GTI Energy Ltd has commenced the drilling of three groundwater monitoring wells at the Lo Herma ISR Uranium Project in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin that will facilitate aquifer testing to confirm the suitability of the Lo Herma ore body for in situ recovery (ISR) mining.
The groundwater monitoring holes will enable testing of the hydraulic parameters within the subterranean aquifer containing the Lo Herma ore body to confirm the orebody’s suitability for ISR mining.
GTI expects this phase of drilling to be completed in the coming weeks, subject to favourable weather conditions.
Scoping study underway
“Following the recent major uplift in Lo Herma’s uranium resource, now 50% larger at 8.57 million pounds, our immediate focus is to complete a scoping study in the first half of 2025,” GTi Energy executive director Bruce Lane said.
“This round of drilling will help confirm the orebody’s suitability for ISR mining. Results from aquifer testing and metallurgical testing should be available in February and are key inputs to the scoping study.”
The company has engaged Wyoming based BRS Engineering Inc. to conduct the Lo Herma scoping study.
BRS and GTI have maintained a long-standing relationship and BRS has significant experience with Wyoming ISR project development from exploration through to construction and rehabilitation.
Metallurgy and ore leachability testing in progress
Lo Herma drill core samples have been logged and split for chemical assay and metallurgical testing.
The composites were prepared for metallurgical testing under alkaline leach conditions — commonly used in ISR mining operations in the Powder River Basin.
GTI confirms that testing is progressing in line with expectations and results are expected in February.
Extensive ISR uranium production history
Wyoming’s Powder River Basin region has been the backbone of Wyoming uranium production since the 1970s. It has an extensive ISR uranium production history with numerous defined ISR uranium resources, central processing plants and satellite deposits.
While Lo Herma is GTI’s flagship asset, GTI also holds high potential, drill permitted projects in Wyoming’s Great Divide Basin and Green Mountain area, as well as brownfields conventional uranium/vanadium assets in Utah’s Henry Mountains.