Ur-Energy has shipped its first commercial uranium from the Shirley Basin mine in Wyoming, marking the site transition from development to production and making the company a dual-asset domestic uranium producer.
The shipment, announced August 21, comes roughly four months after mining operations commenced at Shirley Basin in April 2026. It represents the first uranium output from the Carbon County site since Pathfinder Mines shut it down in 1992 amid a global price collapse.
Birthplace of In-Situ Recovery Mining Returns
Shirley Basin holds a unique place in US nuclear fuel history. In-situ recovery, or ISR, a technique that uses groundwater chemistry to dissolve uranium underground without open-pit or underground excavation, was pioneered at the site beginning in 1963. The district produced over 28 million pounds of uranium before conventional operations ceased, with an estimated 51 million pounds recovered across the broader Shirley Basin area.
Ur-Energy acquired Pathfinder Mines in 2013 and spent nearly a decade rebuilding the former conventional project into a modern ISR operation. The company completed wellfield installation, constructed ion exchange columns, and secured all major permits before commencing initial operations in April 2026.
The uranium-bearing solution captured at Shirley Basin is shipped to Ur-Energy existing Lost Creek ISR facility approximately 50 miles to the west for processing, creating an integrated two-site operation across south-central Wyoming.
Combined Capacity Targets 4.2 Million Pounds
The Shirley Basin project carries a licensed annual capacity of up to 2 million pounds of U3O8 equivalent, while Lost Creek adds another 2.2 million pounds. Together, the two facilities give Ur-Energy a combined licensed production and toll processing capacity of 4.2 million pounds of uranium oxide per year.
The Shirley Basin site holds measured and indicated mineral resources of approximately 9.1 million pounds of U3O8 at an average grade of 0.22 percent, with an anticipated mine life of nine years across three shallow ISR units.
Launching initial operations marks a pivotal achievement in Ur-Energy growth strategy and plan to expand US uranium production capacity, CEO Matt Gili said in April when mining commenced.
US Supply Gap Drives Domestic Production Push
The milestone arrives as the United States seeks to rebuild its domestic uranium supply chain. The US currently mines only a fraction of the uranium needed to fuel its 93 operating nuclear reactors, relying heavily on imports from Canada, Kazakhstan, Australia, and Russia. Federal policy, including the HALEU fuel program and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Consortium under the Defense Production Act, is actively encouraging domestic production.
The broader nuclear renaissance adds urgency. Advanced reactor pilot programs, small modular reactor deployments, and data center power agreements are driving demand forecasts higher. At the same time, global supply deficits have pushed uranium spot prices to levels that make domestic ISR mining economically viable after decades of inactivity.
Ur-Energy is also evaluating a third Wyoming project, Lost Soldier, with a technical report expected by year-end 2026 that could add further optionality to the company pipeline.
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