Ur-Energy made the first shipment of uranium from its Shirley Basin mine to the company's Lost Creek processing plant in Wyoming on Aug. 19, marking the start of full operations at the site.

President and Chief Executive Matt Gili said the shipment "is not only the start of full operations at Shirley Basin, it also marks Ur-Energy's transition to a multi-asset, domestic U.S. uranium producer."

Shirley Basin moved from construction decision to production in two and a half years. Initial mining operations began at the site in April 2026, and the State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality granted final authorization to advance to full operations in late June.

The property is Ur-Energy's second in situ recovery operation in Wyoming. Licensed wellfield and toll processing capacity at Shirley Basin runs up to 2.0 million pounds of uranium oxide equivalent. In situ recovery circulates a leaching solution through the ore body underground and pumps the loaded solution to surface for processing, which avoids conventional open pit or underground mining.

Domestic uranium production remains far below domestic reactor requirements. US utilities consume roughly 46 to 47 million pounds a year against a domestic output figure that has recovered only partially from a period when the sector was effectively shut down.

Other US producers reported activity during the same period. Energy Fuels released second quarter results on Aug. 5 and has produced about two thirds of all US uranium since 2017, operating the country's only conventional uranium mill.

Source: World Nuclear News - https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/ur-energy-makes-first-shipment-from-wyoming-uranium-project