Tubas becomes priority for Deep Yellow

Peter Christians, Reptile Uranium Namibia Country Manager recently revealed that it was reviewing its current business strategy with plans to bring its Tubas Sands Project up to development stage, sooner than anticipated, suggesting that it could potentially come to fore ahead of its flagship Omahola Project.
He said, “We have other priorities that are currently driving our business strategy, specifically our focus [is] on the Tubas Sand Project which has the potential to commence production sooner and at a lower capex [capital expenditure] spend than Omahola.”
Deep Yellow had earlier reported its results of its preliminary trade-off study and had chosen a processing option for Tubas Sands. The focal point of the study was to study feasibility under a wide range of scenarios from the production of an upgraded sand concentrate by physical beneficiation through to a final uranium precipitate product with planning under-way for pre feasibility and feasibilities studies to be completed by 2015, all of depended on funding and marketing conditions Deep Yellow report early May 2014.

Following the results of its preliminary trade-off study, a physical beneficiation option consisting of ore scrubbing, classification and de-watering to produce an upgraded sand concentrate for sale to existing local producers has been selected as the preferred strategy Deep Yellow reported. “Whilst other options remain feasible under different pricing assumptions physical beneficiation was selected due to its lower technical risk and capital expenditure and shortest estimated development schedule. In addition, environmental approval from the Republic of Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism is already in place for this project under these operating conditions,” said Deep Yellow. According to Christians, drilling activities at its INCA and Ongolo sites are currently not being conducted. Projects under consideration by Deep Yellow include their flagship Omahola Project as well as the Tubas Sands project.
The Omahola Project will comprise a processing plant and will treat ore from its Ongolo and MS7 Alaskite deposits and the INCA uraniferous magnetite deposit. Expected to run for an estimated 12 years, Omahola will become Deep Yellow’s leading mining project.