Alligator Energy advances Samphire uranium project towards 2030 production target
Alligator Energy has outlined the next phase of growth for the Samphire uranium project in South Australia, with resource expansion, feasibility studies and drilling programs helping for a pathway towards a potential production start into 2030.
The company’s latest investor presentation highlighted continued progress at Samphire, including a 67 per cent increase in the mineral resource estimate to 30 million pounds of uranium oxide following the inclusion of the Plumbush deposit.
The project’s current resource base includes 18 million pounds of uranium oxide at Blackbush and 12 million pounds at Plumbush, with Alligator targeting further growth through ongoing drilling.
A major recent milestone was completion of the Samphire Field Recovery Trial (FRT) in June, which the company said met or exceeded industry benchmarks and its previous forecasts. The trial achieved a 70 per cent uranium recovery benchmark over 70 pore volumes, while uranium grade and flow rates exceeded peer averages.
Alligator said the results provide key inputs for the project’s feasibility study and mining lease application, with the feasibility study targeted for completion in mid-2027.
The company is now progressing an accelerated drilling campaign aimed at increasing the mineral resource estimate, extending the southern limits of Blackbush and converting portions of the Plumbush inferred resource into higher-confidence categories.
Around 300 drill holes are planned through to the end of November 2027, with recent drilling already extending uranium mineralisation 600m south of Blackbush.
Samphire is located approximately 20m from Whyalla in South Australia, with Alligator highlighting the region’s existing infrastructure, local workforce and supportive uranium operating environment as key advantages for development.
The company’s 2023 scoping study outlined annual production of 1.2 million pounds of uranium oxide, with a post-tax net present value of $257 million and an internal rate of return of 42 per cent based on a long-term uranium price assumption of $US75 per pound.
Beyond Samphire, Alligator is also continuing exploration at its Big Lake uranium project in the Cooper Basin, where the company is assessing potential for a larger uranium province.
Alligator said the combination of resource growth, successful recovery testing and ongoing exploration provides multiple opportunities to advance its goal of becoming Australia’s next uranium producer.