ERA says uranium production jumped on improved throughput

AAP Financial News

Improved through-put helped Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) Ltd post a big jump uranium oxide production for the June quarter.

ERA has reported a 44 per cent lift in uranium oxide production to 1.481 tonnes for the June 2009 quarter compared to the same time last year.

Compared to the March quarter it was a 22 per cent jump on improved throughput, ERA says.

Uranium produced for the first six months to the end of June was 2,695 tonnes, or 5,942 pounds, up 14 per cent on the prior first half.

Ore milled for the June quarter was 21 per cent higher, at 597,000 tonnes, than the March quarter and seven per cent higher than the June 2008 quarter, due to improved utilisation and milling rates.

Ore grade processed was 0.28 per cent uranium oxide in June, down from 0.29 per cent in March but up 29 per cent on the June 2008 quarter.

The laterite processing plant also contributed to production in the June 2009 quarter

ERA says work continued on the Ranger mine expansion project, including the development of a heap leach facility for the extraction of 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes of uranium oxide in low grade mineralised material on stockpiles and ore yet to be mined.

Draft guidelines for the environmental impact statements have not yet been released for public comment.

Studies are also continuing on the Ranger Deeps ore body, with a current resource of about 34,000 tonnes of uranium oxide.


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