- Largest
producer of uranium in the United States (2017-2019); assets accounted for
over one-third of nation’s supply since 2006
- Leading
U.S. vanadium producer in 2019 with flexibility to respond to evolving
markets
- Diverse
business opportunities, including alternate feed materials recycling, land
cleanup and rare earths, which all have significant potential to drive
significant cash flow
- Positioned
to benefit from Trump Administration’s pursuit of $1.5B over 10 years to
purchase uranium from U.S. miners, along with other U.S. government
support of domestic production
- Strong
cash, working capital and inventory positions
- Proven
track-record of sustained U.S. market leadership
Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR), based
in Lakewood, Colorado, is the country’s largest producer of uranium and the
leading conventional producer of vanadium, both designated by the U.S.
government as critical minerals.
As the leading U.S. diversified uranium miner, Energy Fuels’
uranium production portfolio stands apart in the world. Energy Fuels has more
uranium production facilities, more production capacity, and more in-ground
resources than any other company in the United States. In fact, the company’s
assets have produced over one-third of all U.S. uranium over the past 15 years
and is uniquely positioned to increase production to meet new demand.
Energy Fuels utilizes both conventional and in-situ recovery
(“ISR”) technology to produce uranium from three strategic facilities:
- White Mesa
Mill in Utah (conventional) has a licensed capacity of over 8 million
pounds of U3O8 per year. The highly strategic White Mesa Mill is the only
conventional uranium mill in the country and is proximate to some of the
largest and highest-grade uranium mines and projects in the U.S.,
including the Company’s Canyon mine, La Sal Complex, Henry Mountains
Complex and Roca Honda Project. White Mesa Mill provides Energy Fuels with
significant production scalability as uranium demand increases. The White
Mesa Mill also has other diverse businesses, including vanadium, rare
earth elements (REE’s), alternate feed materials recycling and land
cleanup, all described below.
- Nichols
Ranch Plant (ISR) is located in the productive Powder River Basin district
of Wyoming and has a total licensed capacity of 2 million pounds of U3O8
per year. Nichols Ranch has produced 1.2 million pounds of U3O8 since
commissioning in 2014, and it has significant future expansion potential
from 34 fully licensed wellfields containing significant in-ground uranium
resources.
- Alta
Mesa Plant (ISR) is located on over 200,000 acres of private land in
Texas. The fully licensed and constructed ISR project has a total
operating capacity of 1.5 million pounds of uranium per year and produced
nearly 5 million pounds of U3O8 between 2005 and 2013. This low-cost
production facility is currently on standby, maintained in a state of
readiness to respond to expected increases in demand.
In addition to being the largest uranium miner in the U.S.,
Energy Fuels’ overall portfolio also includes a pipeline of high-quality,
large-scale exploration and development projects that are permitted or are in
advanced stages of permitting, as well as an industry-leading U.S. NI 43-101
Mineral Resource portfolio.
FACTOID: Energy Fuels has led industry efforts over the past
two-plus years to get the U.S. government to recognize the importance of
domestically produced uranium, including the 2018 – 2019 Uranium Section 232,
the ongoing Nuclear Fuel Working Group and the recently announced creation of
the U.S. strategic uranium reserve. The U.S. is by far the largest consumer of
uranium in the world, yet we import almost all of our requirements; Energy
Fuels aims to change that.
Nuclear Market Potential
Multiple studies in top scientific journals have shown
that nuclear power is cleanest and most economical way to produce reliable
electricity as worldwide demand continues to soar. Nuclear power is presently
the only available and affordable low-carbon power source that can meet both
current and future baseload electricity demands while simultaneously reducing
air pollution and mitigating climate change. U.S. nuclear power plants currently generate nearly
20% of the nation’s electricity overall and 55% of its carbon‐free electricity
and even a modest increase in electricity demand would require significant new
nuclear capacity by 2025. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), there are currently 441
operable reactors, with another 54 units under construction and 439 in various
stages of planning; in addition, the WNA has identified a potentially massive
supply/demand gap through 2040 of 1 billion pounds. These factors among others
are expected to significantly drive increased demand for uranium.
- Nuclear
reactors emit no greenhouse gases during operation. Over their full
lifetimes, they result in comparable emissions to renewable forms of
energy such as wind and solar.
- Unlike
any other form of energy, the waste from nuclear energy is contained and
managed securely. Used fuel is currently being safely stored for ultimate
disposal or future reprocessing, and 96% of this waste can potentially be
recycled.
- Greater
demand for clean electricity to power everything from homes to
automobiles, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
No. 1 U.S. Producer of Vanadium in 2019
Energy Fuels also produces vanadium as a byproduct of
uranium production. Vanadium is designated a critical mineral, essential to the
economic and national security of the United States. Energy Fuels was the
largest producer of vanadium in the U.S. in 2019, and has significant
high-grade, in-ground vanadium resources, as well as a separate high-purity
vanadium production circuit at their White Mesa Mill, which is also the only
conventional vanadium mill in the country. Crucial for use in the steel,
aerospace, and chemical industries, vanadium plays a critical role in the
production of high-strength and light-weight metallic alloys and demand is
expected to increase across the globe.
Energy Fuels has several fully permitted and developed
standby mines containing large quantities of high-grade vanadium, along with
uranium, including:
- La Sal
Complex (Utah)
- Whirlwind
Mine (Colorado/Utah)
- Rim
Mine (Colorado)
Vanadium has also gained increased attention as a catalyst
in next-generation high-capacity, “community-scale” batteries used for energy
storage generated from renewable sources. Demand is only expected to grow as
this market expands. With recent upgrades in its vanadium production
operations, in 2019 Energy Fuels produced commercial levels of the highest
purity (99.7%) vanadium in the mill’s history and can rapidly adjust production
to meet volatile market conditions. Energy Fuels is one of the very few known
avenues that provides investors access the vanadium market.
Rare Earth Element (REE) Production, Alternate Feed
Material Recycling, and Land Cleanup
The White Mesa Mill also provides the company with diverse
cashflow generating opportunities. Security of supply for Rare Earth Elements
(REEs) supporting U.S. military and defense requirements is a major issue
today. Energy Fuels has been approached by a number of entities, including the
U.S. government, inquiring about the potential to process certain REEs at the
mill. The White Mesa Mill is currently licensed to process certain REEs,
including tantalum and niobium. And, early indications are that the mill can be
utilized to produce several other REEs. The White Mesa Mill is also the only
facility in North America licensed and capable of recycling alternate feed
materials (AFMs). AFMs are essentially low-level waste materials that contain
recoverable quantities of natural (or unenriched) uranium. The Company
typically generates between $5 and $15 million per year from AFM recycling.
Finally, Energy Fuels is seeking to become involved in the cleanup of legacy
Cold War era uranium mines in the Four Corners region of the U.S., including on
the Navajo Nation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has access to
over $1.5 billion for the cleanup of just a fraction of the sites on the Navajo
Nation. The White Mesa Mill is fully licensed to receive much of this material,
we are one of the government’s lowest cost options, and we have the ability to
recycle the material and produce usable uranium from it.
Management Team
Mark S. Chalmers, President and CEO
Mark S. Chalmers is the president and chief executive officer of Energy Fuels,
a position he has held since Feb. 1, 2018, following his role as chief
operating officer of Energy Fuels from July 1, 2016 – Jan. 31, 2018. From 2011
to 2015, Chalmers served as executive general manager of Production for Paladin
Energy Ltd., a uranium producer with assets in Australia and Africa, including
the Langer Heinrich and Kayelekera mines where, as head of operations, he
oversaw sustained, significant increases in production while reducing operating
costs. He also possesses extensive experience in in situ recovery (“ISR”)
uranium production, including management of the Beverley Uranium Mine owned by
General Atomics (Australia), and the Highland mine owned by Cameco Corporation
(USA). Chalmers has also consulted to several of the largest players in the
uranium supply sector, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Marubeni, and
until recently served as the chair of the Australian Uranium Council, a
position he held for 10 years. Chalmers is a registered professional engineer
and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from the University of
Arizona.
- Paul
Goranson, COO
W. Paul Goranson is the chief operating officer for Energy Fuels. Goranson has 30 years of mining, processing and regulatory experience in the uranium extraction industry that includes both conventional and in-situ recovery (“ISR”) mining, and he is a registered professional engineer. Prior to the acquisition by Energy Fuels of Uranerz Energy Corporation, Goranson served as president, chief operating officer and director for Uranerz, where he was responsible for operations of the Nichols Ranch ISR Uranium Project. In addition to those duties, he also managed uranium marketing, regulatory and government affairs, exploration and land. Prior to joining Uranerz, Goranson served as president of Cameco Resources, where he led the operations at the Smith Ranch-Highland, Crow Butte and North Butte ISR uranium recovery facilities. Goranson also served as vice president of Mesteña Uranium LLC, and he has served in senior positions with Rio Algom Mining, (a subsidiary of BHP Billiton), and Uranium Resource Inc. Goranson has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Gas Engineering from Texas A&I University, and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
David C. Frydenlund, CFO, General Counsel, Corporate
Secretary
David C. Frydenlund is chief financial officer, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Energy Fuels. His responsibilities include oversight of all legal matters relating to the company’s activities. His expertise extends to NRC, EPA, state and federal regulatory and environmental laws and regulations. From 1997 to 2012, Frydenlund was vice president of regulatory affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary of Denison Mines Corp., and its predecessor International Uranium Corporation (“IUC”). He also served as a director of IUC from 1997 to 2006 and CFO of IUC from 2000 to 2005. From 1996 to 1997, Frydenlund was vice president of the Lundin Group of international public mining and oil and gas companies, and prior thereto was a partner with the Vancouver law firm of Ladner Downs (now Borden Ladner Gervais) where his practice focused on corporate, securities and international mining transactions law. Frydenlund holds a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Simon Fraser University, a master’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Chicago and a law degree from the University of Toronto.
David C. Frydenlund is chief financial officer, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Energy Fuels. His responsibilities include oversight of all legal matters relating to the company’s activities. His expertise extends to NRC, EPA, state and federal regulatory and environmental laws and regulations. From 1997 to 2012, Frydenlund was vice president of regulatory affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary of Denison Mines Corp., and its predecessor International Uranium Corporation (“IUC”). He also served as a director of IUC from 1997 to 2006 and CFO of IUC from 2000 to 2005. From 1996 to 1997, Frydenlund was vice president of the Lundin Group of international public mining and oil and gas companies, and prior thereto was a partner with the Vancouver law firm of Ladner Downs (now Borden Ladner Gervais) where his practice focused on corporate, securities and international mining transactions law. Frydenlund holds a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Simon Fraser University, a master’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Chicago and a law degree from the University of Toronto.
Curtis H. Moore, Vice President of Marketing and
Corporate Development
Curtis H. Moore is the vice president of Marketing and Corporate Development for Energy Fuels. He oversees product marketing for Energy Fuels, and is closely involved in mergers & acquisitions, investor relations, public relations, and corporate legal. He has been with Energy Fuels for over 12 years, holding various roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining Energy Fuels, Moore worked in multi-family real estate development, government relations and public affairs, production homebuilding, and private law practice. Moore is a licensed attorney in the State of Colorado. He holds Juris Doctor and MBA degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Bachelor of Arts dual degree in Economics-Government from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California.
Curtis H. Moore is the vice president of Marketing and Corporate Development for Energy Fuels. He oversees product marketing for Energy Fuels, and is closely involved in mergers & acquisitions, investor relations, public relations, and corporate legal. He has been with Energy Fuels for over 12 years, holding various roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining Energy Fuels, Moore worked in multi-family real estate development, government relations and public affairs, production homebuilding, and private law practice. Moore is a licensed attorney in the State of Colorado. He holds Juris Doctor and MBA degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Bachelor of Arts dual degree in Economics-Government from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.EnergyFuels.com
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates
relating to UUUU are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/UUUU
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