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Premier American Uranium Announces 2026 New Mexico Work Program Targeting Optimization of Cebolleta Preliminary Economic Assessment
Globenewswire· 2026-03-27 11:00
Core Viewpoint - Premier American Uranium Inc. is advancing its Cebolleta Uranium Project in New Mexico with a 2026 work program aimed at optimizing uranium recovery through heap leaching, following a promising 2025 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) that highlighted significant potential for value enhancement through improved metallurgical recovery [1][6]. Work Program Details - The 2026 work program has a budget of US$1.1 million and focuses on bulk sampling, targeted drilling, and comprehensive metallurgical testing to optimize recovery assumptions from the 2025 PEA [2]. - The program will be led by Dr. Terry McNulty, a renowned metallurgical engineer, with testing conducted at Hazen Research, Inc., a leading independent laboratory [3]. Metallurgical Testing and Recovery Potential - The 2025 PEA indicated that a 12.5% increase in metallurgical recovery could lead to a US$75 million increase in after-tax net present value (NPV), highlighting the project's sensitivity to recovery rates [6][7]. - The 2025 PEA assumed a base-case metallurgical recovery of 80%, with sensitivity analysis showing that increasing recovery to 90% could raise the after-tax NPV from US$84 million to US$159 million [7][9]. Project Overview - The Cebolleta Uranium Project is positioned as one of the largest advanced uranium projects in the U.S., with a potential mine life of 13 years and an average annual production of 1.4 million pounds of U₃O₈, peaking at 2.0 million pounds [9][11]. - The project is strategically located in a premier uranium district, benefiting from proximity to utilities and existing processing facilities [11]. Financial Metrics from 2025 PEA - The 2025 PEA outlines an after-tax NPV of US$83.9 million at a base case uranium price of US$90 per pound, with an after-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 17.7% and projected life-of-mine after-tax free cash flow of US$287 million [9]. - The study also indicates strong leverage to uranium prices, with NPV increasing significantly at higher price points [9]. Company Background - Premier American Uranium is focused on consolidating and developing uranium projects across the U.S. to enhance domestic energy security and support the transition to clean energy [19][20]. - The company has a strong financial backing and a distinguished team with expertise in uranium exploration and development [20].