Kazatomprom will build new pits for uranium extraction - company's head

/INTERFAX-KAZAKHSTAN, Almaty, September 14, 05/ - National atomic company Kazatomprom along with setting new production capacities on uranium extraction in effect will modernize the existing ones, Mukhtar Jakishev the company's head said on Wednesday. He says projects realized by the company will be based "on latest newest achievements of Kazakhstan science". The head says the company plans to build several new pits. In particular, on the new pit "Central Mynkuduk" it's planned to start uranium extraction in year 2007, and by year 2010 this pit's capacity is to reach 2 th. tons per year. In year 2008 it's planned to start extraction on "West Mynkuduk" pit with the production capacity of 1 th. tons per year. In the same year it's planned to start extraction on "Budyonovskoye" pit, нon which it's planned to extract 600 tons of uranium per year by year 2010, and in 2012 increase production capacity to 1 th. tons. "Kharasan" pit is to be set in operation in 2007 and volume of uranium extraction is to reach 1 th. tons per year by 2010, and by year 2013 - 2 th. tons. Building of "Irkol" pit with the production capacity of 750 tons per year is to be made by year 2007. Personnel of each acting pit will be reduced to 100 persons from today's 500. There will be created service-centers for technical service of the pits, which will provide drilling operations, geological-geophysical accompaniment of drilling and extracting works, and so on. Kazatomprom plans to expand and modernize production on the acting pits "North Karamurun", capacity of which by the year 2010 is to be 1 th. tons per year, and "South Karamurun" (250 tons by year 2009), and also on "South Moinkum-1" pit and joint with French company AREVA pit "South Moinkum-2". Besides Kazatomprom plans to create necessary infrastructure on new pits. In particular, since year 2003 the company realizes the project of independent energy supply of the existing and being built pits. It's planned to build a new line of electricity supply joining "Central Mynkuduk", "West Mynkuduk" and "Budyonovskoye" pits. The company says about $52 m. are needed for energy system building. In 2010 total consumption of electrical power on the pits will be about 85 MWt. It was also said at the press-conference that Kazatomprom's total reserves exceeded 1.1 m. tons of uranium, and fields rich with uranium ore were concentrated in the south of the country. Kazatomprom is one of three leading uranium extracting companies in the world. The staff of Kazatomprom comprises Ulbinskiy metallurgical plant, Mining company Volkovgeologiya LLP, MAEC-Kazatomprom LLP, High technologies institute LLP. Besides, Kazatomprom has market shares in joint with foreign companies ventures such as Inkai, Katko, UKR TVS, Zarechnoye and BerilliUM. [2005-09-15]