Lotus Resources has provided results from its latest metallurgical testwork programme for its Letlhakane Uranium Project in Botswana (Letlhakane), which assessed and demonstrated the viability of a reduced acid flowsheet for uranium processing.
Letlhakane is a large-scale development project, complementing Lotus’ Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Malawi, which recently commenced uranium production.
Highlights
- Metallurgical testwork supports a low acid processing opportunity at Letlhakane
- A low acid consuming flowsheet is viable at the current uranium price with approximately 70% reduction in acid consumption at a 6-8% reduction in uranium recovery
- Preferred new processing flowsheet removes solvent extraction
- Processing and mining studies for Letlhakane are ongoing, including:
- Engineering to redesign process flowsheet and estimated capital costs
- Process modelling of the lab heap leach results to define new mass balance
- Investigating optimal mining approach and methodology
- Lotus is also undertaking resource infill drilling at Letlhakane to upgrade its current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 142.2Mt at 363ppm U₃O₈ for 113.7Mlb
- Metallurgical testwork and an updated MRE will support a comprehensive Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for Letlhakane, scheduled for completion in 2H CY2026
Lotus Managing Director Greg Bittar commented: “This testwork reinforces the potential of Letlhakane to become a significant uranium operation, alongside our production at Kayelekera, as the long-term uranium price environment strengthens. The multiple column leach testwork demonstrates the ability to substantially reduce acid consumption, by up to 70%, and hence reduce operating costs as well as delivering a simplified processing flowsheet. We have recently commenced further drilling to upgrade Letlhakane’s MRE of 113.7Mlb grading 363ppm U₃O₈. The results will increase confidence in the MRE and feed into the PFS for Letlhakane, which we plan to finalise during the second half of next year. Combined with production from our Kayelekera project, Letlhakane will further position Lotus as a globally significant long-term U₃O₈ producer.”
