Azelik uranium mine

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In uranium mine Azelik in northern Niger is since 2010 uranium mined .

geography

Geographical location

The uranium mine is located near the ruined city of Azelik in the municipality of Ingall . The closest major cities are Agadez, about 140 kilometers as the crow flies, and Arlit, about 150 kilometers as the crow flies . Azelik is located in the southwestern foothills of the Aïr high mountains and is infrastructurally developed by the Route d'Azelik , which connects the mine with the Ingall oasis .

geology

Azelik is a sandstone-bound uranium deposit . The uranium ore is mined in open pit and underground mining and broken down by alkaline leaching . The Azelik uranium deposit is said to contain around 15,600 tons of uranium with a uranium content of 0.2%. The annual production is to be increased from an initial 700 tons to 2015 tons to 2500 and 2020 to 5000 tonnes.

history

Azelik is the first of the Nigerien uranium deposits. It was discovered in 1957 by the French Bureau de recherches géologiques et géophysiques while searching for copper . Further explorations were made by the French nuclear energy center Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives . The uranium deposit has remained unused for over 50 years since its discovery. In 2007, the majority Chinese- owned mining company Société des Mines d'Azelik (SOMINA) was founded as the operator of uranium mining in Azelik. Trial operations at the Azelik uranium mine began on December 10, 2010. The first yellow cake was produced on December 30, 2010.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Uranium in Niger. World Nuclear Association, June 2013, accessed June 26, 2013 .
  2. ↑ Abdourahmane Idrissa, Samuel Decalo: Historical Dictionary of Niger . 4th edition. Scarecrow, Plymouth 2012, ISBN 978-0-8108-6094-0 , pp. 81 .
  3. ↑ Les Chiffres de la Sopamin. (No longer available online.) Société du Patrimoine des Mines du Niger, 2013, archived from the original on May 4, 2013 ; Retrieved June 26, 2013 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sopamin-sa.com
  4. ^ First uranium from Niger mine. World Nuclear News, January 4, 2011, accessed June 26, 2013 .

Coordinates: 17 ° 30 ′ 37 ″  N , 6 ° 47 ′ 4 ″  E