New uranium mine opens in Kazakhstan

ASTANA. April 30. KAZINFORM Semizbai-U, a joint Kazakh-Chinese venture, launched the operation of a new uranium mine – Irkol – in the Kzylorda oblast of Kazakhstan yesterday (April 28). The joint venture is owned by the KazAtomProm National Nuclear Company of Kazakhstan (51%) and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Company (49%).
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Irkol is the first uranium mine brought into commercial operation under Kazakh-Chinese nuclear cooperation; the project is being implemented under the strategic partnership treaty signed in Astana in October 2008. Production capacity of Irkol will reach 750 tons of uranium per year. The mine is expected to reach such a level of production as early as 2010 ? and, this year alone, is expected to produce 500 tons of natural uranium. According to the agreement between KazAtomProm and China Guangdong, uranium produced at Irkol will supply the demands of the Chinese economy. The new mine is responsible for the creation of 460 jobs and Semizbai-U plans to invest USD 665,000 per annum to finance social projects in the area. Geological exploration work at Irko began in 1977 and detailed exploration works were carried out in 1982-1985. Under the subsurface use contract, the Semizbai-U joint venture is entitled to produce a total of 18925 tons of uranium at Irkol and the production period is estimated to last 25 years, with ISL drill-hole techniques being employed. Semizbai-U was established in December 2006 to develop Irkol and the Semizbai mine located in the Akmolinsk oblast of Kazakhstan. KAZAKHSTAN & URANIUM Kazakhstan is on course to become the world?s top uranium producer in 2009. In 2008, Kazakhstan produced 8521 tons of uranium - against 6637 tons in 2007 ? representing a consolidated earnings growth of 37%. In 2007, KazAtomProm?s corporate income reached over KZT 118 billion (USD 968 million). KazAtomProm is Kazakhstan?s national exporter of uranium and other dual-purpose materials. 100% of equity is owned by the state through the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources. KazAtomProm is a holding company involved in different areas of operations: exploration, uranium extraction, metallurgy, power generation, Kazinform refers to the press service of the Kazakhstan Embassy in the UK.
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