Mining Intelligence and News
Argentina

Laguna Salada Project

Click for more information

Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePreliminary Economic Assessment
Commodities
  • Uranium
  • Vanadium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Surface miner
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Laguna Salada Project is an advanced exploration project, with defined Inferred and Indicated mineral resources of uranium and vanadium. A preliminary economic assessment, published in September 2014.

The Laguna Salada Project, located in Chubut Province, Argentina, adheres to Provincial Law 5001, which bans open-pit metal mining and cyanide use for gold extraction. Planned mining will involve continuous techniques restoring original topography, leaving no open pits, and processing without cyanide. These methods align with current provincial legislation, subject to approval of an environmental impact assessment by the provincial government.

Jaguar Uranium collaborates with industry-leading partners to expedite exploration and permitting processes, ensuring efficient advancement of their projects.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Jaguar Uranium Corp. 100 % Indirect
On July 22, 2024, IsoEnergy Ltd. completed the sale to Jaguar Uranium Corp. of 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of a wholly-owned subsidiary of IsoEnergy, which holds, indirectly, a 100% interest in the Laguna Salada Project located in Chubut and the Huemul Project located in Mendoza (together the “Properties”).

Contractors

Lock

- subscription is required.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

Uranium-vanadium mineralisation in the Laguna Salada Project has the principal characteristics of surficial uranium deposits according to the classification of Toens et al., 1984.

Two principal styles of uranium-vanadium mineralisation have been identified at Laguna Salada as follows:

- Of principal economic interest is a tabular, gently undulating layer that contains yellow-green uranium-vanadium minerals at shallow depth within unconsolidated, sandy gravel. This style of mineralisation occurs in the Guanaco and Lago Seco areas in gravel-dominated clastic facies of different ages – Pleistocene at Guanaco and Holocene at Lago Seco. Powdery and finely crystalline uranium-vanadium minerals occur between the grains in the sandy matrix of the gravel and also as partial coatings on sand grains and clasts. Studies indicate that approximately 10% of the contained uranium occurs as rinds on clasts. Carnotite (K2(UO2)2(VO4)2.3H2O) is the dominant uranium-vanadium mineral and has a variable habit from slightly cohesive to compact masses of crystals.

- The second style of mineralisation is found in the Buried Lake area where carnotite straddles the unconformity between the gravel sequence and the underlying, organic-rich mudstones. Mineralisation within this layer occurs in interstices in the sandy matrix and on pebbles in the gravel as well as within cracks and associated with organic material in the underlying mudstone. The true potential of this style of mineralisation at Laguna Salada is undefined at this time.

Guanaco Area
Uranium-vanadium mineralisation in the Guanaco area is closely associated with carbonate distribution in the gravel layers of the sedimentary sequence of the Pampa de Arroqui Formation. Mineralisation is generally evident as a yellow-green staining on the sides of trench walls and the generally tabular mineralised zone is marked by abruptly gradational, slightly undulating boundaries that cross-cut contacts between conglomerate and sand layers.

The generally sub-horizontal layer of mineralisation at Guanaco extends from beneath the patchy soil cover to a maximum depth of 3m to 4m. The mineralised area that has grades above 50ppm U3O8 ranges from 0.2m to 2m thick with an average of 0.94m in the Guanaco area. Mineralisation at Guanaco is made up of a number of mineralised sheets, each of which is several square kilometres in extent in which mineralisation shows remarkable continuity. Each mineralised sheet is separated from the next by a gap of lower-grade mineralisation that may be up to 200m wide.

Lago Seco Area
Uranium mineralisation in the Lago Seco sector covers an area of more than 25km² and lies within 1m of surface beneath poorly developed, partial soil cover. The average thickness of the mineralised interval in trenches with grades above 50ppm U3O8 is 0.85m with a range between 0.3m and 1.9m. Mineralisation forms a sub-horizontal layer that is associated with carbonate and gypsum that has formed partially cemented nodules in the gravel and sand facies of the Gran Laguna Salada Formation. The majority of the uranium mineralisation is located in the matrix of the gravel with a lesser component encrusting clasts.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

Lock

- subscription is required.

Production

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Uranium U3O8 M lbs 0.66.4
V2O5 Oxide kt 0.44.3

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs U3O8 USD 21.6 / lb * **  USD
Assumed price U3O8 USD 60 / lb *  USD
Assumed price V2O5 USD 5.5 / lb *  USD
* According to 2014 study / presentation.
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency2024
OP mining costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2014 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
OP OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 127.9
G&A costs $M USD 6
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 5% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 7.5% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

Lock

- subscription is required.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 26, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 18, 2014
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 18, 2014
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 10, 2024

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2014

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.