Niger Deal Paves Way For Launch Of Major Uranium Mine Project
Written by NucNet
Monday, 14 January 2008
14 Jan (NucNet): France's Areva group has been given the go-ahead to
launch mining activities at the Imouraren deposit in Niger, West
Africa, with a planned investment of more than one billion euro (about
1.5 billion US dollars).
Areva said yesterday that the go-ahead to launch the project strengthened its presence in Niger and was part of a "win-win" partnership agreement signed by Areva chief executive officer Anne Lauvergeon and Niger's president Mamadou Tandja.
Areva said the Imouraren site will constitute the "biggest industrial mining project" ever under consideration in Niger with almost 5,000 tonnes of uranium expected to be produced annually.
The agreement also set outs terms and conditions for buying uranium produced by Niger's Cominak and Somair mining companies for the next two years, and provides for a price increase of around 50 percent "in order to reflect the recent rise of long-term prices".
Cominak and Somair operate mines in Niger on behalf of Areva subsidiary Cogema. Somair operates an open pit uranium mine north-west of Arlit in central Niger and Cominak mines uranium below ground six kilometres south-west of Arlit.
This report was compiled for NucNet by John Shepherd.
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Canada Uranium Firms Plan Merger To Form 'Major Player' (News No. 67, 20 March 2007)
Areva Uranium Mine Health Study 'Ready By End Of Year' (News No. 175, 22 November 2005)
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