Uranium in Africa
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URANIUM IN AFRICA: Current Situation, Prospects & Challenges by Gabi Schneider, Namibian Uranium Institute Webinar on: African Woman Contribution to Socio-Economic Development through Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy 26 November 2020 African Commission On Nuclear Energy Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand CURRENT SITUATION Current Production: Namibia Exploration: Niger Algeria South Africa Botswana Central African Republic Past Production: Guinea DRC Equatorial Guinea Gabon Mali Malawi Mauritania Morocco Nigeria Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe Africa has considerable mineral deposits, including uranium Exploration and mine development is proceeding in countries which have not hitherto supplied uranium Gabon has been a significant uranium supplier in the past Source: WNA Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand CURRENT SITUATION 2019 Production 2019 Consumption Other 16.5% Other USA Niger 5.6% Kazakhstan 26.8% 28.1% Namibia 10.2% 42.5% Korea 6.7% Australia China Russia 15.1% 12.3% Canada France 9.3% 12.9% 14.0% The other 16.5 % are produced by The other 26.8 % are consumed Russia, Uzbekistan, China, USA, mainly by Belgium, Canada, Finland, Ukraine, South Africa (0.6%), India, Germany, India, Japan, Spain, and Pakistan Sweden, Ukraine, and the UK Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand CURRENT SITUATION Source: WNA Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand NAMIBIA Namibia has significant uranium mines capable of providing 10% of world mining output Its first commercial uranium mine began operating in 1976 Deposit Type Resources Measured & Indicated Inferred Rössing Alaskite 239 926 tU in 0.02% ore 26 154 tU in 0.02% ore Husab Alaskite 143 740 tU in 0.048% ore 40 130 tU in 0.04% ore Langer Heinrich Calcrete 34 785 tU in 0.042% ore 3 454 tU in 0.04% ore Trekkopje Calcrete 26 000 tU in 0.01% ore Norasa Alaskite 39 700 tU in 0.0167% ore 8 500 tU in 0.014% ore Etango Alaskite 63 000 tU in 0.016% ore 24 000 tU in 0.016% ore Omahola Alaskite 10 370 tU in 0.041% ore 7 000 tU in 0.043% ore Tumas Calcrete 1 542 tU in 0.028% ore 20 900 tU in 0.03% ore Tubas Sand 10 900 tU in 0.0125% ore Marenica Calcrete 22 040 tU in 0.01% ore 22 039 tU in 0.01% ore 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Rössing 3449 3519 3083 2641 2289 2043 1308 1057 1569 1790 2102 2449 Husab 192 1140 3028 4010 Langer Heinrich 919 1108 1419 1437 1960 2098 1947 1937 1893 1294 394 [tU] Trekkopje 251 186 Total 4368 4627 4502 4078 4500 4327 3255 2994 3654 4224 5524 6459 Source: NUA, WNA Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand NIGER Niger has two significant uranium mines providing about 5% of world mining output from Africa's highest-grade uranium ores Niger's first commercial uranium mine began operating in 1971 Deposit Proven, Probable & Resources Type Measured Reserves Indicated Inferred SOMAIR Sandstone 3 205 tU in 0.15% ore 30 042 tU in 0.143% ore 22 653 tU in 0.164% ore Arlit Sandstone 20 403 tU in 0.159% ore COMINAK Sandstone 8 702 tU in 0.327% ore 942 tU in 0.277% ore Imouraren Sandstone 213 722 tU in 0.07% ore 62 784 tU in 0.058% ore 2 879 tU in 0.066% ore SOMINA Sandstone 15 600 tU in 0.2% ore Madaouela Sandstone 12 084 tU in 0.1% ore 30 600 tU in 0.12% ore 10 680 tU in 0.11% ore Dasa Sandstone 25 000 tU in 0.26% ore 18 600 tU in 0.22% ore 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 SOMAIR 2726 3065 2730 2331 2509 2164 2116 1783 COMINAK 1075 1506 1508 1501 1607 1313 1332 1128 [tU] SOMINA 64 96 2990 Total 3865 4667 4528 4057 4116 3477 3449 2911 2983 SOMAIR = Arlit/Arlette, Tamou, Tagora, Artois COMINAK = Akouta, Akola, Afasto/Ebba SOMINA = Azelik Source: WNA Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand SOUTH AFRICA Uranium production in South Africa has generally been a by-product of gold mining Sedimentary uranium occurrences are known from the Karoo Basin Deposit Resources Type Measured & Indicated Inferred Ezulwini Au Conglomerate 3 200 tU in 0.028-0.045% ore 85 tU in 0.028-0.045% ore Vaal Reef Au Conglomerate 70 520 tU in 0.035% ore Dominion Reef Au Conglomerate 55 00 tU in 0.062% ore 62 800 tU in 0.036% ore Beatrix Au Conglomerate 9 900 tU in 0.079% ore Randfontein Au Conglomerate 41 000 Ryst Kuil Sandstone 16 000 tU in 0.1% ore 2011 2012 2013 2104 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Ezulwini 34 69 47 67 [tU] Vaal Reef 548 465 531 504 346 423 308 Total 582 465 531 573 393 490 308 346 346 Source: WNA, Kinnaird & Nex, 2016 Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand PAST PRODUCTION Democratic Republic of Congo Provided uranium for the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s from the Shinkolobwe mine Uranium mining by Union Miniere, up to Independence in 1960 About 25 000 tU were produced between 1940 and 1960 The deposit has been unofficially mined since 1997 for cobalt GABON The Mounana uranium deposits in SE Gabon were discovered in 1956 and mined from 1960 to 1999, producing nearly 28 000 tU The best known deposit is Oklo, discovered 1968, which produced over 14 000 tU Mining mostly in open pit, but also underground, from five discrete orebodies with average ore grade of 0.37% Production fluctuated from 400 to 1250 tU/yr Facilities were dismantled and the site is in the final phase of rehabilitation. Source: WNA Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand PAST PRODUCTION MALAWI The Kayelekera deposit was discovered in the 1980s Australian Paladin Energy acquired the deposit in 1997, and developed it at a cost of US$ 220 million Kayelekera produced 4 190 tU The mine was placed on care and maintenance in May 2014 In 2020 Paladin Energy sold its 85% interest in the mine to Lily Resources 15% of the shares are held by the Malawian Government Source: WNA Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand EXPLORATION Resources Other countries with Indicated Grade Inferred Grade Unspecified active exploration Algeria 26 000 tU but no figures are Botswana 33 000 tU 0.0167% 108 000 tU 0.0172% Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic 36 475 tU 0.03% Chad, Egypt, Gabon 5 420 tU 0.027% Equatorial Guinea, Guinea 7 400 tU Ethiopia, Gambia, Malawi 12 025 tU 0.053% 2 428 tU Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mali 8 500 tU 0.1% 6 200 tU 0.06% Madagascar, Moçambique, Mauretania 6 450 tU 0.01% 4 580 tU Morocco, Nigeria, Tanzania 48 000 tU 0.026% 10 600 tU 0.026% 21 000 tU Senegal, Sierra Zambia 2 850 tU 1 460 tU Leone, Somalia, 5 800 tU 0.028% 17 400 tU 0.025% 2 800 tU 0.079% 2 570 tU Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Zimbabwe 1 400 tU 25 000 tU and Uganda. Wise-uranium.org/upafr.html Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand PROSPECTS It is clear that Africa is host to a large variety of uranium deposits and that considerable resources remain, including reprocessing of waste material from gold mining Economic viability, however, is driven by World demand and price, and political stability of the countries in which the deposits are hosted Many projects that were explored in the period 2006 to 2009 will become viable again only when the uranium price rises. Kinnaird & Nex, 2016 Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand CHALLENGES The greatest challenge at present is the low uranium price Markets are well established and new producers need to secure new contracts With beneficiation very limited in the case of uranium, African countries need to ensure local benefits from the mining of uranium Licensing and international instruments controlling the trading of uranium need to be honoured Occupational health and safety requirements are special in the case of uranium Environmental requirements are special in the case of uranium Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand THANK YOU! Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand Promoting the Namibian Uranium Brand .