Anfield Energy starts blasting at historic Velvet-Wood uranium mine in Utah
The Velvet deposit produced about 4 million pounds of U₃O₈ between 1979 and 1984.
Anfield Energy, a Canadian uranium exploration company, has initiated underground blasting operations at its Velvet-Wood project in San Juan County, Utah. This marks the first such blast at the site in nearly four decades and is a significant milestone in the company's ongoing rehabilitation and development efforts. Velvet-Wood, which produced around 4 million pounds of uranium oxide (U₃O₈) between 1979 and 1984, has now had its first 700 feet of the decline rehabilitated.
The rehabilitation work includes installing rock bolts, wire mesh for improved ground support, building roads, mucking (removing waste rock from the decline), surveying, and installing mine ventilation and utilities. These include a primary surface ventilation fan, air compressor, air line, water line, electrical power, and communication infrastructure.
The company is also nearly complete with constructing a water treatment plant and installing a dewatering pump, with testing and sampling expected to begin in the coming weeks. Anfield Energy currently holds over 20 uranium assets in its pipeline across the Western US, with Velvet-Wood being the closest to production. The Utah government selected the site for fast-tracked permitting under the Trump administration's efforts to boost domestic production of critical minerals.
Velvet-Wood encompasses two areas, holding a total of 4.6 million pounds of uranium oxide equivalent in the measured and indicated category, plus 552,000 pounds in the inferred category. Most of the ongoing work will be conducted underground, targeting known mineral deposits left from previous operations. Anfield Energy CEO Corey Dias stated that completing the first underground blast at Velvet-Wood is a concrete step toward rehabilitating the decline and advancing the project toward dewatering the historic workings.
The Utah state and local officials' continued engagement underscores support for responsible development of domestic uranium and vanadium resources. Anfield Energy remains focused on advancing Velvet-Wood as a key component of its hub-and-spoke strategy centered on the Shootaring Canyon Mill.
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