Modern Mining January 2025

Geotechnical team logging soil samples.

Drilling underway at Letlhakane.

modelling and beneficiation test work on the run-of-mine material. Another plan is to develop an alternate process flow sheet, which will increase the uranium recovery rate and reduce acid consumption. This will be significant, as acid consumption is a significant contributor to plant operating costs.” Bowes indicates that according to the latest mineral resource estimate, Letlhakane contains at least 118 million pounds of uranium, based on a 200 ppm cut-off grade. This offers a strong production profile, he continues, when the mine is compared to similar projects elsewhere. In fact, it is anticipated that Letlhakane’s resources should, over the expected 20-year-life of a mine, produce around three to four million pounds of uranium per year. “The global market for uranium is very much focused on power supply. In fact, commercial uranium mines only supply to nuclear utilities that produce electricity, providing fuel for their nuclear reactors.” “Therefore, Lotus expects to supply North America, the European Union, South Korea and Japan with uranium, in the

This includes having a mining licence, water rights, and provisional surface rights in place,” he says. Noting that the project is well positioned in terms of transportation options, he explains that the core deposit is located next to the main highway from Gaborone and Francistown. This, in conjunction with the rail line and rail siding that already exist within the mining lease boundary, means that Lotus has multiple options as far as transport is concerned. Power should also be less of a challenge, as there is an electrical substation within the mine’s bounds. “The previous owners had identified a ground water source, which means we have already been able to tick the boxes around many of the traditional infrastructure problems a project like this faces. The real benefit to us was that this meant we did not need to expend capital on these issues during the budget planning,” he says. “One of the plans we have for this mine involves finding ways to increase the head grade of the feed material to the mill. We aim to achieve this via a combination of updated mineral resource

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