Russian uranium mining company Dalur (part of the mining division of the state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Atomredmetzoloto - ARMZ), plans to increase its production in the Kurgan region by 18.6% - from 590tU to 700tU in 2025.
Dalur recently won a competitive auction for a licence to develop new deposits in Kurgan against another company Khiagda, which mines deposits of the Vitim region in the Republic of Buryatia. Both Dalur and Khiagda use in situ leaching.
Payments to the local budget and off-budget funds for the operation of the Kurgan deposits, according to company estimates, will amount to more than RUB25bn ($439m), the ARMZ press service said on 5 June.
Dalur has been working in the Kurgan region since 2001 and is currently producing at two fields - Dalmatovsky and Khokhlovskiy. In 2016 it produced 591tU, similar to the figure for 2015. Phased commissioning of the new deposits in Zverinogolovsky district will enable the company by 2025 to increase production to 700tU from these fields.
Dalur expects to complete project documentation, including engineering and environmental studies and an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in preparation for mining, construction and operation of facilities by the end 2017. The resource base of the Transural uranium ore region is estimated at 18,500tU. The timely start of the new development will save all the jobs at the company as reserves at existing fields become depleted, ARMZ said.
