Overview
Status | Temporary Suspension |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Processing |
- Solvent Extraction
- Sulfuric acid (reagent)
- Acid leach
- Counter current decantation (CCD)
- Acid tank leaching
- Roasting
|
Mine Life | 4 years (as of Jan 1, 2017) |
The Pinyon Plain Project (the name of the Canyon Mine was changed to the Pinyon Plain Mine in November 2020.) is a fully-permitted uranium project with all surface facilities and a shaft in place.
In 2021, the Company plans to install a portable water treatment plant at its Pinyon Plain Project. Additional work, outside of additional evaluation work and engineering is subject to general market conditions during 2021. The timing of the Company’s plans to extract and process mineralized material from the Pinyon Plain Project will be based on market conditions, available financing, and sales requirements. |
Source:
p. 17
Company | Interest | Ownership |
Energy Fuels Inc.
|
100 %
|
Indirect
|
EFR Arizona Strip LLC
|
100 %
|
Direct
|
All of the Company’s (Energy Fuels Inc.) the Arizona Strip uranium properties including the Pinyon Plain Project are held by the Company’s subsidiary EFR Arizona Strip LLC.
Summary:
The surface expression of the Canyon pipe is a broad shallow depression in the Permian Kaibab Formation. The pipe is essentially vertical with an average diameter of less than 200 ft., but it is considerably narrower through the Coconino and Hermit horizons (80 ft.). The cross sectional area is approximately 20,000 ft.2 to 25,000 ft.2. The pipe extends for at least 2,300 ft. vertically from the Toroweap limestone to the upper Redwall horizons. The ultimate depth of the pipe is unknown. Uranium mineralization is concentrated in an annular ring within the breccia pipe.
The Canyon Mine breccia pipe is surrounded by bleached zones, particularly notable in the Hermit Formation where unaltered red sediments contrast sharply with grey-green bleached material. Bleaching is common within 100 ft. of the pipe boundary. Sulphide mineralization, commonly pyrite, is found as streaks or blebs within the bleached zones.
Mineralization extends vertically both inside and outside the pipe over about 1,700 vertical ft., but high grade mineralization has been found mainly in the collapsed portions of the Coconino, Hermit, and Esplanade horizons and at the margins of the pipe in fracture zones. Sulphide zones are found scattered throughout the pipe but are especially concentrated (within a sulphide cap) near the Toroweap-Coconino contact, where the cap averages 20 ft. thick and consists of pyrite and bravoite, an iron-nickel sulphide. The ore assemblage consists of uranium-pyrite-hematite with massive copper sulphide mineralization common in and near the high grade zone. The strongest mineralization appears to occur in the lower Hermit-upper Esplanade horizons in an annular fracture zone.
The two metals of interest within the Canyon breccia pipe are uranium and copper. Since the rocks making up the breccia within the pipe are all sedimentary rocks, mineralization typically occurs within the matrix material (primarily sand) surrounding the larger breccia clasts.
Uranium mineralization at Canyon is concentrated in six stratigraphic levels or zones (Cap, Upper, Main, Main-Lower, Juniper I and Juniper II) within a collapse structure ranging from 80 ft. to 230 ft. wide with a vertical extension from a depth of 650 ft. to over 2,100 ft., resulting in approximately 1,450 ft. of mineralization. Intercepts range widely up to several tens of ft. with grades in excess of 1.00% U3O8.
Consistent with other breccia pipe deposits, uranium at Canyon Mine occurs largely as blebs, streaks, small veins, and fine disseminations of uraninite/pitchblende (UO2). Mineralization is mainly confined to matrix material, but may extend into clasts and larger breccia fragments, particularly where these fragments are of Coconino sandstone. Uranium mineralization occurs primarily as uraninite and various uranium phase minerals (unidentifiable minerals) with lesser amounts of brannerite and uranospinite.
Copper mineralization occurs in concentrations within the Main and Main-Lower zones that have a reasonable prospect for eventual economic extraction. It is also present in the Juniper zone, but at much lower concentrations than the Main zone.
Mineralization can be disseminated throughout the matrix material (commonly replacing calcite cement) with higher-grade mineralization typically occurring as vug fills, blebs, or streaks within the matrix and sometimes zoning the breccia clasts. The highest grade copper mineralization either completely replaces the matrix cement or replaces the matrix material all together.
Copper mineralization occurs primarily as tennantite, chalcocite, and bornite with lesser amounts of covellite. Pyrite and sphalerite are also found throughout the pipe. Silver is commonly associated with the copper mineralization in the main zone. Assay values of silver in excess of one ounce per ton are common where copper grades are high. Arsenic is present where tennantite mineralization occurs. Additionally, lower quantities of Zn, Pb, Mo, Co, Ni, and V are present and scattered throughout the pipe.
Summary:
The Pinyon Plain Project is a fully constructed and partially developed underground uranium project with a head frame, a hoist, a compressor and a completed shaft.
At the Pinyon Plain Project, all surface facilities are in place. During 2017, an underground drilling program was completed, shaft sinking continued, and a large water tank was installed. The shaft sinking was completed by mid-March 2018. The depth of the shaft is approximately 1,470 feet below ground surface. Shaft stations are developed at depths of 1,000 feet (elevation 5,506 feet above sea level), 1,220 feet (elevation 5,286) and 1,400 feet (elevation 5,106).
Flow Sheet:
Crusher / Mill Type | Model | Size | Power | Quantity |
SAG mill
|
|
6' x 18'
|
|
1
|
Summary:
GRINDING
A front-end loader will transfer the mineralized material from the stockpiles to the White Mesa Mill through the 20-in. stationary grizzly and into the ore receiving hopper. The mineralized material is then transferred to the 6 ft. by 18 ft. diameter semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill via a 54-in. wide conveyor belt. Water is added into the SAG mill where the grinding is accomplished. The SAG mill is operated in closed circuit with vibrating screens. The coarse material, P80 +28 mesh (28 openings per linear inch) is returned to the SAG mill for additional grinding and the P80 -28 mesh portion is pumped to the pulp (wet) storage tanks.
Processing
- Solvent Extraction
- Sulfuric acid (reagent)
- Acid leach
- Counter current decantation (CCD)
- Acid tank leaching
- Roasting
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
Should the Canyon Mine Project be placed into production, the mineralized material will be milled at the Energy Fuels’ owned White Mesa Mill located near Blanding, Utah.The White Mesa Mill is currently operated on a campaign basis to process uranium ores. It can also process alternate feed materials.
Capable of processing 2,000 short tons per day (stpd), the White Mesa Mill will process mineralized materials from the Canyon Mine Project, other Energy Fuels’ uranium mines as well as potential toll milling ores from other producers in the area, and alternate feed material.
If the Canyon Mine is placed into operation, mineralized material will be hauled to the White Mesa Mill in 24-ton highway haul trucks. When trucks arrive at the White Mesa Mill, they are weighed and probed prior to stockpiling. Samples are collected to measure the dry weight, and to perform amenability testing for process control. Trucks are washed in a contained area, and scanned for alpha, be ........

Reserves at December 31, 2020:
The Mineral Resources as at 31th December 2020 at Pinyon Plain Project are unchanged from June 17, 2017.
For the Main and Main-Lower zones, a 0.36% uranium equivalent cut-off grade (% U3O8 Eq) was applied to account for both the copper and uranium mineralization. In all other zones, only uranium was reported using a 0.29% U3O8 cut-off grade.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Measured
|
6 k tons
|
U3O8
|
0.43 %
|
56 k lbs
|
Measured
|
6 k tons
|
Copper
|
9.29 %
|
1,203 k lbs
|
Indicated
|
132 k tons
|
U3O8
|
0.9 %
|
2,378 k lbs
|
Indicated
|
94 k tons
|
Copper
|
5.7 %
|
10,736 k lbs
|
Measured & Indicated
|
139 k tons
|
U3O8
|
0.88 %
|
2,434 k lbs
|
Measured & Indicated
|
101 k tons
|
Copper
|
5.93 %
|
11,939 k lbs
|
Inferred
|
18 k tons
|
U3O8
|
0.38 %
|
134 k lbs
|
Inferred
|
5 k tons
|
Copper
|
5.9 %
|
570 k lbs
|
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