Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX:AGE) reiterated its aim to discover, source and economically extract uranium and energy metals with either zero or minimal impact and with a positive value for stakeholders, at a community briefing event held this month.
The company acknowledged the Barngarla People as the traditional custodians of the lands on which the Samphire Uranium Project in South Australia is situated and paid respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Alligator said it looks forward to continuing to build its relationship with the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation (BDAC) and the Barngarla community into the future.
The Samphire Project was acquired in October 2020 and contains an inferred resource of 47 million pounds of uranium.
The project comprises the larger Blackbush deposit, with 64.5 million tonnes at 230ppm, for an estimated 32.7 million pounds of uranium; and the nearby Plumbush deposit with 21.8 million tonnes at 292ppm, for an estimated 13.9 million pounds of uranium.
Samphire is an ‘In Situ Recovery’ project, or ISR, meaning that the uranium is absorbed in the ground and pumped to the surface, a method responsible for 57% of global uranium production.
To progress the project, Alligator is proposing a small-scale short-term Field Recovery Trial (FRT) using the ISR method in late 2023, following the receipt of all necessary approvals.
Future steps would include further feasibility studies, additional resource drilling and full mine project approvals.
Approvals pathway.
As part of its RL application to the State Government, Alligator is required to have detailed operational management/monitoring plans, remediation and closure plans that meet 'environmental outcomes' regarding:
- Soil – Soil condition remains unchanged
- Groundwater – No change in nearby aquifers
- Surface Water – No change in environmental values
- Flora – No negative change in native flora populations
- Fauna – No native animal deaths or population decline, no increase in feral species
- Air quality/Radiation – No change from baseline
Any RL approval will be contingent upon Alligator demonstrating that it can conduct the FRT within strict 'environmental outcomes' as determined by the Department of Energy and Mining (DEM) and the Federal Government (Dept for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water).
Looking forward, Alligator intends to host sessions focussed on environmental management and its commitments to the local environment and community, early in 2023.
Planned activities 2022/23.
Working with the community
Alligator is closely working with the local community to advance the Samphire Uranium Project.
- Over $500,000 spent (since Sept 2021) in the local community, with more than 30 businesses to date;
- equipment hire, accommodation, fabrication services, vehicle hire, exploration consumables and others;
- future spend to also include LV & HV maintenance, air-conditioning maintenance, cleaning, engineering and fabrication, laboratory services, medical services, Dangerous Goods Transport, general freight and borehole logging, to name just a few;
- future labour requirements - administration, warehousing, poly-welding, electrical trades, boilermakers, mechanical fitters, operators, earthmoving (backhoe), field technicians and others; and
- being near Whyalla is a significant advantage for Alligator, given the city’s quality workforce and extensive industrial and other business offerings.