Bannerman Energy has expressed increased confidence about the future of its Etango-8 Project, driven by the recent spike in uranium prices to a 15-year high of N$1,460 per pound (US$80 per pound) of U3O8.
Bannerman’s Executive Chairman, Brandon Munro, said the company is confident in the Etango-8 Project’s potential to generate significant shareholder value, driven by the sustained strength of the uranium market.
The company is actively progressing towards a Final Investment Decision (FID) in the second half of 2024, supported by its robust financial position and ongoing market development efforts.
“We remain focused on achieving a positive Final Investment Decision later this year, leveraging an improving market outlook for uranium and the underlying quality of the Etango resource to meet growing demand,” he said.
The mining giant’s cash reserves reached N$1.2 billion (A$100 million) at the end of the quarter. This substantial increase follows the successful completion of a two-tranche equity placement that raised N$1 billion (A$85 million).
The company received a first tranche payment of N$910 million (A$75.7 million) in early July, boosting its cash reserves to N$1.2 billion when combined with the quarter-end balance of N$290 million (A$24 million).
“Our successful capital raise strengthens our financial position, enabling us to progress with detailed design and early works construction,” he said.
Munro further explained that the company has made significant progress on the Etango-8 Project, completing the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) and Control Budget Estimate (CBE) processes, and refining the December 2022 Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) outcomes.
These achievements are coupled with the commencement of detailed design and early works construction.
“We steadily built project momentum throughout the June quarter, further positioning Bannerman as a forerunner amongst the small group of companies in advanced development of uranium mines globally. The completion of FEED and CBE processes this quarter represents a significant milestone in the de-risking and advancement of the Etango-8 Project,” Munro said.
Bannerman Energy is an Australian-based company specialising in uranium development. Its primary focus is the Etango Uranium project in Namibia.