Utah Legislators to Tour Anfield Energy's Velvet-Wood Critical Minerals Project
Anfield Energy Inc. (AEC) announced that the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (DOGM) will host an informational tour of its Velvet-Wood uranium-vanadium project for approximately 20 Utah legislators on August 12, 2026. The visit to the active site in San Juan County, Utah, highlights significant regulatory milestones for the company, including expedited federal permitting under the Trump Administration’s energy emergency declaration and state-level approval from DOGM in October 2025, which enabled construction to begin in November 2025.
Anfield reported that Phase One surface construction was completed in 2026, with the project currently in Phase Two underground development and dewatering. The company maintains its target for first production by the end of 2026. Phase One, completed in 2026, included road improvements, topsoil management, power installation, and decline rehabilitation.
The project’s regulatory path was accelerated in May 2025 when the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) selected Velvet-Wood for expedited permitting under a national energy emergency declaration. An environmental review was approved on May 27, 2025, noting minimal new surface disturbance of approximately 3 acres. Formal approval to advance Velvet-Wood to construction was granted by DOGM on October 7, 2025.
Production from Velvet-Wood will feed into Anfield’s integrated hub-and-spoke strategy centered on the fully permitted Shootaring Canyon Mill, which is one of only three conventional uranium mills in the U.S. Velvet-Wood is a past-producing mine with historical output of approximately 4 million pounds of U₃O₈ and approximately 5 million pounds of V₂O₅. The project is expected to provide direct employment, local contracting, and tax and royalty contributions to rural San Juan County.
Corey Dias, CEO of Anfield, said: “We are honored to partner with DOGM on this important educational tour and to welcome Utah’s legislators to Velvet-Wood... This project exemplifies what is possible when federal and state governments align behind clear national priorities — securing domestic supplies of uranium and vanadium that power clean energy, supporting medical and defense applications, and reducing reliance on foreign adversaries.”