NexGen Energy has awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract for the front-end engineering design (FEED) stage of the Rook I uranium project in Saskatchewan, Canada, to Hatch, with work well underway.

Hatch, NexGen says, is a leader in project management and engineering and has extensive experience delivering mining projects in Saskatchewan and across Canada.

The awarding of the EPCM contract comes at the conclusion of a tender process involving multiple globally recognised industry firms, according to NexGen. Integrating fully into the owner’s team, Hatch is responsible for providing NexGen with engineering, procurement and execution planning services, along with supporting overall project management.

Following the completion of the Rook I feasibility study in February, NexGen is transitioning into the next stage of advanced project development with the commencement of the FEED stage. This feasibility study outlined a 1,300 t/d operation processing an average feed grade of 2.37% U3O8 and average uranium oxide production of 21.7 MIb/y over the life of mine of 10.7 years from the Arrow deposit.

In line with the optimised project execution strategy, the FEED stage will advance overall engineering to a 40-45% level of completion with associated cost estimate, fully define long-lead procurement actions, and further refine execution planning to prepare the project for the pending construction stage, NexGen said. This FEED stage is scheduled for completion in the September quarter of 2022 and will be undertaken concurrently with the engagement, Environmental Assessment and Licensing workstreams.

The 2021 site investigation program is advancing safely and is planned as a pre-cursor for FEED. Surface investigation field work is now complete, which consisted of test pits and sonic boreholes in locations of planned infrastructure. The collection of confirmational geological, geotechnical and hydrogeologic characterisation data is nearing completion, and early analysis of this data has validated the current designs established in the feasibility study and confirms the understanding of the rock mass proximal to the underground infrastructure and underground tailings management facility, according to NexGen.

Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Advancing into the FEED stage of development is another exciting milestone for the company, and we’re pleased to welcome Hatch to NexGen’s growing high performance team in advancing the Rook I project towards the start of construction. Hatch’s exemplary reputation in the global mining sector and deep understanding of value-driven project delivery aligns perfectly with NexGen’s commitment to elite standards and is a key step in the development of this leading global resource project. In parallel, the drafting of the project’s Environmental Impact Study and licensing workstreams nearing completion, together with regional exploration targeting new zones of potential ‘Arrow-type’ mineralisation, further exemplifies the NexGen team’s commitment to the successful execution of multiple workstreams.”