Exploration and Nuclear Fuel

New US uranium site in production

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:21:05 GMT

Uranium production has begun at North Butte, a satellite facility to Cameco's Smith Ranch-Highland in situ leach uranium project in Wyoming, in a step described as a significant milestone for the company's US operations.

Fuel cycle roundup #7

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:24:56 GMT

• Pinon Ridge licence re-issued
• Approval for Lost Creek dryers
• Gas Hills resource estimate
• Denison completes on Fission

Uranium company fights Quebec moratorium

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:57:00 GMT

A company that has invested CAD120 million in a Quebec uranium project has launched legal action in response to a moratorium on uranium exploration and mining imposed by the provincial government.

Groundbreaking at Husab

Jeremy Gordon — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:34:03 GMT

Work has formally begun on Namibia's newest uranium mine, with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Husab project, majority owned by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation.

French fuel for Korean reactor in Jordan

Jeremy Gordon — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:54:16 GMT

Fuel for Jordan's research reactor will be made by Areva, the company announced. A South Korean consortium is supplying the 5 MWt unit to Jordan University of Science and Technology.

Joint venture confirms Paducah interest

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:09:40 GMT

Two more companies have registered their interest in operating the US Department of Energy's (DoE's) Paducah gaseous diffusion enrichment plant and utilising DoE's inventory of depleted uranium hexafluoride.

Iran launches uranium mine and mill

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:42:04 GMT

A uranium mine and mill have been inaugurated by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad as the country celebrates National Nuclear Technology Day.

First uranium mine licence for Tanzania

Claire Maden — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:33:40 GMT

Mkuju River has become the first uranium mine to receive a licence from Tanzania's ministry of energy and mineral resources.

Quebec imposes uranium moratorium

Warwick Pipe — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:18:42 GMT

No permits for uranium exploration or mining will be issued in Quebec until an independent study into its environmental impact has been completed, the provincial government has stated. Such moratoriums are not supported by science, says the Canadian nuclear regulator.

Federal approval for Wiluna

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:51:17 GMT

Uranium mining company Toro Energy Limited has been granted federal environmental approval for the Wiluna uranium project in Western Australia. Pending a final investment decision, production is expected to start in 2015.

Fuel cycle roundup #6

Claire Maden — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:12:32 GMT

• Dewey-Burdock gets SER
• Draft EIS for Roca Honda
• Lance economics enhanced
• Tax breaks for Saskatchewan uranium
• Economic assessment for Temrezli

Chinese HTGR fuel plant under construction

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:57:54 GMT

Construction has started on a pilot production line for fuel elements for the Shidaowan HTR-PM project - a demonstration high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) in China's Shandong province.

First fuel produced for Chinese EPR

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:54:42 GMT

The first fuel assemblies for unit 1 of China's Taishan plant have been produced by Areva. The EPR unit - the first of two currently under construction at the site - is expected to begin operating next year.

Proposal for Paducah laser enrichment plant

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:38:46 GMT

GE-Hitachi subsidiary Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) has formalised a proposal to set up a laser uranium enrichment plant using SILEX technology at the US Department of Energy's Paducah enrichment site in Kentucky.

China builds uranium enrichment centrifuge

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:00:41 GMT

The first domestically-produced centrifuge has been successfully installed at a uranium enrichment plant at the Lanzhou Nuclear Fuel Complex, China National Nuclear Corporation announced. China has previously relied on Russian enrichment technology.

Bumper uranium year for Areva

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:57:31 GMT

2012 saw French nuclear company Areva achieve record uranium production of 9760 tU, enabling the company to retain its place as the world's second-largest corporate uranium producer.

Fuel cycle roundup #5

Jeremy Gordon — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:21:00 GMT

• Areva partners Aura for Häggån
• More Karoo uranium
• Phoenix resource update
• More in Cauldron's pot
• Hall of Fame welcomes Grandey

Bilateral secures UAE fuel supply

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:26:46 GMT

Russia will legally be able to supply uranium as well as conversion and enrichment services to the United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) first nuclear power plant under a newly signed cooperation agreement.

End of an era for ERA mine

Claire Maden — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:57:35 GMT

After more than 30 years of operation, open cut mining has finished at Energy Resources of Australia's (ERA's) Ranger uranium mine in Northern Territory.

Next step for Virginia uranium

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:42:31 GMT

A high-level working group has made its final report setting out a conceptual regulatory framework - ready should the US state of Virginia lift its moratorium on uranium mining.

Urenco applies to increase US enrichment capacity

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:22:00 GMT

Urenco's Louisiana Energy Services (LES) has submitted a licence amendment request that would allow it to increase annual capacity at the Urenco USA (UUSA) centrifuge facility to 10 million SWU by 2020.

Fuel cycle roundup #4

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:53:45 GMT

• Husab project ready to go
• Peninsula receives mining permit for Lance
• Mkuju River receives EIA

Laser enrichment for Paducah tails?

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 16:44:37 GMT

The US Department of Energy is in preliminary discussions with Global Laser Enrichment about establishing a laser enrichment facility at the site of the Paducah gaseous diffusion plant in Kentucky to enrich its stockpiles of high-assay depleted uranium tails.

Permit application in for Gas Hills

Warwick Pipe — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:42:39 GMT

Strathmore Minerals has submitted an application for a new open pit uranium mine at Gas Hills in Wyoming. The application was completed with financial support from Strathmore shareholder Korea Electric Power Corporation.

Production to increase at McArthur River

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:23:10 GMT

Long-term production schedules for the McArthur River uranium operation in Canada have been modified to incorporate additional mineral reserves detailed in a newly updated technical report released by Cameco.

Final permit for new US mine

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:32:21 GMT

Uranerz is set to start production at its Nichols Ranch uranium mine in Wyoming next year after receiving the last remaining necessary permit from the state environmental regulator.

Start-up plan for Four Mile

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:25:53 GMT

The Four Mile uranium project in South Australia will start up by mid-2013 under a plan approved by majority owner Quasar Resources - but contested by minority owner Alliance Resources.

Areva to mothball Trekkopje project

Warwick Pipe — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:44:27 GMT

The launch of the Trekkopje uranium mine in Namibia will be postponed until market conditions improve, Areva has announced. The project will enter a care and maintenance program at the end of 2012, which would allow it to be restarted at a later date.

WA government says yes to Wiluna

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:27:11 GMT

Western Australia is a step closer to opening its first uranium mine with the announcement of the state government's final environmental approval of Toro Energy's proposed Wiluna mine. The project is now awaiting a final go-ahead from the Australian federal government.

Wyoming uranium project clears final hurdle

Warwick Pipe — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:25:45 GMT

Wyoming's Bureau of Land Management has released its record of decision on the proposed Lost Creek uranium project. The decision is open to appeal, but represents the final regulatory approval needed for Ur-Energy to begin construction and operations.

Work starts on Ukrainian fuel plant

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:51:53 GMT

As ceremonies are held in Ukraine to mark the start of work on a new Russian-built nuclear fuel plant, the countries' fuel cycle collaboration could be set to increase still further with hints of a possible conversion and enrichment joint venture.

Success for uranium-from-phosphate plant

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:31:52 GMT

Uranium Equities' PhosEnergy portable demonstration plant for recovering uranium from phosphate has achieved "exceptional results" with uranium recoveries of over 90% during steady state operations.

Fuel cycle roundup #3

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:18:44 GMT

• Indian JV to buy into overseas mines
• Final EIS for US deconversion plant
• Offtake agreements for Paladin
• Epangelo out of Etango

The sea is the key to uranium bounty

Jeremy Gordon — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:20:53 GMT

The prospect of a vastly increased uranium resource has come closer with new technology for extraction of the raw material of nuclear fuel from seawater.

Swedish resource world's second largest

Jeremy Gordon — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:15:04 GMT

Newly revised figures have expanded resource estimates for Aura Energy's Haggan project to 800 million pounds U3O8 (307,718 tU), making the Swedish project the second largest undeveloped uranium resource in the world.

Olympic Dam held back

Jeremy Gordon — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:36:41 GMT

The expansion of the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine is in doubt after BHP Billiton put off approving the project in order to investigate less capital-intensive development options.

Environmental approval for Canadian mine

Warwick Pipe — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:46:57 GMT

Canada's environment minister has approved the environmental assessment for the Midwest uranium project in Saskatchewan.

UAE awards nuclear fuel contracts

Warwick Pipe — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:32:35 GMT

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has awarded a series of contracts related to the supply of fuel for the United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) first nuclear power plant. The contracts will ensure sufficient fuel for the first 15 years of operation of the Barakah plant.

Fuel cycle roundup #2

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:09:15 GMT

• Uranium up for Rio
• Gold One unlocking Ezulwini
• Greenland completes on Kvanefjeld

Candu expands cooperation with China

Warwick Pipe — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:33:02 GMT

Candu Energy has signed an agreement with three China National Nuclear Corporation subsidiaries to expand their cooperation in the development of thorium and recycled uranium as alternative fuels for new Candu reactors.