Akouta

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Akouta is a uranium mine in northern Niger .

geography

Geographical location

Akouta is located about eleven kilometers southwest of downtown Arlit , which is west of the Aïr Mountains in the Sahara Desert .

geology

Akouta is a sandstone-bound uranium deposit . In 2005, 7909 tons of uranium were detected. The deposit, located at a depth of more than 250 meters, is being developed through underground mining . The uranium concentrates obtained are transported by truck to ports in Benin and exported for conversion, mostly to the Comurhex uranium conversion plant in France .

history

The deposit was discovered in 1967. The exploitation is incumbent on the Compagnie Minière d'Akouta (COMINAK), which was founded in 1974 and started production in 1978. The Akokan mining settlement on the outskirts of Arlit was created for the miners . In 2003, the mine employed 1,070 people. In the same year 2017 tons of uranium content were mined, in 2006 1,869 tons and 2007 1,403 tons.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Uranium in Niger. World Nuclear Association, June 2013, accessed June 26, 2013 .
  2. ↑ a b c Akouta Uranium Mine, Niger. Global Energy Observatory, accessed June 26, 2013 .
  3. ↑ COMINAK, une des plus importantes mines souterraines d'uranium. (PDF; 368 kB) Areva, accessed on June 26, 2013 (French).
  4. ↑ Abdourahmane Idrissa, Samuel Decalo: Historical Dictionary of Niger . 4th edition. Scarecrow, Plymouth 2012, ISBN 978-0-8108-6094-0 , pp. 43-44 .

Coordinates: 18 ° 40 ′ 30 ″  N , 7 ° 18 ′ 10 ″  E