium
- June 13, 2002: spill of 1,750 litres of brine solution
- June 7, 2002: spill of 1,500 litres of injection fluid in the well field
- May 5, 2002: spill of 14,900 litres of water containing 0.0018% uranium (Australian May 7, 2002)
- May 1, 2002: spill of almost 7,000 litres of brine solution containing some uranium (ABC May 2, 2002)
- January 11, 2002: spill of 60,000 liters of groundwater containing acid and uranium, after pipe rupture (ABC, The Age, Jan. 12, 2002)
The total number of spills reported in 2002 so far (August) is 11.
A total of 24 spills of radioactive liquid had occurred over the past two years.
Three of them were more than 2,000 litres. (The Age, Jan 14, 2002)
> see also: Beverley Spill Incident Summaries (DMITRE)
> View older issues
> View deposit info
> License violations and reportable events at Honeymoon in-situ leach mine
Gypsum slurry spill at Honeymoon in situ leach uranium mine
During a storm event on 7 January 2024, the gypsum slurry transfer pipes between the groundwater treatment plant and gypsum waste repository, dislodged and blow out of the gypsum waste repository. The pipes were not discharging slurry at this time. On 9 January 2024, the facility was restarted, and a spill was detected shortly after restart and immediately shut down.
The gypsum slurry spill totalled 48 m3 (consisting of 38 m3 gypsum slurry containing radioactive materials and 10 m3 of raw water). The spill extent was approximately 1209 m2, of which 39 m2 entering an undisturbed area.
(Energy & Mining South Australia July 13, 2024)
Restarted Honeymoon in situ leach mine produces first uranium
On Apr. 22, 2024, Boss Energy Limited announced that it has produced the first drum of uranium at its 100 per cent-owned Honeymoon Uranium Project in South Australia.
Restart of Honeymoon in situ leach uranium mine
On Oct. 11, 2023, Boss Energy Limited announced the commencement of mining activities on Honeymoon, with the first wellfield being pre-conditioned in the lead up to in-situ recovery (ISR) feeding the processing plant with extracted uranium during Q4 2023.
Restart of mothballed Honeymoon in situ leach uranium mine obtains key approval
On Oct. 6, 2022, Boss Energy Limited announced that the South Australian Department for Energy and Mining has approved the company's updated Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation (PEPR) at its Honeymoon Uranium Project. The PEPR is the key regulatory document required for the restart of production at Honeymoon.
Mothballed Honeymoon uranium in situ leach mine to be restarted
On June 1, 2022, Boss Energy Limited announced that the company's Board of Directors has made a Final Investment Decision to develop the Honeymoon Uranium Project in South Australia.
The decision means that Boss will now accelerate construction, ensuring Honeymoon remains on track for first production in the December quarter of 2023, ramping up to a steady-state rate of 2.45 Mlb of U3O8 [942 t U] a year.
Updated Feasibility Study results announced for restart of mothballed Honeymoon uranium in situ leach mine
On June 21, 2021, Boss Energy Ltd announced the results of un updated feasibility study, taking into account the proposed replacement of the solvent extraction processing plant by an ion exchange plant.
> Calculate Mine Feasibility
Boss Energy raises A$ 60 million - to buy uranium on the spot market rather than restart mothballed Honeymoon mine
On Thursday (Mar. 25) Boss Energy launched a $60 million [US$ 46 million] raising.
Boss will need to raise and spend $US63.2 million to achieve its goal of restarting South Australia's Honeymoon uranium mine, but to the surprise of those receiving the term sheet, the proceeds of the raising were not destined for Honeymoon.
"Placement proceeds will be used to finance the purchase of 1.25 million pounds of strategic uranium concentrate inventory [481 t U] at prevailing spot prices," said the term sheet.
(AFR Mar. 28, 2021)
Positive Feasibility Study results announced for restart of mothballed Honeymoon uranium in situ leach mine - assuming twice the current uranium market price
On Jan. 21, 2020, Boss Resources Ltd announced "outstanding" results of the Feasibility Study (FS) for the base case restart and expansion of its Honeymoon Uranium Project in South Australia. The base case assumes a uranium market price of US$ 50 / lb U3O8, which is twice the current spot market price.
Mothballed Honeymoon uranium in situ leach mine receives new export permit
On Apr. 8, 2019, Boss Resources Ltd announced that it has received a new Mineral Export Permission from the Australian Government which will allow the company to export natural uranium from the Honeymoon Uranium Project.
Competing native title claims over Honeymoon and Goulds Dam uranium projects concluded
On Dec. 19, 2018, Boss Resources Ltd announced that the long-standing competing native title claims over its tenements and mining licence held in South Australia, including Honeymoon and Goulds Dam, were concluded on Dec. 14, 2018.
As part of the Consent Determination, existing agreements with the Company were novated to the new native title body corporate, preserving their operation into the future and affirming one new claim group with whom the Company will deal with going forward.
On Dec. 14, 2018, a specially convened hearing of the Federal Court of Australia held at Orroroo, South Australia, pronounced a Consent Determination of native title held jointly by Adnyamathanha, Wilyakali No. 2 and Ngadjuri Nation native title holders over the region and its many mining projects from approximately Orroroo to Olary north of the Barrier Highway in South Australia. This settled native title claims extending as far back as 1996.
> View/Download Federal Court judgment: Coulthard v State of South Australia (Adnyamathanha, Ngadjuri and Wilyakali Overlap Claim) [2018] FCA 1993 , Dec. 14, 2018
'Re-start strategy' envisaged for mothballed Honeymoon uranium in situ leach mine
On July 2, 2018, Boss Resources Ltd announced a re-start strategy for the mothballed Honeymoon uranium in situ leach mine, without fixing an actual restart time.
New owner hopes to restart mothballed Honeymoon uranium in situ leach mine in 2018
The Honeymoon uranium project, in South Australia, will require an initial capital investment of $10-million to allow for a restart with a production of 0.88-million pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) [338 t U] a year.
- A prefeasibility study (PFS) found that the Stage 1 restart will see project developer Boss Resources using the existing solvent extraction plant, with first production expected within 12 months of restart.
- The Stage 2 ramp-up of plant capacity to two-million [pounds] a year of U3O8 equivalent [769 t U], using a combined solvent extraction and ion exchange system, will require a further $58-million in capital.
- The Stage 3 ramp-up to 3.2-million [pounds] a year of U3O8 equivalent [1,231 t U] through the addition of further ion exchange columns will require a further investment of $78-million.
The project is expected to have a total mine life of around seven years.
Boss has now moved the Honeymoon project to the next stage of development, being the field leach trial, which would be incorporated into the definitive feasibility study.
The company was hoping to restart Stage 1 production at the start of 2018, with Stage 2 production expected to follow in 2019.
(Mining Weekly May 31, 2017)
On March 26, 2018, Boss Resources announced that it appointed an investment manager to arrange project finance facilities of up to US$ 65 million to assist in funding the development and restart of Honeymoon.
Pre-feasibility Study commences for expansion of Honeymoon uranium mine:
On Oct. 26, 2016, Boss Resources announced that a Pre-feasibility Study (PFS) commences for the expansion of the Honeymoon uranium mine. The PFS is based on the outcomes of the recently completed Expansion Study. The results are expected in the second quarter of 2017.
Positive Expansion Study announced for currently mothballed Honeymoon in situ leach uranium mine:
On Sep. 28, 2016, Boss Resources Ltd announced it has received positive results from its recently completed Expansion Study on the Honeymoon Uranium Project.
The proposed expansion would increase the annual production capacity from 0.88 Mlbs U3O8 [338 t U] to initially 2 Mlbs U3O8 [769 t U], ramping up to 3.6 Mlbs U3O8 [1,385 t U] (potentially in the fifth year of operation, coinciding with the commencement of operations at the Gould's Dam deposit).
The study also "has identified and detailed the opportunity to restart the existing plant for minimal cost and to operate this during the construction of the expansion."
A Prefeasibility Study (PFS) is planned to start in the fourth quarter of 2016 and is estimated to take approximately 6 months to complete.
Uranium One sells mothballed Honeymoon uranium mine
Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom has finally lost patience with the Honeymoon uranium project in northern South Australia and is selling it off to an ASX-listed minnow called Boss Resources Ltd .
Honeymoon is one of the five Australian uranium mines in Australia, four of which are located in South Australia, but it has been in mothballs for the past two years because of the plunge in uranium prices which made it uneconomic to continue mining from the site.
(Sydney Morning Herald Sep. 1, 2015)
On Dec. 1, 2015 Boss Resources announced that the acquisition of Uranium One Australia Pty Ltd, which is the owner of the Honeymoon Uranium Project in South Australia, has successfully completed, as of 30 November 2015.
Uranium One proposes to process yellow cake from mothballed South Australian Honeymoon mine at Willow Creek site in Wyoming
> View here
Honeymoon in situ leach uranium mine to be mothballed
The Honeymoon uranium mine in South Australia's far northeast is expected to be mothballed.
Low uranium prices and production difficulties at the plant have put pressure on the mine.
(News.com.au Nov. 12, 2013)
Uranium One's vice-president Kuzma Otto says the mine will go into what the industry calls 'care and maintenance mode', which means production is stopped but the site is managed to ensure it remains in a safe and stable condition.
"We will transition down to the care and maintenance phase over a period of four or five months, depending on the consultation process with various stakeholders."
"This is not a closure phase, so the option to reopen is there. Some production problems during the commissioning process, as well as the yields from the well field being lower than we had anticipated, as well as uranium prices, played a contribution."
(ABC Nov. 13, 2013)
Value of Honeymoon in situ leach uranium mine project written down due to technical difficulties and high costs
:
Uranium One Inc. impaired the Honeymoon project "due to continuing difficulties in the production process and issues in attaining design capacity combined with high mine operation costs". The carrying value of Honeymoon was therefore written down by A$67.8 million.
(Uranium One Inc. Nov. 5, 2013)
Honeymoon uranium in situ leach mine now completey owned by Atomredmetzoloto subsidiary Uranium One Inc.
On Nov. 5, 2012, Uranium One Inc. announced that it now owns 100% of the Honeymoon project after receiving all regulatory approvals for the withdrawal of Mitsui from the joint venture.
- July 10, 2012: fumes observed emanating from the dry hopper in the Drying and Packaging controlled area
- Jan. 6, 2012: 30 cubic metre spill of injection solution (2 mg/L U3O8)
- Oct. 25, 2011: 4 cubic metre spill of uranium oxide concentrate slurry
> See also Honeymoon Uranium Mine Incident Summary (DMITRE)
> View older issues
> See extra page
