Okapi Resources Ltd (ASX:OKR) has further strengthened its management team in the US with the appointment of uranium industry veteran Jim Viellenave as a consultant and a member of the company's advisory committee.
Viellenave’s background includes more than 40 years of development and operational experience in the US mining industry, especially in the uranium industry.
Interestingly, he was fundamental to the development and resource expansion of the Reno Creek ISR Uranium Project in Wyoming for more than seven years until the project was sold to Uranium Energy Corp in 2018.
“Another stepping stone”
Okapi managing director Andrew Ferrier said: I am very excited by the announcement of Jim Viellenave joining the Okapi team.
“Jim and I worked closely together on the Reno Creek Uranium Project in Wyoming.
“His decades of experience in the US uranium industry will be invaluable to the company, as the team continues to progress and advance its existing high-quality projects in the US and continues to identify and review new projects.
“This is another stepping stone for the company as we continue to build the board and management team in North America.”
Notable work
Viellenave and his team were responsible for progressing the Reno Creek project through numerous technical and permitting milestones to being fully permitted (with an NRC licence) and ready for construction.
His other mining experience includes gold, phosphates, base metals and industrial minerals.
North American acquisitions
Okapi recently acquired a portfolio of advanced, high-grade uranium assets in the United States of America and the Athabasca Basin in Canada.
The company’s assets include a strategic position in one of the most prolific uranium districts in the USA – the Tallahassee Creek Uranium District in Colorado.
The portfolio also includes an option to acquire 100% of the high-grade Rattler Uranium Project in Utah, which includes the historical Rattlesnake open pit mine.
In January 2022, Okapi acquired a portfolio of high-grade exploration assets in the world’s premier uranium district, the Athabasca Basin - home to the world’s largest and highest-grade uranium mines.
Okapi’s clear strategy is to become a new leader in North American carbon-free nuclear energy by assembling a portfolio of high-quality uranium assets through accretive acquisitions and exploration.