Energy Fuels Inc. reported that its Pinyon Plain mine in Arizona achieved record uranium production in April 2025. The mine produced 151,400 pounds of U3O8 contained in ore, marking its highest monthly production since mining began last year.
The company mined 4,604 tons of ore with an average grade of 1.64% eU3O8, which it believes is among the highest grades in U.S. uranium mining history. The production rates have steadily increased over the past months, and the company anticipates greater uranium extraction from the deposit than previously reported in its Technical Report from February 2023.
In addition to production increases, the ongoing underground drill program has yielded promising results in a mineralization area known as the “Juniper Zone.” The February 2023 report estimated a mineral resource for the Juniper Zone of 703,000 pounds of U3O8 at an average grade of 0.95% contained in 37,000 tons. New drill results indicate numerous high-grade intercepts, suggesting a potential increase in mineable uranium resources.
A total of 49 core holes were completed in the Juniper Zone drilling program. Highlights from the program include intercepts such as:
- PPCH-028: 13.4 ft with an average grade of 7.02% eU3O8
- PPCH-029: 7.5 ft with an average grade of 7.50% eU3O8
- PPCH-034: 17.5 ft with an average grade of 5.70% eU3O8 including 4.0 ft with an average grade of 20.11% eU3O8
Lakewood-based Energy Fuels plans to conduct further drilling in the Juniper Zone while the president and CEO Mark Chalmers expressed optimism about the results. He indicated that the findings would likely lead to an updated technical report that could enhance uranium reserves and resources.
The Pinyon Plain mine is characterized as a “breccia pipe” deposit of natural uranium, which plays a crucial role in the production of nuclear energy in the U.S. Currently, nuclear energy produces roughly 18% of the nation’s electricity.
Energy Fuels processes ore from the Pinyon Plain and other mines into natural uranium concentrates at its White Mesa Mill in Utah before supplying them to nuclear utilities.