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Uranium One
View on WikipediaUranium One is an international group of companies, part of the management circuit of the TENEX Group of Rosatom State Corporation. Since 2013, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Moscow-based Uranium One Group, a part of the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom.[2]
Key Information
History
[edit]The company was established as Southern Cross Resources Inc. on January 2, 1997, in Toronto, Canada. It was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange on August 25, 1997. In 2005, Southern Cross Resources Inc. reverse merged with South African Aflease Gold and Uranium Resources Ltd. under the name SXR Uranium One Inc.[3][4] After merger, the company received secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Aflease Gold and Uranium Resources Ltd. became a subsidiary of SXR Uranium One and was renamed Uranium One Africa Ltd. The main uranium asset of Aflease was the Dominion mine.[4] The gold assets of Aflease were divested by 2008 and Uranium One Africa was sold in 2010 to Gupta family.[5]
In 2007, Uranium One Inc. acquired UrAsia Energy Ltd. And a 70% stake in the Akdala and South Inkai uranium mines, as well as a 30% stake in the Kyzylkum venture in Kazakhstan. In June 2009, JSC Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ), a subsidiary of Rosatom, acquired a 16.6 percent stake in Uranium One in exchange for a 50 percent stake in its joint venture with Kazatomprom[citation needed] Karatau.
In the same year, Uranium One bought the Shootaring Uranium Mill from the United States Enrichment Corporation. It was sold to Anfield Energy in 2015.[6] Also in 2007, Uranium One acquired Energy Metals Corporation which owned the Hobson uranium processing plant in Texas, and uranium exploration properties located in Wyoming and Texas. The Hobson uranium processing plant and assets in Texas were sold to Uranium Energy Corporation in 2009.[7]
In 2009, the Rosatom subsidiary ARMZ acquired 16.6% of shares in Uranium One in exchange for a 50% interest in the Karatau uranium mining project, a joint venture with Kazatomprom.[8] In 2010, Uranium One acquired 50% and 49% respective interests in southern Kazakhstan-based Akbastau and Zarechnoye uranium mines from ARMZ. In exchange, ARMZ increased its stake in Uranium One to 51%.[9][10] In 2010, Uranium One acquired Irigaray uranium processing plant, the Christensen Ranch satellite uranium processing facility and associated uranium exploration properties in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming from the joint venture of AREVA and Électricité de France.[11] In December 2010, ARMZ increased its stake in Uranium One to 51.4%. At the time of the 2010 sale, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission estimated that Uranium One held the rights to approximately 20% of the licensed uranium ore production capacity in the United States which in its entirety amounted to 0.2% of the world's uranium production.[12][13] By 2017 additional mining licenses had been issued to other operators, shrinking Uranium One's share of U.S. production capacity to approximately 10%.[12]
ARMZ took complete control of Uranium One in January 2013 by buying all shares it did not already own.[2] In October 2013, Uranium One Inc. was delisted from the Toronto and Johannesburg exchanges and became a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Rosatom.[14][15] From 2012 to 2014, an unspecified amount of Uranium was reportedly exported to Canada via a Kentucky-based trucking firm with an existing export license; most of the processed uranium was returned to the U.S., with approximately 25% going to Western Europe and Japan.[16][17] In 2015, Uranium One relocated certain head office functions such as finance, internal audit and some technical services to Moscow. In 2017, Uranium One established a trading company Uranium One Trading in Zug, Switzerland. However, in January 2018, trading functions of the company were transferred to Techsnabexport, an export arm of Rosatom.[18]
In 2010–2013, Uranium One acquired Mantra Resources, the developer of Mkuju River mine in Tanzania. The Mkuju River project was suspended in 2017 due to the low uranium price.[19] In 2015, Uranium One Australia, the owner of the Uranium One's Australian operations, including the Honeymoon Uranium Project, was sold to Boss Resources.[20][21] In August 2018, Uranium One closed its Willow Creek mine in Wyoming.[22]
In 2017, Uranium One Trading A. started its trading company. G in Zug, Switzerland. The company aims to increase its share in the international market by carrying out spot and medium-term trading in natural uranium.
At the end of 2019, Uranium One's mineral resource base is estimated at 512.7 thousand tons. Uranium production for the year amounted to 4,6 tonnes.[23]
In 2019, Uranium One's operations were transferred to TENEX (a global brand of TENEX).[24]
In the reporting year, the mineral resource base of Uranium One's enterprises according to international reporting standards was 192 thousand tons (197.1 thousand tons in 2018).[25]
In 2020, Uranium One made its first shipment of wood pellets to a customer in Italy. More than 3 thousand tons of products were delivered by sea.[26]
Operations
[edit]Through its subsidiaries and joint ventures Uranium One owns Akdala, South Inkai, Karatau, Akbastau and Kharasan uranium mines in Kazakhstan, the conserved Willow Creek uranium mine in the United States, and the Mkuju River uranium project in Tanzania.[27] In Namibia, Uranium One Headspring Pty., a subsidiary of Uranium One, is conducting exploration work. Exploration and pilot works are planned until 2027.[citation needed]
In 2020, Uranium One sold 11.8 million pounds (5,400 t) of triuranium octoxide (U3O8).[28]
Uranium One is considering lithium mining projects in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.[29][30]
In 2020, Uranium One started to supply wood pellets produced in Russia.[31]
In June 2023, Bolivia signed an agreement with Rosatom through its Uranium One Group to develop its lithium reserves, which are the largest in the world. Uranium One will invest $600 million in the project and conduct the feasibility and pre-investment studies.[32]
Ownership
[edit]Uranium One Inc. is an indirect subsidiary of the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom. It is directly owned by the Amsterdam-based Uranium One Holding N.V. (89.07%) and Moscow-based Uranium One Group (former name: Uranium Mining Company; 10.93%). Uranium One Holding is wholly owned by Uranium One Group. Uranium One Group is owned by Rosatom direct subsidiaries Atomenergoprom (71.084%) and ARMZ (28.916%).[33] Uranium One Group is managed by Techsnabexport.[34]
Uranium One controversy
[edit]A conspiracy theory launched during the 2016 presidential election campaign accused Bill Clinton, the Clinton Foundation, Hillary Clinton, the Obama administration, high level officials in Russia, the State Department, Uranium One, and the FBI of allegedly compromising national-security interests, bribery, and suppressing evidence.[35][36][37] All parties have denied the accusations, and no evidence of wrongdoing has been found after five years of allegations, an FBI investigation, a House Intelligence Committee inquiry, and the 2017 appointment by the Justice Department of the U.S. Attorney in Utah, John Huber, to evaluate the FBI investigation.[35][36][37][38][39] Huber's inquiry ended in January 2019 without any findings of consequence.[39]
Activities
[edit]Uranium exploration and mining
Uranium One is engaged in natural uranium mining, exploration and development of uranium deposits in Kazakhstan, the United States, Tanzania, and Namibia. The company produces about 4,6 thousand tons of natural uranium per year. Uranium One supplies natural uranium to energy companies in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Kazakhstan
Uranium One is a participant in six joint uranium mines with NAC Kazatomprom, the national nuclear corporation of Kazakhstan: Akdala, South Inkai, Karatau, Akbastau, Zarechnoye and Kharasan.[40]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Uranium One Inc". AnnualReports.com. March 30, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Koven, Peter (January 14, 2013). "Uranium One bought by top Russian shareholder ARMZ for $1.3-billion". Financial Post. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
- ^ Stueck, Wendy (July 6, 2005). "S. African firm nabs uranium miner". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ^ a b "Court sanctions Southern Cross takeover of Aflease". Mail and Guardian. December 6, 2005. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Steyn, Lisa; Donnelly, Lynley (March 24, 2016). "Price pressure on Gupta uranium mine". Mail and Guardian. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ "Hidden Value in Anfield Energy: The Shootaring Uranium Mill". Oil & Gas 360. June 26, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ "Uranium Energy buys Texan venture". World Nuclear News. October 10, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Kazakh tie-in for Uranium One and ARMZ". World Nuclear News. June 15, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ^ "Uranium One to Acquire Two More Kazakh Mines from ARMZ and To Pay Special Dividend to Minority Shareholders of at least US$ 1.06 per Share" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 27, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
- ^ "ARMZ takes hold of Uranium One". World Nuclear News. June 9, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
- ^ "Uranium One acquires Wyoming assets". World Nuclear News. August 11, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ a b Kessler, Glenn (October 31, 2017). "The repeated, incorrect claim that Russia obtained '20 percent of our uranium'". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ Ritch, John (November 21, 2017). "This Uranium Deal Was No Scandal". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ WISE Uranium Project "Following the completion of the Going Private Transaction, and an internal reorganization by ARMZ's parent corporation, Russia's State Atomic Energy Company 'Rosatom' in December 2013, Uranium One is now a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Rosatom and is no longer controlled by ARMZ." updated April 1, 2015, accessed April 23, 2015
- ^ "Uranium One to delist shares as Russia's state nuclear firm takes control". Reuters. October 19, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ Solomon, John; Spann, Alison (November 2, 2017). "Uranium One deal led to some exports to Europe, memos show". TheHill.com. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- ^ Becker, Jo; McIntire, Mike (April 23, 2015). "Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- ^ Dzaguto, Vladimir; Dzhumaylo, Anatoly (January 11, 2018). ""Росатом" сливает доходы: Трейдинг природного урана передают "Техснабэкспорту"" [Rosatom merges revenues: Natural uranium trading is transferred to Techsnabexport]. Kommersant (in Russian). Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Uranium One applies to suspend Mkuju River project". World Nuclear News. July 10, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Russia sells Australian mining arm to Boss Resources". World Nuclear News. September 1, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Dzhumaylo, Anatoly (September 2, 2015). "Uranium One покидает Австралию" [Uranium One leaves Australia]. Kommersant (in Russian). Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ "Uranium One mothballs US mine". Nuclear Engineering International. August 21, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Index of /go/rosatom/go_rosatom_2019". report.rosatom.ru. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ "АРМЗ в 2019г ликвидирует СП по продаже урана с U1 в рамках его перехода под управление Tenex". Атомная энергия 2.0 (in Russian). 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ "Росатом в 2019 г сохранил объемы добычи урана на уровне 7 млн тонн | MQL-разработка" (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ "Uranium One выходит на рынок биотоплива Италии". polit.ru. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- ^ "Focus: Tanzania / Mkuju River uranium Project". Uranium Network. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
- ^ Basov, Vladimir (February 17, 2021). "Uranium One reports 7% production decline in 2020". Kitco News. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ Smertina, Polina (July 29, 2021). ""Росатом" аккумулирует литий" [Rosatom accumulates lithium]. Kommersant (in Russian). Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ Woodall, Toby (September 16, 2020). "Russia's Uranium One aims to capture 10% of global lithium market by 2030". S&P Global. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ "Russian Uranium One enters Italian biofuel market". NeftegazRU.com. November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ "Bolivia seals $1.4 billion lithium deals with Russia's Rosatom, China's Guoan". www.msn.com. Reuters. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "Uranium One letter to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission" (PDF). Uranium One. September 14, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Smertina, Polina (June 4, 2021). "Плавный рост цен сохранится на длительную перспективу" [Smooth price growth continues for the long term]. Kommersant (in Russian). Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Chang, Alvin (November 17, 2017). "This simple chart debunks the conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton sold uranium to Russia". Vox. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Jacobson, Louis; Kruzel, John (October 24, 2017). "What you need to know about Hillary Clinton, Russia, and uranium". Vox. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Harshaw, Tobin (November 14, 2017). "Clinton Uranium 'Scandal' Doesn't Have Much Fuel". Bloomberg. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Maxwell, Tani (2017-10-28). "Mueller's charges have Republicans freaking out over a report tying Hillary Clinton to a Russian uranium deal". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
- ^ a b Barrett, Devlin; Zapotosky, Matt (January 10, 2020). "Justice Dept. winds down Clinton-related inquiry once championed by Trump. It found nothing of consequence". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- ^ "Uranium in Kazakhstan | Nuclear Power in Kazakhstan - World Nuclear Association". www.world-nuclear.org. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
External links
[edit]Uranium One
View on GrokipediaCorporate History
Formation and Early Expansion
Uranium One Inc. was established in 2005 as a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, initially operating as a junior mining firm focused on uranium exploration and development.[7][8] The company, originally known as sxr Uranium One Inc., targeted opportunities in uranium resources amid rising global demand for nuclear fuel.[9] Under the early leadership of Canadian mining financier Frank Giustra, who had previously assembled UrAsia Energy Ltd. in 2005 to pursue uranium projects in Kazakhstan, the firm emphasized acquiring undervalued assets in geopolitically stable regions with established mining frameworks.[10] UrAsia quickly secured joint venture interests, such as a 30% stake in the Kyzylkum project for $75 million in 2005, leveraging Kazakhstan's position as a major uranium producer.[11] This approach aligned with broader strategies to build resource bases through targeted investments rather than greenfield exploration alone. Giustra served as non-executive chairman following key developments but divested his holdings in 2007.[12] A pivotal early expansion occurred in February 2007 when sxr Uranium One announced the acquisition of UrAsia Energy Ltd. for approximately $3.1 billion in shares, completed in April 2007, creating a mid-tier uranium producer with consolidated assets primarily in Kazakhstan.[13][14] The merger enhanced production potential and diversified holdings, positioning the enlarged entity for further growth in uranium mining operations outside North America. By 2009, Russian state-owned ARMZ Uranium Holding Co., a subsidiary of Rosatom, acquired a 17% minority stake in Uranium One through a swap involving a 50% interest in the Karatau uranium project in Kazakhstan, marking initial foreign investment without altering majority control.[15][16]Key Acquisitions and Growth Phase
In 2007, Uranium One significantly expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of UrAsia Energy Ltd. for approximately $3.1 billion, a transaction completed in April that integrated UrAsia's substantial Kazakhstan-based assets into the company.[14] This deal provided Uranium One with a 70% stake in the Betpak Dala joint venture with Kazatomprom, encompassing the Akdala and South Inkai uranium deposits, which employed in-situ recovery (ISR) mining techniques to extract uranium from sandstone-hosted orebodies.[11] Akdala commenced production in 2006, while South Inkai initiated trial operations in 2007, contributing to early production ramp-up through ISR methods that minimized surface disturbance and enabled scalable output.[11] Further growth in Kazakhstan included the establishment of the Kyzylkum joint venture (Kharasan 1 project), in which Uranium One held a 30% interest alongside Kazatomprom (30%) and EnergyAsia (40%), with pilot production starting in 2009.[11] These expansions, combined with the Betpak Dala assets, boosted Uranium One's attributable reserves to over 50,000 tonnes of uranium by 2009, driven by measured and indicated resources at South Inkai (13,000 tU), Akdala (10,359 tU total resources), and Kharasan 1 (15,693 tU measured plus 17,940 tU inferred).[11] In 2009, production from these Kazakh operations reached approximately 1,876 tU, equivalent to roughly 2,200 tonnes of U3O8, reflecting the efficacy of ISR in achieving commercial-scale extraction amid rising global uranium demand.[11] Concurrently, Uranium One entered the North American market by acquiring Energy Metals Corp. in 2007 for $50 million plus royalties, gaining control of Wyoming-based assets under its subsidiary Uranium One Americas Inc.[17] These included ISR projects in the Powder River Basin, such as Willow Creek, with total resources exceeding 6,500 tU, positioning the company to leverage low-cost ISR for future domestic production capacity potentially up to 1,400 tU annually.[17] This acquisition diversified Uranium One's geographic footprint and enhanced its technical expertise in ISR, aligning with the late-2000s surge in uranium exploration and development.[17]Rosatom Acquisition Process
In June 2010, JSC Atomredmetzolot (ARMZ), a subsidiary of Russia's state-owned Rosatom, entered into an agreement to acquire a 51 percent controlling stake in Uranium One Inc., a Canadian mining company with uranium assets primarily in Kazakhstan and the United States.[18] The transaction structure involved ARMZ contributing approximately US$610 million in cash directly to Uranium One shareholders, along with its 50 percent and 49 percent interests in the Akbastau and Zarechnoye uranium mines in Kazakhstan, respectively, to Uranium One itself.[19] This valued the overall deal at around $1.3 billion, granting ARMZ majority ownership while expanding Uranium One's resource base in Central Asia.[1] The acquisition closed on December 27, 2010, after which ARMZ held 51.4 percent of Uranium One's shares.[20] To consolidate full control, ARMZ launched a tender offer on January 14, 2013, for all remaining Uranium One common shares it did not already own, at a price of C$2.86 per share in cash.[21] This offer represented a premium over recent trading prices and implied a total transaction value of approximately $1.3 billion for the minority stake.[22] Uranium One shareholders approved the going-private transaction on March 7, 2013, leading to the company's delisting from the Toronto Stock Exchange and conversion into a private entity fully owned by ARMZ.[23] Following the 2013 completion, Uranium One was integrated as a key component of ARMZ's global operations, which serve as Rosatom's mining arm responsible for uranium production outside Russia.[24] This incorporation provided Rosatom with diversified access to Uranium One's established reserves and production assets in non-Russian jurisdictions, including Kazakhstan and legacy interests in the United States, bolstering its position in international uranium supply chains without reliance on domestic sources alone.[1]Operations and Assets
Primary Mining Operations
Uranium One's primary mining operations center on Kazakhstan following the 2013 acquisition by Rosatom, where in-situ recovery (ISR), also known as in-situ leaching, serves as the core extraction technique across its key assets. ISR entails drilling injection and production wells into sandstone-hosted uranium deposits, circulating an acidic or alkaline leaching solution to solubilize uranium ore in place, and recovering the pregnant solution for ion-exchange processing at surface facilities. This approach leverages the region's hydrogeological conditions, including permeable aquifers at depths of 200-600 meters, enabling efficient extraction without large-scale excavation.[25][26] Compared to open-pit mining, ISR minimizes surface land disturbance, tailings piles, and dust emissions, though it requires rigorous groundwater monitoring to manage potential migration of leachates beyond the ore zone. Logistically, operations involve phased wellfield development—typically in five-spot or nine-spot patterns for optimal flow dynamics—and sulfuric acid supply chains, often sourced locally or via joint ventures, to sustain leaching efficiency at recovery rates of 70-80%. Kazakhstan's ISR dominance, accounting for over 50% of global uranium output by volume in the 2010s, aligns with Uranium One's model by prioritizing low operating costs, estimated at $15-25 per pound U3O8 during peak periods, through modular processing plants and minimal capital-intensive infrastructure.[25][11] The principal sites—Akdala, Karatau, and Zarechnoye—form the backbone of production, with these ISR fields yielding the bulk of output via joint ventures with Kazatomprom. Akdala, operational since 2009, features roll-front deposits amenable to alkaline leaching; Karatau emphasizes acid-based ISR for higher-grade zones; and Zarechnoye integrates advanced well monitoring for sustained yields. These locations collectively drove annual production to a peak of approximately 6,000 tonnes U3O8 equivalent in 2017, supported by wellfield expansions and optimized pumping regimes before market-driven curtailments.[27][28]Production Capacity and Key Projects
Uranium One's mining operations in Kazakhstan utilize in-situ recovery (ISR) techniques, with total production capacity across its key projects reaching several thousand tonnes of uranium (tU) annually prior to adjustments for market conditions.[11] The company's output from these assets has historically represented a notable share of Rosatom's global uranium supply, derived primarily from high-grade deposits in the Chu-Sarysu and Syrdarya basins.[29] The South Inkai project stands as a core high-grade ISR operation, initiating trial production in 2007 and ramping up to a designed capacity of approximately 1,900 tU per year by 2011.[11] In 2022, the South Inkai 4 section of the project yielded 1,600 tU, reflecting operational efficiency in extracting uranium from sandstone-hosted roll-front deposits via acid leaching solutions.[30] This facility's high ore grades enable competitive recovery rates, with wellfield development focused on phased saturation and elution processes to optimize yield. Supporting projects include Akdala, Kharasan, and Zarechnoye, which function as satellite operations to bolster overall throughput. Akdala and Kharasan employ similar ISR methods on roll-front mineralization, with historical contributions scaling to hundreds of tU annually per site during active phases. Zarechnoye, operated as a joint venture, added diversified output until recent stake divestitures, emphasizing modular wellfield expansion for sustained extraction. These projects collectively enable Uranium One to maintain flexible production scaling based on uranium demand and pricing. Amid the 2014-2016 uranium market downturn, when spot prices fell below US$30 per pound U3O8 due to post-Fukushima oversupply, Uranium One suspended operations at select sites including Kharasan to conserve resources and avoid uneconomic extraction.[31] Resumptions occurred as prices recovered, allowing reactivation of wellfields while prioritizing higher-grade zones to align with long-term reserve management.Resource Holdings and Reserves
Uranium One's mineral reserves as of mid-2013 were predominantly located in Kazakhstan, with NI 43-101 certified proven and probable reserves totaling approximately 70,000 tonnes U3O8 equivalent on an attributable basis.[11] These holdings were supported by technical reports filed in December 2013 for key projects such as Karatau and Akbastau, confirming economic viability through sandstone-hosted deposits suitable for in-situ recovery (ISR).[32]| Project | Proven and Probable Reserves (tU) | Extraction Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karatau (Budenovskoye 2) | 51,960 | ISR | Attributable share reflects joint venture with Kazatomprom.[11] |
| Akbastau (Budenovskoye 1, 3, 4) | 31,600 | ISR | High-grade roll-front deposits; combined measured and indicated resources of 47,293 tU.[11] |
| Kharasan 1 | 7,132 | ISR | Supporting measured and indicated resources of 8,561 tU.[11] |
| Other (e.g., South Inkai, Akdala, Zarechnoye) | ~11,645 (combined) | ISR | Lower individual contributions but additive to total portfolio viability.[11] |
