Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business
 
Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC: NYSE AMERICAN) is a fast growing, uranium mining company listed on the NYSE American. UEC is working towards fueling the global demand for carbon-free nuclear energy, a key solution to climate change, and energy source for the low-carbon future.
 
UEC is a pure-play uranium company and is advancing its next generation of low-cost, environmentally friendly, In-Situ Recovery (“ISR”) mining uranium projects. The Company has two extraction ready ISR hub and spoke platforms in South Texas and Wyoming, anchored by fully licensed and operational processing capacity at its Hobson and Irigaray plants.
 
UEC also has seven U.S. ISR uranium projects with all of their major permits in place, with additional diversified holdings of uranium assets across the U.S., Canada and Paraguay.
 
We believe nuclear energy will continue to be an important part of the energy transition and the energy mix of a future low carbon economy. As such, we are focused on scaling our business to meet the future energy needs for nuclear in the U.S. and globally.
 
Corporate Organization
 
Uranium Energy Corp. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on May 16, 2003 under the name Carlin Gold Inc. During 2004 we changed our business operations and focus from precious metals exploration to uranium exploration in the United States. On January 24, 2005, we completed a reverse stock split of our common stock on the basis of one share for each two outstanding shares and amended our Articles of Incorporation to change our name to Uranium Energy Corp. Effective February 28, 2006, we completed a forward stock split of our common stock on the basis of 1.5 shares for each outstanding share and amended our Articles of Incorporation to increase our authorized capital from 75,000,000 shares of common stock, with a par value of $0.001 per share, to 750,000,000 shares of common stock, with a par value of $0.001 per share. In June 2007 we changed our fiscal year end from December 31 st to July 31 st (in each instance our “Fiscal” year now).
 
On December 31, 2007, we incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, UEC Resources Ltd., under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada. On December 18, 2009, we acquired a 100% interest in the South Texas Mining Venture, L.L.P. (“STMV”), a Texas limited liability partnership, from each of URN Resources Inc., a subsidiary of Uranium One Inc., and Everest Exploration, Inc. On September 3, 2010, we incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, UEC Paraguay Corp., under the laws of the State of Nevada. On May 24, 2011, we acquired a 100% interest in Piedra Rica Mining S.A., a private company incorporated in Paraguay. On September 9, 2011, we acquired a 100% interest in Concentric Energy Corp. (“Concentric”), a private company incorporated in the State of Nevada.  On March 30, 2012, we acquired a 100% interest in Cue Resources Ltd. (“Cue”), a formerly publicly-traded company incorporated in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. On March 4, 2016, we acquired a 100% interest in JDL Resources Inc., a private company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. On July 7, 2017, we acquired a 100% interest in CIC Resources (Paraguay) Inc., a private company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. On August 9, 2017, we acquired a 100% interest in AUC Holdings (US), Inc. (“AUC”). On January 31, 2018, we incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, UEC Resources (SK) Corp., under the laws of the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada. On December 17, 2021, we acquired a 100% interest in Uranium One Americas, Inc. (“U1A”) (now UEC Wyoming Corp.).
 
Our principal office is located at 1030 West Georgia Street, Suite 1830, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6E 2Y3.
 
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General Business
 
UEC’s goal is to provide the much needed fuel for the global energy transition. The International Energy Outlook projects that worldwide electricity generation will grow by 1.8% per year, through to 2050. As the global community calls on all governments and industries to curb their carbon emissions to stop the effects of climate change, there is growing need to combine intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, with one or more “firm” zero-carbon sources, such as nuclear energy, to ensure the affordability and accessibility of the net-zero electricity grid.
 
We are predominantly engaged in uranium mining and related activities, including exploration, pre-extraction, extraction and processing, on uranium projects located in the United States, Canada and the Republic of Paraguay.  We utilize ISR mining where possible which we believe, when compared to conventional open pit or underground mining, requires lower capital and operating expenditures with a shorter lead time to extraction and a reduced impact on the environment. We do not expect, however, to utilize ISR mining for all of our uranium projects in which case we would expect to rely on conventional open pit and/or underground mining techniques.  We have one uranium mine located in the State of Texas, our Palangana Mine, which utilizes ISR mining and commenced extraction of uranium oxide (“U 3 O 8 ”), or yellowcake, in November 2010. We have one uranium processing facility located in the State of Texas, our Hobson Processing Facility, which processes material from our ISR Mines into drums of U 3 O 8 , our only sales product and source of revenue, for shipping to a third-party storage and sales facility.  Since commencement of uranium extraction from our ISR Mines in November 2010 to July 31, 2022, our Hobson Processing Facility has processed 578,000 pounds of U 3 O 8 . As at July 31, 2022, we had no uranium supply or “off-take” agreements in place.
 
Our fully-licensed and 100%-owned Hobson Processing Facility forms the basis for our regional operating strategy in the State of Texas, specifically in the South Texas Uranium Belt, where we utilize ISR mining. We utilize a “hub-and-spoke” strategy whereby the Hobson Processing Facility acts as the central processing site (the “hub”) for our Palangana Mine and future satellite uranium mining activities, such as our Burke Hollow and Goliad Projects, located within the South Texas Uranium Belt (the “spokes”). The Hobson Processing Facility has a physical capacity to process uranium-loaded resins up to a total of two million pounds of U 3 O 8 annually and is licensed to process up to one million pounds of U 3 O 8 annually.
 
As at July 31, 2022, we hold certain mineral rights in various stages in the States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming, in Canada and in the Republic of Paraguay, many of which are located in historically successful mining areas and have been the subject of past exploration and pre-extraction activities by other mining companies. We do not expect, however, to utilize ISR mining for all of our uranium projects in which case we would expect to rely on conventional open pit and/or underground mining techniques.
 
Our operating and strategic framework is based on expanding our uranium extraction activities, which includes advancing certain uranium projects with established mineralized materials towards uranium extraction, and establishing additional mineralized materials on our existing uranium projects or through acquisition of additional uranium projects.
 
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Physical Uranium Program
 
The Company is investing in building the next generation of low-cost and environmentally friendly uranium projects that will be competitive on a global basis. Despite our focus on low cost ISR mining with its low capital requirements, we saw a unique opportunity to purchase drummed uranium at prevailing spot prices which are below most global industry mining costs. Hence, we established a physical uranium portfolio (the “Physical Uranium Program”) and, as of the date of this Annual Report, have entered into agreements to purchase 5.5 million pounds of U.S. warehoused uranium of which various deliveries have, or are scheduled to occur, in March 2022 to December 2025 at the ConverDyn conversion facility located in Metropolis, Illinois, at a volume weighted average price of approximately $37.30 per pound.
 
Our Physical Uranium Program will support three objectives for our Company: (i) to bolster our balance sheet as uranium prices appreciate; (ii) to provide strategic inventory to support future marketing efforts with utilities that could compliment production and accelerate cash flows; and (iii) to increase the availability of our Texas and Wyoming production capacity for emerging U.S. origin specific opportunities which may command premium pricing due to the scarcity of domestic uranium. One such U.S. origin specific opportunity is the Company’s plan to participate in supplying the Uranium Reserve, as outlined in the Nuclear Fuel Working Group report published by the U.S. Department of Energy (the “UR”). 
 
During the year ended July 31, 2022 (“Fiscal 2022”), we made significant advancements in various aspects of our operations, including:
 
 
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we completed the acquisition of Uranium One Americas, Inc. (“U1A”) on December 17, 2021, pursuant to a Share Purchase Agreement dated November 8, 2021 (the “U1A Acquisition”). The acquisition of U1A (now UEC Wyoming Corp.) represented a unique opportunity to acquire an advanced asset base from a subsidiary of Uranium One Inc., one of the global leaders in the nuclear industry, and to double the Company’s production capacity in three key categories: total number of permitted U.S. ISR projects; resources; and processing infrastructure;
 
 
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we repaid the remaining $10 million balance of our secured credit facility on January 31, 2022 and are now completely debt free;
 
 
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we completed and filed technical report summaries (each, a “TRS report”) in accordance with Item 1302 of Regulation S-K (the “S-K 1300”) disclosing mineral resources for each of our Reno Creek, Wyoming ISR Hub and Spoke, Anderson and Yuty Projects on February 8, 2022, April 4, 2022, July 12, 2022 and July 19, 2022, respectively.
 
 
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we launched our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) program and achieved several key milestones;
 
 
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we completed installation of the monitor well ring at Production Area 1 of our Burke Hollow Project;
 
 
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the Company’s shares remain included on the Russell 2000 and Russell 3000 indexes; and
 
 
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we secured an additional 1,816,000 pounds of U.S. warehoused uranium, expanding our Physical Uranium Program to 5.5 million pounds U 3 O 8 , with delivery dates out to December 2025 at a volume weighted average price of approximately $37.30 per pound.
 
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Uranium Industry Background
 
Since the ratification of the Paris Agreement; a legally binding international treaty on climate change that was adopted by 196 parties in Paris on December 15, 2015 and entered into on November 6, 2016; the global community has embarked on a challenging but necessary journey to decarbonize the global energy mix in order to limit global warming to well below a two degree scenario compared to pre-industrial levels. The Paris Agreement reaffirms that developed countries should take the lead in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and more vulnerable, while for the first time also encouraging voluntary contributions by other parties. Climate finance is needed for mitigation, because large-scale investments are required to significantly reduce emissions.
 
According to the International Energy Agency (“IEA”), in order to meet net-zero by 2050 global goals, the global community will need to halt sales of new internal combustion engine passenger cars by 2035, and phase out all unabated coal and oil power plants by 2040.
 
Nuclear energy will play a key role in the future energy mix, due to its consistency and reliability, which other carbon-free energy sources are unable to provide in their current form. According to research conducted by Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, powering the grid with 100% renewables is not the most affordable path towards creating a carbon-free grid. Instead, this research has concluded that the best way to achieve net-zero emissions from the grid is to combine intermittent low-carbon sources, such as wind and solar, with one or more “firm” zero-carbon sources, such as nuclear energy (source: Nuclear Energy: Essential Clean Energy For a Low Carbon Economy, Nuclear Energy Institute).
 
The need for safe, reliable, pollution-free electricity continues to rise as the world’s population grows to new record levels. The world’s population of 8 billion in 2022 is projected to increase over 1% per year to a population near 8.6 billion by 2030. The need for more electricity and efforts to reach global climate change goals with clean energy sources are increasingly important drivers for the projected long-term increase in nuclear power and uranium demand.
 
There has been a new and vibrant interest in nuclear power as more countries realize that nuclear power is indispensable for decarbonizing the globe, stabilizing electrical grids and supplementing intermittent power sources. Elevated interest in nuclear power has also been one of the results of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with Russia cutting off gas supplies to Western Europe. The lack of alternative energy sources has exposed the risks to national security for these countries as a result of their Russian over dependency, and indigenous nuclear power is proving to be a good option to mitigate that threat. The world’s current operating fleet of nuclear power plants, in addition to the global growth in new reactors under construction and those planned, is testimony to the confidence in nuclear power to provide safe, highly reliable, economic and carbon free electricity as part of an overall energy supply mix.
 
The World Nuclear Association (“WNA”) reported: “nuclear reactors generated a total of 2653 TWh in 2021, up 100 TWh from 2553 TWh in 2020. This is the third highest ever total for global generation from nuclear… and reestablishes the upward trend in nuclear generation seen since 2012.” The IEA World Energy Outlook in 2021 projected “electricity generation growth of between 75% and 116% over 2020-2050 across its three main scenarios. In the report’s Sustainable Development Scenario, “nuclear generation increases by 2022 TWh (75%) over the same period, requiring capacity growth of about 254 GW, or 61%.” As of July 31, 2022, the IAEA Power Reactor Information System shows more than 6 GWe of new nuclear capacity has been added in 2022 while 1.85 GWe has been retired, and construction has begun on four new reactors this year with a total capacity of 4.6 GWe. 
 
As of July 2022, WNA data showed a total of 443 nuclear reactors operable in 32 countries, with a combined capacity of about 394 GWe. Their data also showed 59 new reactors under construction, 89 reactors planned or on order and another 340 proposed. While most of the growth in nuclear power is coming from countries like China and Russia, there is also notable growth in other countries, including India and the United Arab Emirates. Some of these countries have embarked on sovereign-backed uranium acquisition programs, building inventory stockpiles for their future requirements. This also includes substantial long-term contracting with western suppliers and taking controlling interests in individual mines. In addition, Russia, China and South Korea are aggressively pursuing programs to sell their reactors around the globe. In many cases the sales agreements contain turnkey provisions, including uranium supply as a component of the reactor package that will require far more uranium than they currently produce. As such, they will need to carve out large supply sources in the coming years.
 
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While global generation from nuclear power has eclipsed pre-Fukushima levels, Japan restarts have been slower than expected. As of August 1, 2022, a total of 26 reactors had applied for restart, including ten reactors that have restarted. More restarts are expected as Japan completes additional safety programs and ramps back up towards a policy goal of 20 to 22 percent of their total electrical generation from nuclear power by 2030. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently said he has asked for as many as nine nuclear reactors to be online this coming winter to help offset expected power shortages.
 
The United States has the world’s largest nuclear fleet and produces about 30% of the world’s nuclear generation. The U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) Energy Information Administration reported U.S. nuclear plants continued to be the nation’s most reliable energy source with an average capacity factor of more than 93 percent this past year. For context, capacity factors for other sources of energy were natural gas (54%), coal (49%), wind (35%) and solar (25%). In 2021, nuclear plants provided more than half of U.S carbon free energy and about 20% of its total generation. As of August 2022, the operating U.S. reactor fleet stands at 92 reactors, with two new commercial reactors under construction (Vogtle 3 and 4 in Georgia). While some U.S. reactors have been shut down prematurely, the overall generating capacity remains strong as a result of plant reactor upgrade programs and license extensions. In terms of uranium demand, the U.S. nuclear fleet is the world’s largest uranium consumer and has averaged about 46 million pounds of uranium a year over the past decade.
 
Regarding uranium supply, the WNA’s 2021 Fuel Report noted: “regardless of the particular scenario in the long term, the industry needs to at least double its development pipeline of new projects by 2040”. And they also noted: “Over the longer term, the Reference Scenario shows demand for uranium growing by 3.1% compound average growth rate.” The 2021 report also noted that in all scenarios “world reactor requirements for uranium in 2040 are approximately 12% higher” than in the previous 2019 report. World base case uranium demand is forecasted to be about 204 million pounds U 3 O 8 in 2022, exceeding the 134 million pounds of projected production by about 70 million pounds (source: UxC 2022 Q2 UMO). While the difference between primary production and reactor demand is currently being filled with secondary market supplies, this is not a sustainable long-term supply source. Projections from UxC 2022 Q2 MO show secondary market supplies dropping to less than 24 million pounds per year over the next 4 years.
 
The U.S. uranium mining industry was formerly the world’s largest producer but is now producing virtually no uranium. The United States has become almost entirely dependent on foreign supply, with about 60% being imported from State Owned Enterprises (“SOE”) in Russia and other former Soviet Union (“FSU”) countries, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. However, actions taken by the U.S. federal government over the past couple of years have culminated in a foundation for the industry to recover. Most notably, the prior administration established the U.S. Nuclear Fuel Working Group (“NFWG”) comprised of various government agencies “to develop recommendations for reviving and expanding domestic nuclear fuel production”.
 
The NFWG recommendations were released in a report entitled, “Restoring America’s Competitive Nuclear Energy Advantage”. The report broadly advocates for increased U.S. leadership in nuclear energy, both at home and abroad, with a focus on U.S. national security objectives that includes lessening dependence on SOE supply. Uranium mining is the starting point in the strategy with a program to purchase 17 to 19 million pounds of U.S. uranium for a strategic Uranium Reserve. That Administration’s policy outlined a 10-year, $1.5 billion UR program.  In 2020, the U.S. Congress approved $75 million for initial funding for fiscal year 2021. In July of 2022, the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (“NNSA”) issued Requests for Proposals (“RFP”) to the U.S. producers that had produced uranium since 2009, for an initial quantity of up to 1 million pounds of domestic uranium. Results of the NNSA RFP are expected to be known this year at the end of September.
 
The global uranium market suffered a long downturn after peaking in 2007 at $138 per pound U 3 O 8 that was followed by a rebound and then a subsequent drop of about 75% from early 2011 into the 2016 low of $17.75 per pound.  However, the market has been showing a slow recovery since, and was up by approximately 175% going into August 2022 from the 2016 low. Global fundamentals are in process of rebalancing the uranium market and driving an improvement in the price of uranium. Significant purchasing by producers to fill long-term supply contracts, as well as financial entities buying significant quantities of uranium for appreciation purposes, have all been contributing to the upward movement in uranium prices. Other factors that have affected global production include production shutdowns or reductions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that removed almost 20 million pounds of production in 2020 that will not be made up. While most of the impacted mines have or are in the process of ramping back up operations, there are still lingering factors affecting production. In early August, the world’s largest producer (Kazatomprom) announced the pandemic “disrupted the overall production supply chain in 2021, resulting in a shortage of certain production materials, such as reagents and piping which led to a shift in the commissioning schedule for new wellfields.”
 
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This year the nuclear fuel markets have experienced a fundamental change after Russia invaded Ukraine with western utilities beginning an almost immediate shift away from Russian supply. Industry consultant “TradeTech” reported that the new trend “is foreshadowing a potential bifurcation in the nuclear fuel markets.” While the markets are still sorting out what all the impacts might be, one of the more likely postulated outcomes is a western market that will not receive much if any supply from suppliers in the Commonwealth of Independent States (the “CIS”). The CIS includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that together supplied about 60% of U.S. uranium requirements in 2021, a new record high from these FSU countries. Most western utilities with suppliers in the CIS are already pursing increased diversification strategies with supply options from the U.S and its allies that are in more stable jurisdictions. While sanctions banning some Russian energy sources have been implemented in the U.S., there has not been a ban placed on Russian uranium to date, although legislation has been introduced to do so. Transportation issues are also impacting uranium supply with routes through Russian ports or supply on Russian vessels running into legal constraints. While alternate routes are being worked on (i.e. the Caspian Sea), to date these routes are not fully functioning.  As a result, there has been additional buying on the spot market by the impacted suppliers.
 
Ultimately, the forces of supply and demand will dictate the uranium market’s future direction. While the global market has clearly improved since the 2016 low, we still expect several major drivers to further bolster prices. Higher priced contracts that have supported high production costs have largely rolled out of producer and utility supply portfolios. These higher priced contracts are not expected to be replaceable with current market prices still below levels needed to sustain profitable mining operations for many western producers. Several projects that have produced significant quantities of uranium for many years have been shut down as a result of resource depletion and the WNA notes: “more mines are expected to close over the next decade”. SOE supply is also likely to be reduced in the U.S. and Western European markets with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has exposed serious national security risks to those countries with overdependence on Russian energy sources. Global supply demand numbers are showing a cumulative structural supply deficit of approximately 440 M lbs in 2022 through 2032, despite several new production projects expected to come online. The supply dynamics in western countries are still unfolding, as western utilities look to explore and secure alternative supply options in more stable jurisdictions.
 
On the demand side of the equation, further upside market pressure also appears likely to evolve as utilities return to a longer-term contracting cycle to replace expiring contracts. Utilities will most likely need to do a lot more contracting in upcoming years with more than 50% of their requirements showing uncommitted by 2029. That factor and the growing recognition that nuclear power will need to be part of the solution to meet climate change objectives underpin a solid growth story for long term uranium producers.
 
As these and other market forces unfold, the secondary market supply is forecasted to become a less important driver, paving the way for a more production cost driven market. Lead times for new production typically range from seven to 10 years or longer. The market appears to be within the time frames required for investment to bring new supply online to meet those lead times. While some producers have announced restart plans, prices are not yet at levels that incentivize future production for many producers, increasing the probability of the potential for less supply than the market is currently pricing in.
 
Titanium (TiO2) Industry Updates
 
During Fiscal 2022, the market fundamentals for titanium dioxide remained positive. There is no economical substitute or environmentally safe alternative to titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is used in many “quality of life” products for which demand historically has been linked to global gross domestic product (“GDP”), ongoing urbanization trends and discretionary spending.  90% of all the mined titanium feedstocks are used to manufacture pure titanium dioxides – a pigment that enhances brightness and opacity in paints, inks, paper, plastics, food products and cosmetics. The remaining 10% of supply is used in the production of titanium metal and steel fabrication.
 
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Demand for titanium feedstocks, such as ilmenite, is closely tied to titanium dioxide pigment demand. The global titanium pigment demand fundamentals are underpinned by urbanization and rising living standards and as such the long-term demand fundamentals remain robust. Demand for titanium pigment rebounded strongly during the first half of 2022 due to global economic growth, while the supply of titanium dioxide feedstock was impacted due to difficulties encountered by some producers which had a direct effect on prices. Existing producers continue to report increasing ilmenite prices due to low inventories throughout the supply chain with prices and demand expected to remain robust throughout 2022.
 
In addition to above mentioned supply constraints, the nature of feedstock supply is also changing. China, the world’s largest feedstock market, is increasingly more reliant on higher quality feedstocks. Chinese domestic ilmenite is mainly unsuitable for processing under the stricter environmental regulations and, as such, the long-term global shift towards chloride pigment production will continue to drive overall high-quality feedstock demand and prices.  
 
In our view, what appear to be longer-term supply and demand fundamentals and, more specifically, the long-term global shift towards higher grade feedstocks, have the potential to keep upward pressure on high-quality feedstock prices.
 
In-Situ Recovery (ISR) Mining
 
We utilize in-situ recovery or ISR uranium mining for our South Texas projects as well as our Reno Creek Project in Wyoming, and will continue to utilize ISR mining whenever such alternative is available to conventional mining. When compared to conventional mining, ISR mining requires lower capital expenditures, has a reduced impact on the environment, and results in a shorter lead time to uranium recovery.
 
ISR mining is considered considerably more environmentally friendly compared to alternative, traditional mining approaches, as the ISR process does not require blasting or waste rock movement, resulting in less damage to the environment, minimal dust, and no resulting tailings or tailings facilities. Further, ISR mining is more discrete and, therefore, land access does not typically have to be restricted, and the area may be restored to its pre-mining usage faster than when applying traditional mining approaches.
 
ISR mining involves circulating oxidized water through an underground uranium deposit, dissolving the uranium and then pumping the uranium-rich solution to the surface for processing. Oxidizing solution enters the formation through a series of injection wells and is drawn to a series of communicating extraction wells. To create a localized hydrologic cone of depression in each wellfield, more groundwater will be produced than injected. Under this gradient, the natural groundwater movement from the surrounding area is toward the wellfield, providing control of the injection fluid. Over-extraction is adjusted as necessary to maintain a cone of depression which ensures that the injection fluid does not move outside the permitted area.
 
The uranium-rich solution is pumped from an ore zone to the surface and circulated through a series of ion exchange columns located at the mine site. The solution flows through resin beds inside an ion exchange column where the uranium bonds to small resin beads. As the solution exits the ion exchange column, it is mostly void of uranium and is re-circulated back to the wellfield and through the ore zone. Once the resin beads are fully-loaded with uranium, they are transported by truck to our Hobson Processing Facility and transferred to a tank for flushing with a brine solution, or elution, which strips the uranium from the resin beads. The stripped resin beads are then transported back to the mine and reused in the ion exchange columns. The uranium solution, now free from the resin, is precipitated out and concentrated into a slurry mixture and fed to a filter press to remove unwanted solids and contaminants. The slurry is then dried in a zero-emissions rotary vacuum dryer, packed in metal drums and shipped out as uranium concentrates, or yellowcake, to a conversion facility for storage and sales.
 
Each project is divided into a mining unit, known as a Production Area Authorization (“PAA”), which lies inside an approved Mine Permit Boundary. Each PAA will be developed, extracted and restored as one unit and will have its own set of monitor wells. It is common to have multiple PAAs in extraction at any one time with additional units in various states of exploration, pre-extraction and/or restoration.
 
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After mining is complete in a PAA, aquifer restoration will begin as soon as practicable and will continue until the groundwater is restored to pre-mining conditions. Once restoration is complete, a stability period of no less than one year is scheduled with quarterly baseline and monitor well sampling. Wellfield reclamation will follow after aquifer restoration is complete and the stability period has passed.
 
Hobson Processing Facility
 
Our Hobson Processing Facility is located in Karnes County, Texas, about 100 miles northwest of Corpus Christi. It was originally licensed and constructed in 1978, serving as the hub for several satellite mining projects until 1996, and completely refurbished in 2008. On December 18, 2009, we acquired the Hobson Processing Facility as part of our acquisition of STMV.
 
With a physical capacity to process uranium-loaded resins up to a total of two million pounds of U 3 O 8 annually and licensed to process up to one million pounds of U 3 O 8 annually, our fully-licensed and 100%-owned Hobson Processing Facility forms the basis for our “hub-and-spoke” strategy in the State of Texas, specifically in the South Texas Uranium Belt, where we utilize ISR mining.
 
Palangana Mine
 
We hold various mining lease and surface use agreements generally having an initial five-year term with extension provisions, granting us the exclusive right to explore, develop and mine for uranium at our Palangana Mine, a 6,406-acre property located in Duval County, Texas, approximately 100 miles south of the Hobson Processing Facility. These agreements are subject to certain royalty and overriding royalty interests indexed to the sales price of uranium.
 
On December 18, 2009, we acquired the Palangana Mine as part of our acquisition of STMV. In November 2010, the Palangana Mine commenced uranium extraction utilizing ISR mining and in January 2011 the Hobson Processing Facility began processing resins received from the Palangana Mine.
 
Material Relationships Including Long-Term Delivery Contracts
 
As at July 31, 2022, we had no uranium supply or “off-take” agreements in place.
 
Given that there are up to approximately 60 different companies as potential buyers in the uranium market, we are not substantially dependent upon any single customer to purchase uranium extracted by us.
 
Seasonality
 
The timing of our uranium concentrate sales is dependent upon factors such as extraction results from our mining activities, cash requirements, contractual requirements and perception of the uranium market. As a result, our sales are neither tied to nor dependent upon any particular season. In addition, our ability to extract and process uranium does not change on a seasonal basis. Over the past ten years uranium prices have tended to decline during the calendar third quarter before rebounding during the fourth quarter, but there does not appear to be a strong correlation.
 
Mineral Rights
 
In Texas our mineral rights are held exclusively through private leases from the owners of the land/mineral/surface rights with varying terms. In general, these leases provide for uranium and certain other specified mineral rights only including surface access rights for an initial term of five years and renewal for a second five-year term. We have amended the majority of the leases to extend the time period for an additional five years past the original five-year renewal periods. Our Burke Hollow and some of our Goliad Project leases have a fixed royalty amount based on net proceeds from sales of uranium, and our other projects have production royalties calculated on a sliding-scale basis tied to the gross sales price of uranium. Remediation of a property is required in accordance with regulatory standards, which may include the posting of reclamation bonds.
 
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In Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming our mineral rights are held either exclusively or through a combination of federal mining claims and state and private mineral leases. Remediation of a property is required in accordance with regulatory standards, which may include the posting of reclamation bonds. Our federal mining claims consist of both unpatented lode and placer mining claims registered with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) and the appropriate counties. These claims provide for all mineral rights including surface access rights for an indefinite period. Annual maintenance requirements include BLM claim fees of $165 per claim due yearly on September 1 st .  Our state mineral leases are registered with their respective states. These leases provide for all mineral rights, including surface access rights, to be subject to a production royalty of 4% in Wyoming and 5% to 6% in Arizona, ranging from a five-year term in Arizona to a ten-year term in Wyoming. Annual maintenance requirements include lease fees of between $1 and $3 per acre and minimum exploration expenditure requirements of between $10 and $20 per acre in Arizona. Our private mineral leases are negotiated directly with the owners of the land/mineral/surface rights with varying terms. These leases provide for uranium and certain other specified mineral rights only, including surface access rights, subject to production royalties, ranging from an initial term of five to seven years and renewal for a second five-year to seven-year term, and some of which have an initial term of 20 years.
 
Under the mining laws of Saskatchewan, Canada, title to mineral rights for our Diabase Project is held through The Crown Minerals Act of the Province of Saskatchewan.  In addition, The Mineral Resources Act, 1985 and The Mineral Tenure Registry Regulations affect the rights and administration of mineral tenure in Saskatchewan. Our Diabase Project lands are currently claimed as “Crown dispositions” or “mineral dispositions”. Subject to section 19 of The Crown Minerals Act, a claim grants to the holder the exclusive right to explore for any Crown minerals that are subject to these regulations within the claim lands. Claims are renewed annually and the claim holder is required to satisfy work expenditure requirements. Expenditure requirements are $Nil for the first year, $15 per hectare for the second year to the tenth year of assessment work periods and $25 per hectare for the eleventh year and subsequent assessment work periods. For registering exploration expenditures, mineral dispositions may be grouped at the time of submission if the total mineral disposition area is not greater than 18,000 hectares. The holder may also submit a cash payment or cash deposit in lieu of a work assessment submission for not more than three consecutive work periods. A claim may be converted to a mineral lease upon application and payment of a registration fee.
 
Under the mining laws of the Republic of Paraguay, title to mineral rights for our Yuty Project is held through a “Mineral Concession Contract” approved by the National Congress and signed between the Government of the Republic of Paraguay and the Company, and titles to mineral rights for our Oviedo Project and our Alto Paraná Titanium Project are held through “Exploration Mining Permits” granted by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (“MOPC”), the mining regulator in Paraguay. These mineral rights provide for the exploration of metallic and non-metallic minerals and precious and semi-precious gems within the territory of Paraguay for up to a six-year period, and for the exploitation of minerals for a minimum period of 20 years from the beginning of the production phase, extendable for an additional ten years.
 
Environmental, Social and Governance Overview
 
UEC is dedicated to preserving the environment in which we operate, and to being a responsible neighbor to our local communities. We believe in mining in a responsible manner, such as through the deployment of ISR technology when possible, adhering to all applicable environmental regulations and managing and reducing our carbon emissions. UEC believes that uranium and nuclear energy will be an important part of the energy transition as it can provide reliable and consistent power to the grid. Ensuring responsible mining practices better positions nuclear to be an energy source of choice to governments, and enables us to be a better partner and corporate citizen to our local communities.
 
Environmental Management
 
Environmental Governance
 
UEC approved an Environmental, Health and Safety Policy in Fiscal 2022 which sets out objectives and provides overarching guidelines for the management of the environment. This enterprise-wide policy can be found at https://www.uraniumenergy.com/about/corporate-governance/. Topics covered in this policy include the management of hazardous waste, water, biodiversity and land use, air quality and pollutants, green-house gas (“GHG”) emissions, and energy management. Adherence to and performance against this policy will be reviewed by our Board of Directors’ Sustainability Committee annually.
 
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Environmental Regulations
 
We believe that we comply with all federal, state and local applicable laws and regulations which govern environmental quality and pollution control.  Our operations are subject to stringent environmental regulation by state and federal authorities including the Railroad Commission of Texas (“RCT”), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (“TCEQ”) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”).
 
In Texas, where the Company’s hub-and-spoke operations are anchored by the fully-licensed Hobson Processing Facility, surface extraction and exploration for uranium is regulated by the RCT, while ISR uranium extraction is regulated by the TCEQ. An exploration permit is the initial permit granted by the RCT that authorizes exploration drilling activities inside an approved area. This permit authorizes specific drilling and plugging activities requiring documentation for each borehole drilled. All documentation is submitted to the RCT on a monthly basis and each borehole drilled under the exploration permit is inspected by an RCT inspector to ensure compliance. As at July 31, 2022, we held one exploration permit in each of Bee, Duval and Goliad Counties in Texas.
 
As an example of the regulation that guides our industry, before ISR uranium extraction can begin in Texas, a number of permits must be granted by the TCEQ.
 
A Mine Area Permit (“MAP”) application is required for submission to the TCEQ to establish a specific permit area boundary, aquifer exemption boundary and the mineral zones of interests or production zones. The application also includes a financial surety plan to ensure funding for all plugging and abandonment requirements. Funding for surety is in the form of cash or bonds, including an excess of 15% for contingencies and 10% for overhead, adjusted annually for inflation. As at July 31, 2022, we held MAPs for our Palangana Mine and our Goliad and Burke Hollow Projects.
 
A Radioactive Material License (“RML”) application is also required for submission to the TCEQ for authorization to operate a uranium recovery facility. The application includes baseline environmental data for soil, vegetation, surface water and groundwater along with operational sampling frequencies and locations. A Radiation Safety Manual is a key component of the application which defines the environmental health and safety programs and procedures to protect employees and the environment. Another important component of the application is a financial surety mechanism to ensure plant and wellfield decommissioning is properly funded and maintained. Surety funding is in the form of cash or bonds, and includes an excess of 15% for contingencies and 10% for overhead, adjusted annually for inflation. As at July 31, 2022, we held RMLs for our Palangana Mine, Burke Hollow and Goliad Projects and Hobson Processing Facility.
 
PAA applications are also required for submission to the TCEQ to establish specific extraction areas inside the MAP boundary. These are typically 30 to 100-acre units that have been delineated and contain extractible quantities of uranium. The PAA application includes baseline water quality data that is characteristic of that individual unit, proposes upper control limits for monitor well analysis and establishes restoration values. The application will also include a financial security plan for wellfield restoration and reclamation which must be funded and in place prior to commencing uranium extraction. As at July 31, 2022, we held four PAA permits for our Palangana Mine and one for our Goliad Project.
 
A Class I disposal well permit application is also required for submission to the TCEQ for authorization for deep underground wastewater injection. It is the primary method for disposing of excess fluid from the extraction areas and for reverse osmosis concentrate during the restoration phase. This permit authorizes injection into a specific injection zone within a designated injection interval. The permit requires continuous monitoring of numerous parameters including injection flow rate, injection pressure, annulus pressure and injection/annulus differential pressure.  Mechanical integrity testing is required initially and annually to ensure the well is mechanically sound.  Surety funding for plugging and abandonment of each well is in the form of cash or bonds, including 15% for contingencies and 10% for overhead, adjusted annually for inflation. As at July 31, 2022, we held two Class I disposal well permits for each of our Hobson Processing Facility, Palangana Satellite Facility and Burke Hollow and Goliad Projects.
 
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”) creates a regulatory program to protect groundwater and is administered by the EPA. The SDWA allows states to issue underground injection control (“UIC”) permits under two conditions: the state’s program must have been granted primacy; and the EPA must have granted an aquifer exemption upon the state’s request (an “Aquifer Exemption”). Texas, being a primacy state, is therefore authorized to grant UIC permits and makes the official requests for an Aquifer Exemption to the EPA. The Aquifer Exemption request is submitted by the Company to the TCEQ and, once approved, is then submitted by the TCEQ to the EPA for concurrence and final issuance. As at July 31, 2022, we held an Aquifer Exemption for each of our Palangana Mine and our Goliad and Burke Hollow Projects.
 
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Waste Disposal
 
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and comparable state statutes affect mineral exploration and production activities by imposing regulations on the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal and cleanup of “hazardous wastes” and on the disposal of non-hazardous wastes. Under the auspices of the EPA, the individual states administer some or all of the provisions of RCRA, sometimes in conjunction with their own, more stringent requirements
 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
 
The federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) imposes joint and several liability for costs of investigation and remediation and for natural resource damages, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, on certain classes of persons with respect to the release into the environment of substances designated under CERCLA as hazardous substances (collectively, “Hazardous Substances”). These classes of persons or potentially responsible parties include the current and certain past owners and operators of a facility or property where there is or has been a release or threat of release of a Hazardous Substance and persons who disposed of or arranged for the disposal of the Hazardous Substances found at such a facility. CERCLA also authorizes the EPA and, in some cases, third parties, to take actions in response to threats to the public health or the environment and to seek to recover the costs of such action. We may also in the future become an owner of facilities on which Hazardous Substances have been released by previous owners or operators. We may in the future be responsible under CERCLA for all or part of the costs to clean up facilities or properties at which such substances have been released and for natural resource damages.
 
Air Emissions
 
Our operations are subject to local, state and federal regulations for the control of emissions of air pollution.  Major sources of air pollutants are subject to more stringent, federally imposed permitting requirements. Administrative enforcement actions for failure to comply strictly with air pollution regulations or permits are generally resolved by payment of monetary fines and correction of any identified deficiencies. Alternatively, regulatory agencies could require us to forego construction, modification or operation of certain air emission sources. In Texas the TCEQ issues an exemption for those processes that meet the criteria for low to zero emission by issuing a permit by rule. Presently our Palangana Mine, our Hobson Processing Facility and our Goliad Project all have permits by rule covering air emissions.
 
Water Management
 
UEC commits its management team, employees and contractors to be good stewards of the water it utilizes in all parts of its operations. From exploration to restoration, water is the critical factor for ISR mining and responsibly managing that water is crucial to our business.
 
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At all UEC’s ISR projects the ore hosted groundwater does not meet either primary or secondary drinking water standards and should only be used for industrial or agricultural use without proper treatment.
 
Water consumption at UEC’s ISR mining projects is primarily natural groundwater. During the recovery process, water is pumped from the ore hosted aquifer and piped to the satellite facility. The groundwater is filtered for solids, stripped of uranium, allowed to settle and then approximately 95% is reinjected or recirculated back into the same aquifer it was recovered from. This recycling process is an overwhelming advantage of ISR mining compared to other methods such as conventional or open pit.
 
In order to ensure appropriate water management, and to ensure our team can continuously make decisions to reduce our water usage, UEC closely monitors our water consumption. UEC is identifying ways to reduce water consumption on an ongoing basis.
 
Compliance with the Clean Water Act
 
The Clean Water Act (“CWA”) imposes restrictions and strict controls regarding the discharge of wastes, including mineral processing wastes, into waters of the U.S., a term broadly defined. Permits must be obtained to discharge pollutants into federal waters. The CWA provides for civil, criminal and administrative penalties for unauthorized discharges of hazardous substances and other pollutants. It imposes substantial potential liability for the costs of removal or remediation associated with discharges of oil or hazardous substances. State laws governing discharges to water also provide varying civil, criminal and administrative penalties and impose liabilities in the case of a discharge of petroleum or its derivatives, or other hazardous substances, into state waters. In addition, the EPA has promulgated regulations that may require us to obtain permits to discharge storm water runoff. Management believes that we are in substantial compliance with current applicable environmental laws and regulations.
 
GHG Emissions Management
 
Mining is an essential industry to enable the global transition to net-zero. Uranium mining, at the heart of UEC’s business, fuels nuclear energy, which is an essential carbon-free energy source. Beyond this, we understand that our operational activities do contribute to climate change through the release of emissions. Therefore, over the next several years, we will begin a process to understand our emissions profile, as well as identify and implement opportunities to reduce emissions, where and when possible.
 
We have created an emissions inventory of all sources (mobile and stationary) for each Texas project and we have initiated fuel consumption tracking by individual source at each project. We have created tracking mechanisms for all Scope 1 and 2 emissions for our Texas projects, which includes fuel consumption and mileage for the Texas fleet and stationary sources as well as electrical energy consumption at each Texas project. Scope 1 emissions covers direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2 emissions covers indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by the Company.
 
Through developing this inventory, we have been able to identify, assess and conduct a cost benefit analysis for emission reduction opportunities at UEC’s Texas projects. Such opportunities include exploring ways to upgrade our Hobson plant into a zero-emissions processing plant. 
 
Aligned to responsibly managing our emissions in the short-term, we have purchased carbon offset credits for our Scope 1 and 2 emissions for our Texas sites.
 
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Health and Safety
 
Health and safety is one of our top priorities. We pride ourselves on employing safe practices in all aspects of its work.
 
In Fiscal 2022, UEC’s Board approved an Environmental, Health and Safety Policy that provides overall objectives and guidance for our health and safety management. Supporting this Policy, at each site, UEC has a number of operational policies and practices covering radiation safety and procedures, spills and leakage reporting, equipment training and emergency response procedures. There is also a company-wide Injury and Incident Policy covered in the employee handbook that all employees are familiar with and are required to comply against.
 
Training for employees on health and safety protocols are essential to ensuring we employ best safety practices at all times. Although exact training hours have not been recorded for this fiscal year, UEC has provided training to staff on a variety of safety topics, including, but not limited to, the following topics:
 
 
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Annual radiation safety training for all plant and wellfield employees;
 
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Bi-Annual Radiation Safety Officer training;
 
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Radiation Safety Technician training;
 
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Logging training;
 
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First Aid/CPR training every two years;
 
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Rig Safety/Inspections training; and
 
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Annual DOT Training/HazMat training.
 
UEC’s health and safety practices are developed to ensure that all regulatory requirements are met. Across all of our sites, our employees are required to report all injuries to their supervisor. On an annual basis, all reports are analyzed and tracked as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Association (“OSHA”). Given the nature of UEC’s specialized industry, there are site-specific emergency procedures in place that identify the steps employees should take in the event of a health and safety emergency.
 
Competition
 
The uranium industry is highly competitive, and our competition includes larger, more established companies with longer operating histories that not only explore for and produce uranium but also market uranium and other products on a regional, national or worldwide basis. Due to their greater financial and technical resources, we may not be able to acquire additional uranium projects in a competitive bidding process involving such companies. Additionally, these larger companies have greater resources to continue with their operations during periods of depressed market conditions.
 
The global titanium market is highly competitive, with the top six producers accounting for approximately 60% of the world’s production capacity according to TZ Minerals International Pty. Ltd. Competition is based on a number of factors, such as price, product quality and service. Among our competitors are companies that are vertically-integrated (those that have their own raw material resources).
 
Research and Development Activities
 
No research and development expenditures have been incurred, either on our account or sponsored by customers, for our three most recently completed fiscal years.
 
Employees
 
Amir Adnani is our President and Chief Executive Officer and, effective October 29, 2015, Pat Obara was appointed our Chief Financial Officer. These individuals are primarily responsible for all our day-to-day operations. Effective September 8, 2014, Scott Melbye was appointed our Executive Vice President. Other services are provided by outsourcing and consulting and special purpose contracts. As of July 31, 2022, we had 63 persons employed on a full-time basis and four individuals providing services on a contractual basis.
 
 
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Human Capital
 
As of July 31, 2022, our employee population consisted of 63 individuals working for us and our consolidated subsidiaries, 38 of whom were located in the United States, 13 in Canada and 12 in Paraguay. Our Company is committed to attracting and retaining talented and experienced individuals to manage and support our operations.  We engage in a variety of learning and development opportunities with our employees, including ongoing training, continuing education courses, workshops and seminars and membership in professional organizations relating to employees’ projects areas of expertise. We strive to fill employment openings through internal promotions or transfers of qualified employees, as appropriate.
 
Available Information
 
The Company’s website address is www.uraniumenergy.com and our annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and amendments to such reports, are available free of charge on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are filed or furnished electronically with the SEC. These same reports, as well as our current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, filed or furnished electronically with the SEC are available for review at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov . Printed copies of the foregoing materials are available free of charge upon written request by email at info@uraniumenergy.com . Additional information about the Company can be found on our website, however, such information is neither incorporated by reference nor included as part of this or any other report or information filed with or furnished to the SEC.