Ur-Energy Inc. said Friday that it’s raising $60 million in a public offering of stock to help pay for possible acquisitions of mining claims in the fragmented uranium industry and to ramp up development of mining projects.
Much of the U.S. uranium boom is happening in Wyoming.
“We are preparing our war chest so that we are ready for any opportunities. There is nothing that we can discuss publicly,” said John Cash, chairman, CEO and president of Casper-based Ur-Energy.
“There certainly is room for consolidation and efficiencies at the mine and at the corporate level,” Cash told Cowboy State Daily. “We think there are some strong possibilities for consolidation in the industry.”
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The chief executive declined to discuss potential takeover targets or say whether his company had been approached with an offer.
“To be clear, we have no direct line or sight on anything. We are just being prepared in case anything becomes available,” Cash said.
In a filing made Friday, the company mentioned that it “frequently evaluates” acquisition opportunities to expand its portfolio of uranium projects.
“We are currently bidding on an acquisition opportunity involving a significant nonproducing uranium asset in the United States, although there is no certainty that we will continue to pursue that bid or be successful in acquiring the asset,” the filing stated.
No other details were made available.
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Consolidation Picks Up
Evidence of consolidation in the uranium space in Wyoming and globally is beginning to emerge.
For instance, Australian-based Paladin Energy Ltd.’s $1.14 billion all-stock takeover of Canada’s Fission Uranium Corp. would make the combined entity the third largest publicly traded uranium producer in the world.
The combination, which was announced last month, is expected to close in the fall.
The business would rank the combined Paladin and Fission Uranium as third in output behind top producer Kazatomprom, which is controlled by the government of Kazakhstan, and Canada’s Cameco Corp., which has uranium positions throughout Wyoming and in the eastern neighboring state of Nebraska.
Kazatomprom is the world’s largest producer and seller of uranium.
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Cameco’s facilities include the Smith Ranch-Highland in situ uranium mine near Glenrock and a satellite in situ uranium mine near Wright, as well as the Crow Butte in situ uranium mine near Crawford, Nebraska.
In-situ mining involves drilling with water derricks that can go down a few hundred feet into a bed of porous sandstone where there’s a very thick layer of uranium deposits to tap.
Cameco also operates uranium processing factories at Smith Ranch-Highland and Crow Butte where they can produce up to 7.5 million pounds of uranium yellowcake each year that, after further processing elsewhere, becomes fuel for nuclear reactors.
Besides the Paladin and Fission Uranium deal, two smaller uranium mining companies based in Canada merged in recent months.
ATHA Energy and Latitude Uranium completed their merger in March while IsoEnergy combined with Consolidated Uranium in December.
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Ur-Energy President and CEO John Cash. (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily)
‘Little On The Larger Size’
Cash told Cowboy State Daily that his company’s $60 million stock offering is “a little on the larger size,” but there are larger mining companies that have raised several hundreds of millions of dollars in the uranium space.
Though smaller than Ur-Energy’s raise, Canadian Global Atomic Corp. made a $14.5 million (U.S.) stock sale to a group of private investors earlier this week.
The money is needed for a uranium project in the Republic of the Niger.
Over the past year, there has been a boom of uranium mining companies rushing to Wyoming to open mining and production facilities as the U.S. government has stepped in to embrace the industry’s strategic importance and push a “green revolution” agenda, according to Ur-Energy.
Ur-Energy anticipates using some of the proceeds from the public offering of 57.2 million shares to supplement working capital for the continued ramp-up at its Lost Creek mining and production site in Wyoming’s Red Desert and development at its Shirley Basin mine in central Wyoming.
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Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, uranium companies rushed to Wyoming while others took their dormant operations out of caretaker status as part of a broader effort in the industry to develop an alternative enriched domestic uranium fuel supply.
The invasion of Ukraine led to growing nervousness in the U.S that the nation was relying too heavily on foreign sources, especially since Russia already was a major fuel supplier.
The U.S. took steps to alleviate over-dependence on Russia should the fuel supply line get cut.
Wyoming’s senior Sen. John Barrasso spearheaded an effort to ban Russian uranium imports that was signed into law by President Joe Biden in May.
Companies like Ur-Energy are being closely watched to see what kind of impact the resurgence in the industry might have on their bottom lines.
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Pat Maio can be reached at pat@cowboystatedaily.com.
When a clinic closes in Wyoming, it doesn’t just close a door; it can cut off access to care for entire communities.
For many residents, getting to a health care provider already means traveling long distances across multiple counties, and local clinics are often the only nearby option for basic health care. With one Title X Family Planning clinic in western Wyoming now closed, the challenge is becoming even more real for many people.
Reproductive and sexual health care is a key part of overall health, but it’s often one of the first services people lose access to when clinics close. Title X Family Planning is a federal program that helps people get essential preventive care, no matter their income. These clinics offer services like birth control, cancer screenings, STI and HIV testing, and care before pregnancy. They help people stay healthy, catch problems early, and plan for their futures.
The need is real. Wyoming’s Title X Family Planning network remains a critical part of the state’s health care system, helping bridge gaps in both access and affordability. With 9 clinics currently serving communities across the state, these providers cared for nearly 12,000 patients through more than 28,000 visits between 2022 and 2025. For many, these clinics are their only source of care: 49% of patients were uninsured, and nearly half were living at or below the federal poverty level.
In a state where distance and cost can both be barriers, affordable care is essential. About 14.6% of Wyoming women ages 19–44 are uninsured, higher than the national average. Title X clinics help meet this need by offering low- or no-cost care, while also connecting patients to referrals and additional health services when needed, ensuring more individuals can get the care they deserve.
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These clinics are also on the front lines of prevention. In recent years, they delivered more than 3,100 cervical cancer screenings and about 20,000 STI and HIV tests. Services like these support early detection and treatment, helping reduce the need for more serious and costly care down the line.
In rural states like Wyoming, once a clinic closes, it is very hard to bring it back. These clinics are more than buildings; they are part of the local health care system that keeps communities healthy.
The good news is that Title X Family Planning clinics are still open, working every day to serve their communities. The Wyoming Health Council supports this network of clinics and works to ensure that people across the state can access the care they need. Through partnerships, education, and community-based programs, the organization helps connect Wyoming residents to reproductive and sexual health services, no matter where they live.
In a state where distance, cost, and provider shortages all play a role, these clinics, and the work supporting them, are more than just a convenience. They are a lifeline.
To help sustain this work and protect access to care across Wyoming, consider making a donation to the Wyoming Health Council.
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Donation Link: givebutter.com/WYTitleX
Required Federal Funding statement: This project is supported by the Office of Populations Affairs (OPA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award 1 FPHPA 006541-0-00 totaling $978,380 with 100 percent funded by OPA/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by OPA/OASH/HHS or the U.S. Government.
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CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council voted Tuesday to approve on first reading a zoning change for a vacant 2.4-acre parcel located at 1530 SE Wyoming Boulevard, transitioning the property from residential to commercial use.
The ordinance reclassifies Lot 4 of the Methodist Church Addition from Residential Estate to General Business. Located between East 15th and East 18th streets, the irregular-shaped property has remained undeveloped since it was first platted in 1984.
While original plans for the subdivision envisioned a church and an associated preschool, Community Development Director Liz Becher reported those projects never materialized.
According to Becher, the applicant sought the rezoning to facilitate the potential installation of a cell tower or an off-premises sign. Under the new C-2 designation, a cell tower up to 130 feet in height is considered a permitted use by right, though any off-premises sign would still require a conditional use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The applicant also owns the adjacent lot to the north, which the city rezoned to general business in 2021.
Becher said the change aligns with the “Employment Mixed Use” classification in the Generation Casper comprehensive land use plan. This designation typically supports civic, institutional and employment spaces.
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Despite the new zoning, the property remains subject to a subdivision agreement that limits traffic access. Entry and exit are restricted to right turns onto or from East 15th Street, and no access is permitted from East 18th Street.
The council will vote on two more readings of the ordinance before it is officially ratified.
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Two men were detained in Wyoming in connection with a fatal shooting at a downtown Salt Lake hotel that killed one man.
Carlos Chee, 23, and Chino Aguilar, 21, were both wanted for first-degree felony murder after the victim, identified as Christian Lee, 32, was found dead in a room at the Springhill Suites near 600 South and 300 West.
According to warrants issued for their arrest, Chee and Aguilar met with Lee and another woman at the hotel to sell marijuana. During the alleged drug deal, Aguilar allegedly shot and killed Lee after he tried to grab at his gun.
MORE | Shootings
Investigators said they found Lee dead in the room upon arrival, as well as a single shell casing on the floor and a small amount of marijuana on the television stand.
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The woman told investigators she had met Chee on a dating app and that he agreed to come to the hotel to sell her marijuana. She had been hanging out with him in the room, which Lee rented for her to use, when Lee asked them to leave. Lee was then shot and killed following a brief confrontation.
Chee and Aguilar allegedly fled the scene in a 2013 Toyota Camry with a Texas license plate that was later found outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming just a few hours later.
The two men were taken into custody and detained at the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
