A five-year test program of the patented Surface Access Borehole Resource Extraction (SABRE) has just been completed by Denison Mines Corporation and Orano Canada Inc. The SABRE is an innovative mining method that could be used to access high-grade ore bodies that are either too small or too deep to be mined economically using conventional methods. The new mining method was tested at the McClean Lake property in Saskatchewan, Canada.
    SABRE is a non-entry, surface-based mining method that utilizes a high-pressure water jet positioned at the bottom of a drill hole to excavate a mining cavity. The cuttings produced by the excavation process are air lifted to the surface. Then they are separated and stockpiled. Work on the new mining equipment invention and development initiative began in 2004.
      McClean Lake Joint Venture (MLJV) is a joint venture partnership of Denison and Orano. They said that the final stage of a five-year field test was completed from May to September of 2021. Four mining cavities were successfully excavated to produce about fifteen hundred tons of “high-value” ore with grades in the range of four percent to eleven percent U308. U308 is triuranium octoxide, a compound of uranium produced by milling uranium ore. It is also called yellowcake.
     The MLJV said that “The program was concluded with no safety, environmental or radiological incidents and confirmed the ability to achieve key operating objectives associated with the test program – including targets for cavity diameter, rates of recovery, and mine production rates.”
     Most of the ore recovered from the test mining program has been transported to the McClean Lake mill. It is expected to be processed by the end of 2021.
     Based on the success of the 2021 program, the partners plan to review the potential use of SABRE for future mining operation at their jointly owned McClean Lake and Midwest properties. Orano operates both of these properties.
      David Cates is the President and CEO of Denison. He said that the companies. He said that “With this test result, SABRE has demonstrated that it is capable of mining high-grade uranium ore in the Athabasca Basin region. Orano, as operator of the MLJV, has diligently advanced the necessary R&D efforts as part of a long-term vision for developing a mining method that could benefit our joint venture.” He added that the companies “look forward to jointly exploring its potential applications in the context of improving uranium markets.”
     MLJV says that SABRE is unique because it can be selective and scalable. It has superior flexibility when it is compared to conventional mining methods. It is ideally suited to changing uranium market conditions. It also has a potentially short production ramp up of months instead of years.
     MLJV says that “The SABRE method is considered environmentally friendly as a result of its less intrusive nature and potentially smaller surface footprint when compared to conventional open pit or underground mining methods. Reduced water usage and power consumption also contribute to potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improved sustainability. Additionally, as a non-entry mining method, radiological exposure for mine workers is minimized.”