Anfield Energy, Inc. (TSX.V: AEC; OTCQB: ANLDF; FRANKFURT:
0AD) (“Anfield” or “the Company”) is pleased to
provide a corporate review of 2023 and discuss its 2024 plans.
Anfield continues its advance towards U.S.-based uranium and
vanadium production and is poised to benefit from the escalating
world-wide demand for uranium.
Corey Dias, Anfield CEO states, “We at Anfield
are very proud of our transformational 2023 accomplishments to meet
our production goals. Given our 2023 accomplishments and continued
furtherance of our two-fold production strategy – underpinned by
the licensed, permitted and constructed Shootaring Canyon mill – we
expect to see the valuation gap between Anfield and other producing
and near-producing peers narrow significantly in 2024.
Significant accomplishments were made throughout
2023 which will propel the Company forward in 2024. Notably, we
established the viability of our asset portfolio by both finalizing
and issuing the first Preliminary Economic Assessment of our core
assets. It provided us with a baseline from which to pursue
additional “spokes” in our hub-and-spoke production strategy –
while expanding our potential capacity – and to incorporate
additional internal and external uranium and vanadium projects into
our production roadmap. Moreover, our ability to raise sufficient
funds to both advance our existing asset portfolio and acquire
complementary assets proved an important step in progressing our
strategy.
To Anfield’s advantage, in the last decade and a
half the timing has never been better for entering into the
production and sale of uranium. At the same time, however, barriers
for new companies to enter into production are steep. Uniquely,
Anfield is in the right place at the right time with the right
assets -- and has cleared major hurdles for a production
decision.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COMPANY’S 2023
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Shootaring Canyon Mill and Core Asset
Advancement -
- Received
a Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Company’s Hub-And-Spoke
production plan which incorporated the Shootaring Canyon mill, the
core Velvet-Wood and the Slick Rock Projects.
The Company commissioned BRS, Inc., an
engineering firm, to complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment for
its hub-and-spoke uranium and vanadium production plan which
incorporated Anfield’s Shootaring Canyon Mill, and the core
Velvet-Wood and Slick Rock assets. The PEA returned a Net Present
Value (NPV) of US$238 million using a discount rate of 8%, a
uranium price of US$70 per pound (the current spot price is over
US$100 per pound) and a vanadium price of US$12 per pound.
- Widened
the scope of its Precision Systems Engineering engagement to
incorporate an increase in Shootaring’s mill throughput and
output.
In November 2022, Anfield announced that it had commissioned
Precision Systems Engineering (PSE), a Utah-based engineering firm,
to complete a reactivation proposal for the Shootaring Canyon mill.
In 2023, following the completion of the reactivation proposal, the
Company widened the scope of its engagement of PSE to incorporate –
in an updated plan for the Company’s License upgrade submittal – an
increase to the Shootaring Canyon mill’s throughput to 1,000 tons
per day from 750 tons per day and, separately, expanding
Shootaring’s licensed uranium production capacity to 3 million
pounds per year from its current 1 million pounds per year.
- Applied
for a drill program permit for its Slick Rock uranium and vanadium
project in Colorado.
The Company, through BRS, submitted an
application to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a
drilling permit to conduct a 20-hole drill program at its Slick
Rock project in Colorado. This drilling will allow Anfield to
further develop its mine plan as it advances Slick Rock to
production-ready status.
Pipeline for Secondary Production
-
- Acquired
the Marquez-Juan Tafoya uranium project in New Mexico, now the
largest-single uranium resource in Anfield’s
portfolio.
Anfield acquired the Marquez-Juan Tafoya uranium
project in New Mexico. The project was purchased with a combination
of cash and equity, resulting in enCore Energy becoming Anfield’s
largest single shareholder. Marquez-Juan Tafoya is the anchor asset
for Anfield’s secondary production plan, which primarily consists
of this asset and the Company’s Arizona and Utah holdings (see
below).
- Acquired
and expanded Arizona-based Artillery Peak claims to complement
Anfield’s existing Date Creek Basin holdings.
The Company acquired a 100% interest in 50 unpatented mining
claims and staked an additional 54 claims in the uranium-rich
Artillery Peak project area which are adjacent to Anfield’s current
properties in Date Creek Basin. This combined project will form
part of Anfield’s two-fold strategy as it represents an important
piece of the Company’s secondary production pipeline to complement
Anfield’s core production assets.
- Acquired
the Dripping Springs Quartzite project in Arizona.
In 2023, Anfield acquired the Dripping Springs
Quartzite project in Arizona, a project that lies within a region
in which eight past-producing mines are located. It also sits close
to both Anfield’s other Arizona holdings and the Workman Creek
project held by another uranium company.
- Acquired
Calf Mesa and Marysvale projects in Utah, increasing Anfield’s
secondary asset pool.
In 2023, Anfield acquired the Calf Mesa and
Maryvale uranium projects in Utah. These projects form part of
Anfield’s secondary production plan and are located in close
proximity to the Shootaring Canyon mill.
- Acquired
additional claims in Utah.
Anfield acquired an additional 175 claims in
Utah in close proximity to the Shootaring Canyon mill.
Equity And Debt Capital Raises
–
- Raised
approximately $12 million in a combination of equity and debt to
fund both acquisitions and asset advancement.
Anfield raised approximately $12 million through
a combination of both equity and debt which provided the Company
with sufficient funds to both acquire the Marquez-Juan Tafoya
uranium project in New Mexico and fund the advancement of its
uranium and vanadium assets.
CATALYSTS FOR 2024
-
Submittal of Shootaring Canyon Mill uranium production
restart application with the State of Utah in Q1/24.
Anfield plans to submit its Shootaring Canyon
Mill uranium production restart application with the State of Utah
in Q1/24. This is a milestone event for the Company, as it will
move Anfield’s current Radioactive Materials License from its
current standby status to operational status which, critically,
would position Anfield to commence uranium production once
refurbishment of Shootaring is completed. The review is expected to
take approximately 12 months, during which time Anfield will be
able to commence initial refurbishment at the mill. Completion of
the refurbishment of the mill is expected to be completed
approximately 12 months following the License upgrade, resulting in
a 24-month timeframe from restart application submittal to
completion of mill refurbishment.
-
Acquisition of 12 additional DoE leases to strengthen
Anfield’s primary uranium and vanadium production
pipeline.
Anfield recently reached an agreement to acquire
an additional 12 DoE leases in Colorado to complement the 9 leases
acquired via the Company’s acquisition of the West Slope properties
from Cotter Corporation in 2018. Anfield now holds 21 of the 31 DoE
leases in Colorado, underscoring the Company’s commitment to the
pursuit of uranium and vanadium production in this State. The
assets are considered as part of Anfield’s production pipeline,
providing additional flexibility in terms of economies of scale and
the opportunity to initially focus on the most prospective leases
within the DoE lease portfolio.
- Updated
Preliminary Economic Assessment which will include additional
uranium and vanadium projects already held within Anfield’s asset
portfolio.
Anfield expects to issue an updated Preliminary
Economic Assessment (PEA) for Shootaring, Velvet Wood and Slick
Rock, given the improvement in the uranium price since the
publication of the initial PEA. In addition, an updated PEA will
likely include additional uranium and vanadium assets from within
Anfield’s portfolio, potentially including both the recent
transaction by which Anfield acquired 12 Department of Energy (DoE)
leases in Colorado and the West Slope project. This PEA is
important to Anfield’s hub-and-spoke strategy as we expect it to
underscore the significant inherent value and attractiveness of the
Company’s uranium and vanadium production assets under an expanded
production scenario.
-
Acquisition of additional uranium and vanadium
assets.
The Company continues to seek out additional
uranium and vanadium projects to buttress both its primary
hub-and-spoke production pipeline and secondary resources in order
to create a long-term production portfolio underpinned by the
Shootaring Canyon mill.
-
Increasing world demand for nuclear energy and uranium
supplies.
The macro view of the nuclear and uranium
markets is strongly positive. With a shift away from Russia, the
value of European and North American uranium conversion and
enrichment has increased significantly as these continents look to
not only pivot from Russian-sourced fossil fuels but to also
embrace nuclear power. In fact, legislation introduced in U.S.
Congress seeks to prohibit the import of enriched uranium from
Russia, accelerating the need for increased Western capacity.
Moreover, the challenges related to Kazakhstan’s uranium supply
chain have already disrupted product flow to the West. As a result,
China has taken the opportunity to seek closer ties to Kazakhstan
as it continues to build out its extensive nuclear reactor fleet,
negatively affecting uranium supplies available to the U.S. and
other Western countries.
At the same time, product flow from the West to
the East is increasing. Cameco signed a contract to sell uranium to
China Nuclear International Corporation for first loads in new
reactors and for supplying existing reactors. In addition, Cameco
has signed a long-term contract with Ukraine’s Energoatom to supply
it with uranium hexafluoride (consisting of uranium and conversion
services) through 2035. Finally, Cameco’s acquisition of 49% of the
nuclear giant Westinghouse, to become a worldwide full-service
nuclear business, has presented further prospects for a stronger
market.
In the U.S., the National Nuclear Security
Administration’s Uranium Reserve awarded five contracts for
near-term supply of uranium and the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust
purchased millions of pounds of uranium on the spot market, further
removing supply from the market. Moreover, the US government’s
creation of a 200GW energy roadmap to expand domestic milling and
mining operations by 500,000MT per year – 110 million pounds of
uranium per year – is a significant catalyst for US-based
producers. This is taking place while U.S. uranium production fell
to essentially zero in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Significantly, Japan has begun to restart its
nuclear reactors, extend the life of others and commission
additional ones, underscoring Japan’s 180-degree turn regarding
nuclear. This decision reflects the worldwide recognition of the
need for new reactors to meet population increases, economic
growth, electrical intensification and the critical task of meeting
carbon emission targets. The requirement for increased baseload
supply is sizeable. In fact, Ontario’s Independent System Operator
(IESO) projects that electricity demand in Ontario could more than
double in the next 26 years. The worldwide requirement for major
new baseload supply is being met with plans in many countries for
both large-scale (1GW) reactors and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
The World Nuclear Association currently in January 2024 records
that there are 61 reactors under construction world-wide and
another 113 reactors planned. In short, it is a story of supply and
demand; demand is rapidly growing, while supply is shrinking.
Qualified Persons
Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G., principal engineer
at BRS Inc., is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and has
reviewed and approved the technical content of this news
release.
About Anfield
Anfield is a uranium and vanadium development
and near-term production company that is committed to becoming a
top-tier energy-related fuels supplier by creating value through
sustainable, efficient growth in its assets. Anfield is a publicly
traded corporation listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (AEC-V), the
OTCQB Marketplace (ANLDF) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (0AD).
Anfield is focused on its conventional asset centre, as summarized
below:
Arizona/Utah/Colorado – Shootaring Canyon Mill
A key asset in Anfield’s portfolio is the
Shootaring Canyon Mill in Garfield County, Utah. The Shootaring
Canyon Mill is strategically located within one of the historically
most prolific uranium production areas in the United States, and is
one of only three licensed uranium mills in the United States.
Anfield’s conventional uranium assets consist of
mining claims and state leases in southeastern Utah, Colorado, and
Arizona, targeting areas where past uranium mining or prospecting
occurred. Anfield’s conventional uranium assets include the
Velvet-Wood Project, the Slick Rock Project, the West Slope
Project, the Frank M Uranium Project, the Findlay Tank breccia pipe
as well as an additional 12 U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) leases
in Colorado. A combined NI 43-101 PEA has been completed for the
Velvet-Wood Project and the Slick Rock Project. The PEA is
preliminary in nature, and includes inferred mineral resources that
are considered too speculative geologically to have economic
considerations applied to them that would enable them to be
categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the
preliminary economic assessment would be realized. All conventional
uranium assets are situated within a 200-mile radius of the
Shootaring Mill.
See table and footnote below for additions.
Technical Disclosure
Table 1. Anfield’s existing conventional
uranium-vanadium project portfolio resources.
Project |
Location |
Classification |
Tons (kt) |
UraniumGrade(%
U3O8) |
Contained Uranium(Mlbs
U3O8) |
VanadiumGrade(%
V2O5) |
Contained Vanadium(Mlbs
V2O5) |
Velvet-Wood |
Utah |
M & I |
811 |
0.29% |
4.6 |
- |
|
- |
|
|
Inferred |
87 |
0.32% |
0.6 |
0.404% |
7.3 |
West Slope |
Colorado |
Indicated |
1,367 |
0.197% |
5.4 |
- |
|
- |
|
|
Inferred |
1,367 |
- |
|
- |
0.984% |
26.9 |
|
|
Historic* |
630 |
0.31% |
3.9 |
1.59% |
20.0 |
Slick Rock |
Colorado |
Inferred |
1,760 |
0.224% |
7.9 |
1.35% |
47.1 |
Frank M |
Utah |
Historic* |
1,137 |
0.101% |
2.3 |
- |
|
- |
Findlay Tank |
Arizona |
Historic* |
211 |
0.226% |
1.0 |
- |
|
- |
Date Creek/Artillery Peak |
Arizona |
Historic* |
2,602 |
0.054% |
2.8 |
|
|
Marquez-Juan Tafoya |
New Mexico |
Historic* |
7,100 |
0.127% |
18.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* The Company’s Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to
classify these historic estimates as current mineral resources and
Anfield is not treating such historical resources as current
mineral resources.
Velvet-Wood: The PEA for Velvet-Wood/Slick Rock
was authored by Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G. Principal Engineer, of
BRS Inc., Harold H. Hutson, P.E., P.G., Carl D. Warren, P.E., P.G.,
and Terence P. (Terry) McNulty, P.E., D. Sc., of T.P. McNulty and
Associates Inc. (May 6, 2023). Mineral resources are not mineral
reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability in
accordance with CIM standards. GT cut-off varies by locality from
0.25%-0.50%.
West Slope: NI 43-101 resource estimate for the
JD-6, JD-7, JD-8 and JD-9 properties, completed by BRS Inc.
(effective March 2022); Historic resource estimate for the SR-11,
SR-13A, SM-18 N, SM-18 S, LP-21 and CM-25 properties, completed by
Behre Dolbear for Cotter Corporation (August 2007). Indicated and
Inferred resources using GT cut-off of 0.1 ft% eU3O8; historic
resources using cut-off of 0.05% U3O8.
Slick Rock: The PEA for Velvet-Wood/Slick Rock
was authored by Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G. Principal Engineer, of
BRS Inc., Harold H. Hutson, P.E., P.G., Carl D. Warren, P.E., P.G.,
and Terence P. (Terry) McNulty, P.E., D. Sc., of T.P. McNulty and
Associates Inc. (May 6, 2023). Mineral resources are not mineral
reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability in
accordance with CIM standards. GT cut-off varies by locality from
0.25%-0.50%.
Frank M: Historic Technical Report for Frank M,
prepared for Uranium One Americas, was authored by Douglas L.
Beahm, P.E., P.G. Principal Engineer of BRS Inc., and Andrew C.
Anderson, P.E., P.G. Senior Engineer/Geologist of BRS Inc., dated
June 10, 2008. Frank M historic resource used a GT cut-off of
0.25%.
Findlay Tank: Historic Technical Report for
Findlay Tank, prepared for Uranium One Americas, was authored by
Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G. Principal Engineer of BRS Inc., dated
October 2, 2008. Findlay Tank historic resource used a grade
cut-off of 0.05% eU3O8.
Artillery Peak: Artillery Peak Exploration
Project, Mohave County, Arizona, 43-101 Technical Report, authored
by Dr. Karen Wenrich, October 12, 2010. GT cut-off varies by
locality from 0.01%-0.05%.
Marquez-Juan Tafoya: The Historical Technical
Report, Preliminary Economic Assessment, for Marquez-Juan Tafoya,
prepared for Uranium Energy Corporation, was authored by Douglas L.
Beahm, P.E., P.G., Principal Engineer of BRS Inc., and Terence P.
McNulty, P.E., PhD, McNulty & Associates, dated June 9, 2021.
The mineral resources are reported at a 0.60 GT cut-off.
On behalf of the Board of
DirectorsANFIELD ENERGY INC.Corey Dias, Chief
Executive Officer
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.Contact:Anfield Energy, Inc.Clive
MostertCorporate
Communications780-920-5044contact@anfieldenergy.comwww.anfieldenergy.com
Safe Harbor Statement
THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS “FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS”. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE THAT ARE NOT PURELY
HISTORICAL ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INCLUDE ANY
STATEMENTS REGARDING BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS
REGARDING THE FUTURE.
EXCEPT FOR THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION PRESENTED
HEREIN, MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAIN
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RISKS AND
UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY
FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR
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FACTS, INCLUDING STATEMENTS THAT ARE PRECEDED BY, FOLLOWED BY, OR
THAT INCLUDE SUCH WORDS AS “ESTIMATE,” “ANTICIPATE,” “BELIEVE,”
“PLAN” OR “EXPECT” OR SIMILAR STATEMENTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING
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ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH MINERAL EXPLORATION
AND FUNDING AS WELL AS THE RISKS SHOWN IN THE COMPANY’S MOST RECENT
ANNUAL AND QUARTERLY REPORTS AND FROM TIME-TO-TIME IN OTHER
PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY. OTHER RISKS
INCLUDE RISKS ASSOCIATED FUTURE CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE
COMPANY’S ABILITY AND LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR ITS EXPLORATION AND
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COMPANY’S EXPLORATION EFFORTS WILL SUCCEED OR THE COMPANY WILL
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STATEMENTS ARE MADE AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, AND THE
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STATEMENTS, OR TO UPDATE THE REASONS WHY ACTUAL RESULTS COULD
DIFFER FROM THOSE PROJECTED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.
ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY BELIEVES THAT THE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS
AND INTENTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE ARE REASONABLE, THERE
CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THOSE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR
INTENTIONS WILL PROVE TO BE ACCURATE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSIDER ALL
OF THE INFORMATION SET FORTH HEREIN AND SHOULD ALSO REFER TO THE
RISK FACTORS DISCLOSED IN THE COMPANY’S PERIODIC REPORTS FILED FROM
TIME-TO-TIME.
THIS NEWS RELEASE HAS BEEN PREPARED BY
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY WHO TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS
CONTENTS.
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