is management company Mining division of the State Corporation Rosatom, which consolidates Russian uranium mining assets. Mineral resource base directly from the holding itself at the end of 2017 is 523.9 thousand tons (2nd place among the largest uranium mining companies in the world).
The unique competencies concentrated in the company allow us to carry out the entire complex industrial work– from geological exploration to mining and processing of natural uranium. This is important because Russian uranium mining assets are at different stages life cycle: from exploration (the Elkon project) to intensive industrial exploitation of deposits. Largest enterprise, part of the management circuit of the ARMZ Uranium Holding, is the Priargunskoye Production Mining and Chemical Association (PIMCU, Trans-Baikal Territory), founded in 1968. It has been mining underground for many decades.
Two other enterprises are effectively developing - JSC Khiagda in the Republic of Buryatia and JSC Dalur in the Kurgan Region, mining uranium using the more environmentally friendly method of borehole in-situ leaching (ISL).
Unlike traditional way mining, which consists of extracting ore from the subsoil, crushing it and hydrometallurgical processing; with SPV, the uranium ore remains in place. Through a system of wells, a leaching reagent is pumped through the ore deposit, followed by pumping the uranium-containing solution to the surface, where it is successively processed to obtain the final product - yellow cake or uranium oxide-oxide. With PWS soil cover is almost not disturbed, no dumps of waste rock and waste are formed, and the state of the aquifer containing the ore after mining is restored to its original state. This technology is much more economical and environmentally preferable to quarry or mine methods of uranium extraction.
JSC Khiagda is assessed as the most promising asset of the holding. The expansion of its production base will in the near future make it possible to reach the design capacity of 1000 tons of uranium per year.
Among the others subsidiaries JSC Atomredmetzoloto - service center JSC RUSBURMASH, which carries out exploration of natural resources both in Russia and abroad, the engineering center of JSC VNIPIprotekhnologii, specializing in design and construction industrial facilities"Full construction".
In addition to uranium mining, ARMZ Uranium Holding also implements a number of projects related to the mining of rare, rare earth and precious metals. One of the key projects is the development of the Pavlovsk lead-zinc silver deposit on the archipelago New land, the mineral resource base of which will allow organizing one of the largest processing enterprises in Russia. The basis for this activity is many years of experience in developing deposits in a wide variety of geoclimatic conditions. JSC Dalur plans to organize associated production of concentrate (up to 10 tons per year) and concentrate of rare earth metals (up to 450 tons per year). PIMCU produces coal at the Urtuysky open-pit mine.
Thanks to investments and optimization of activities, labor productivity at ARMZ Uranium Holding Co. is increasing, and production costs are decreasing. The introduction of advanced technologies also helps improve results. In particular, in JSC Dalur in 2015 it was installed technological line drying of “yellow cake” with a design capacity of 120 kg of product per hour. Thanks to the introduction of the line, the humidity of the suspension of uranium compounds decreased from 30% to 2%. In turn, this not only reduces logistics costs, but also ensures the convenience of further processing to obtain high-purity uranium compounds.
The foreign uranium mining assets of the Rosatom State Corporation are united by the Uranium One holding. It has a diversified portfolio of international assets in Kazakhstan, the USA and Tanzania. The mineral resource base of Uranium One, according to estimates based on international reporting standards, amounted to 216 thousand tons of uranium at the end of 2018 (the value did not change compared to 2017). The volume of uranium production in 2018 amounted to 4.4 thousand tons of uranium.
Extraction is carried out using environmentally friendly in-situ leaching technology. Uranium One is a proponent of clean energy, maintaining the highest standards in the field of protection environment, ensuring the safety and health of employees, actively participates in local community development programs in the areas where the company operates.
In the last few years, the topic has become increasingly relevant nuclear power. To produce nuclear energy, it is common to use a material such as uranium. He is chemical element, belonging to the actinide family.
The chemical activity of this element determines the fact that it is not contained in free form. For its production, mineral formations called uranium ores are used. They concentrate such an amount of fuel that allows the extraction of this chemical element to be considered economically rational and profitable. On this moment in the bowels of our planet the content of this metal exceeds the reserves of gold in 1000 times(cm. ). In general, the deposits of this chemical element in the soil, aquatic environment And rock are valued at more than 5 million tons.
In the free state, uranium is a gray-white metal, which is characterized by 3 allotropic modifications: rhombic crystalline, tetragonal and body-centered cubic lattices. The boiling point of this chemical element is 4200 °C.
Uranium is a chemically active material. In air, this element slowly oxidizes, easily dissolves in acids, reacts with water, but does not interact with alkalis.
Uranium ores in Russia are usually classified according to various signs. Most often they differ in terms of education. Yes, there are endogenous, exogenous and metamorphogenic ores. In the first case, they are mineral formations formed under the influence of high temperatures, humidity and pegmatite melts. Exogenous uranium mineral formations occur in surface conditions. They can form directly on the surface of the earth. This occurs due to circulation groundwater and sediment accumulation. Metamorphogenic mineral formations appear as a result of the redistribution of initially dispersed uranium.
According to the uranium content level, these natural formations can be:
- super rich (over 0.3%);
- rich (from 0.1 to 0.3%);
- privates (from 0.05 to 0.1%);
- poor (from 0.03 to 0.05%);
- off-balance sheet (from 0.01 to 0.03%).
Modern uses of uranium
Today, uranium is most often used as fuel for rocket engines and nuclear reactors. Given the properties of this material, it is also intended to increase the power of a nuclear weapon. This chemical element has also found its application in painting. It is actively used as yellow, green, brown and black pigments. Uranium is also used to make cores for armor-piercing projectiles.
Mining uranium ore in Russia: what is needed for this?
The extraction of radioactive ores is carried out using three main technologies. If ore deposits are concentrated as close as possible to the surface of the earth, then it is customary to use open technology. It involves the use of bulldozers and excavators that dig holes big size and load the resulting minerals into dump trucks. Then it is sent to the processing complex.
When this mineral formation is located deeply, it is customary to use underground mining technology, which involves creating a mine up to 2 kilometers deep. The third technology differs significantly from the previous ones. In-ground leaching to develop uranium deposits involves drilling wells through which sulfuric acid is pumped into the deposits. Next, another well is drilled, which is necessary to pump the resulting solution to the surface of the earth. Then it goes through a sorption process, which allows the salts of this metal to be collected on a special resin. The last stage of SPV technology is cyclic treatment of the resin with sulfuric acid. Thanks to this technology, the concentration of this metal becomes maximum.
Uranium ore deposits in Russia
Russia is considered one of the world leaders in the mining of uranium ores. Over the past few decades, Russia has consistently ranked among the top 7 leading countries in this indicator.
The largest deposits of these natural mineral formations are:
The largest uranium mining deposits in the world - leading countries
Australia is considered the world leader in uranium mining. More than 30% of all world reserves are concentrated in this state. The largest Australian deposits are Olympic Dam, Beverly, Ranger and Honemoon.
Australia's main competitor is Kazakhstan, which contains almost 12% of the world's fuel reserves. Canada and South Africa each contain 11% of the world's uranium reserves, Namibia - 8%, Brazil - 7%. Russia closes the top seven with 5%. The list of leaders also includes countries such as Namibia, Ukraine and China.
The world's largest uranium deposits are:
| Field | A country | Start processing |
| Olympic Dam | Australia | 1988 |
| Rossing | Namibia | 1976 |
| McArthur River | Canada | 1999 |
| Inkai | Kazakhstan | 2007 |
| Dominion | South Africa | 2007 |
| Ranger | Australia | 1980 |
| Kharasan | Kazakhstan | 2008 |
Reserves and production volumes of uranium ore in Russia
The explored reserves of uranium in our country are estimated at more than 400 thousand tons. At the same time, the predicted resources are more than 830 thousand tons. As of 2017, there are 16 uranium deposits in Russia. Moreover, 15 of them are concentrated in Transbaikalia. The main deposit of uranium ore is considered to be the Streltsovskoe ore field. In most domestic deposits, production is carried out using the shaft method.
- Uranium was discovered back in the 18th century. In 1789, the German scientist Martin Klaproth managed to produce metal-like uranium from ore. Interestingly, this scientist is also the discoverer of titanium and zirconium.
- Uranium compounds are actively used in the field of photography. This element is used to color positives and enhance negatives.
- The main difference between uranium and other chemical elements is its natural radioactivity. Uranium atoms tend to change independently over time. At the same time, they emit rays invisible to the human eye. These rays are divided into 3 types - gamma, beta and alpha radiation (see).
How is uranium mined in Kazakhstan? aslan wrote in March 27th, 2017
The uranium industry of Kazakhstan in terms of revenues to the country's budget is perhaps second only to oil production. More than 25 thousand people work in this industry, however, due to the regime of the facilities, guests at uranium mines are extremely a rare event.
Today we will see how the Ortalyk mining enterprise, located in the Suzak district of the South Kazakhstan region, works
The work shift of employees of Ortalyk Mining Enterprise LLP begins with a mandatory medical examination
Workers at a uranium mining enterprise have their blood pressure and temperature measured and are also tested with a breathalyzer. Although, according to the doctor, alcohol is strictly prohibited at the facility, and there has not been a single case of last test was "failed"
After the medical examination - breakfast in the mine canteen
The specifics of production create additional safety requirements - employees put on work clothes in a separate locker room; going out into the shift camp and the clean area of the mine is prohibited.
The shift foreman issues an order - a task that defines the content, place of work, start and end times, conditions for safe performance, necessary measures security
One of the safety measures is to wear respirators in workshops. This is due to the fact that in the production of uranium, reagents such as sulfuric acid and ammonium nitrate are used
Uranium mining is fully automated. In the control room you can track all the processes that occur at the facility
Uranium mining at Ortalyk, as at all other enterprises in Kazakhstan, is carried out by underground borehole leaching. This method was chosen because it is the most environmentally friendly. The radiation background in the fields does not differ from the radiation background in large cities
The principle of the underground leaching method is as follows: a 2% solution of sulfuric acid is pumped underground into uranium-bearing layers, which, interacting with rocks, dissolves uranium, then this uranium-enriched solution is pumped to the surface. Above each well there is a pump control panel
In this room on the territory of the landfill with wells there is a solution distribution unit
Employees are given glasses and hats to protect them from the incredible heat.
A solution of sulfuric acid is pumped into the wells through these pipes. Pumping wells that pump uranium out of the ground look similar.
Then the solution with uranium is sent through pipes to the workshop for processing productive solutions (sorption-regeneration cycle).
With this mining method, about 15 tons of sulfuric acid per hour are used at Ortalyk
In uranium production, all processes are automated, but manual control is also possible
This workshop receives a uranium solution - commercial uranium desorbate
The solution reacts with ammonium carbonate salt to obtain a concentrate of natural uranium - “yellow cake”
Checking the pressure filter readings
Yellowcake or natural uranium concentrate is the final product of the enterprise, which is packaged in special containers. Actually, uranium in this compound is about 45-50%. This year it is planned to extract 2,000 tons of uranium. The field itself is designed for 25 years of operation.
Submersible pumps require virtually no repairs; they last about 30 thousand operating hours. However, it is necessary to constantly inspect and, if necessary, change the impellers.
In parallel with the direct extraction of uranium, the laboratory conducts research that allows for the most efficient development of the deposit.
According to accepted standards, no more than 3 milligrams of uranium per liter should remain in the solution sent back to the subsurface after processing, but according to sample results, losses did not exceed 1.2 milligrams.
After graduation work shift Employees are required to have their radiation dose checked
When we went to the enterprise, we expected that the uranium workers' camp would look like in the old days good times- trailers in which workers live. However, the rotational camp at Ortalyk looks completely different - it’s modern complex buildings that have everything a person needs to relax after work.
After dinner, many workers spend time playing table tennis.
The rotational camp also has its own mini-football field
Uranium(U) is the heaviest element found on Earth in natural conditions. Of the 2 main isotopes of uranium in earth's crust 99.3% by weight is uranium-238 and only 0.7% is uranium-235, which is used in the production of nuclear reactors.
1.
Uranium is used for both military and peaceful purposes. Uranium ore processed, the resulting element was used in the paint and varnish and glass industries. After its radioactivity was discovered, it began to be used in nuclear energy. How clean and environmentally friendly is this fuel? This is still being debated.
Natural uranium
In nature, uranium does not exist in its pure form - it is a component of ores and minerals. The main uranium ores are carnotite and pitchblende. Also, significant deposits of this strategic chemical element were found in rare earth and peat minerals - orthite, titanite, zircon, monazite, xenotime. Uranium deposits can be found in rocks with acidic environment and high concentrations of silicon. Its companions are calcite, galena, molybdenite, etc.
2.
There is a company in the world called Uranium One, which owns the largest uranium deposits in Kazakhstan, Africa, Australia and the USA. The company accounts for up to 30% of global uranium production. But few people know that Uranium One, once founded as a Canadian-South African consortium, is now 100% owned by Rosatom.
There is a continuous fierce struggle going on in the world for control over uranium mines and deposits. This is a strategic issue. Whoever holds uranium sources in his hands not only holds the entire world nuclear energy industry by the throat, but can also influence the market nuclear weapons.
3. World deposits and reserves
To date, many deposits have been explored in a 20-kilometer layer earth's surface. All of them contain huge number tons of uranium. This amount can provide humanity with energy for many hundreds of years to come. The leading countries in which uranium ore is found in the largest volumes are Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Canada, South Africa, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, USA, Brazil, Namibia.
In the USSR, systematic work on the search and exploration of uranium deposits was carried out in the territories of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Mining and chemical plants were created that extracted uranium in mines and mines. The mined uranium was sent to the military area, to provide fuel for nuclear power plants and to strategic reserves. But in the early 90s everything broke down.
4. Russian uranium ore
For uranium mining Russian Federation is in fifth place among other countries in the world. The most famous and powerful are Khiagdinskoye, Kolichkanskoye, Istochnoye, Koretkondinskoye, Namarusskoye, Dobrynskoye (Republic of Buryatia), Argunskoye, Zherlovoe (Chita region). The Chita region produces 93% of all Russian uranium produced.
In total, deposits in Russia are predicted to be 830 tons of uranium; confirmed reserves are about 615 tons. These are also deposits in Yakutia, Karelia and other regions. Since uranium is a strategic global raw material, the numbers may be inaccurate, since much of the data is classified and only a certain category of people has access to it.
5. How is uranium mined?
Usually everyone has heard about terrible and terrible uranium mines, but few people can imagine how even ordinary iron and copper are mined, not to mention uranium. Therefore, first, let’s talk about this difficult matter.
There are 3 main ways to mine uranium. The first method is open, suitable for cases where the ore body is close to the surface of the earth. With the open mining method, they simply dig a large hole with bulldozers and load the ore with excavators into dump trucks, which transport it to the processing complex.
6.
The second method - underground - is used when the ore body is deep. This method is more expensive and, accordingly, is suitable for high concentrations of uranium in the rock. With the underground method, a vertical shaft is drilled, from which horizontal workings extend. The depth of the mines can reach up to two kilometers. In horizontal drifts, miners chisel the rock, lift the ore upward on special freight elevators and also transport it further to the processing complex.
7.
8.
9.
What happens at the processing complex? This diagram can be considered classic, although it is by no means the only one and has many nuances. The rock is crushed, mixed with water and unnecessary impurities are removed. The concentrate is then leached, usually using sulfuric acid. From the solution, using ion exchange resins, a precipitate of uranium salts is separated, having a characteristic yellow, for which they received the name yellow cake (from the English yellow cake). Yellow cake still contains quite a lot of impurities, from which it must be purified at a refining plant and, after calcination, uranium oxide (U3O8) is obtained - the final product, which is even traded on the stock exchange.
10.
11.
I specifically talked about processing, but without saying anything about the third method of extraction. It is radically different from the first two and is called borehole in-situ leaching (ISI). During SPV, 6 wells are drilled at the corners of the hexagon, through which they pump into the ore body sulfuric acid. Another well is drilled in the center of the hexagon and a solution saturated with uranium salts is pumped through it to the surface. The productive solution is passed through sorption columns in which uranium salts are collected on a special resin. The resin, in turn, is again treated with sulfuric acid and so on several times until the concentration of uranium in the solution becomes sufficient. And then again yellowcake, purification and production of uranium oxide
12. Dangers of Uranium Mines
It is generally accepted that uranium mines are a terribly dangerous thing, but at present, uranium mines, if safety precautions are observed, are no more dangerous to the health of miners than coal mines. Greatest danger there it is rather not radiation, but dust containing particles of uranium and other heavy metals, the entry of which into the body can lead to serious diseases of internal organs. The presence of radioactive radon gas in the air can also be dangerous, but with working ventilation its concentrations are minimal. When using underground leaching, the harmfulness of production for workers becomes no higher than for office workers - no dust, no radon)) Just kidding, of course
For the environment, the most dangerous is the open-pit mining method - this is a huge hole on the site of the mine, and dust containing radioactive elements, and tailings of waste rock, which, due to the decay products of uranium, retains about 85% of the background radiation of the extracted ore. Not only radiation pollution with uranium decay products, such as radon, radium, thorium, is dangerous, but also general contamination of the territory, including salts of heavy metals (arsenic, lead, copper), which are toxic to the body, and sulfides, which when interacting with water can form sulfuric acid. Well, no one has canceled all sorts of industrial accidents and destruction due to natural Disasters, the risk of which is always present.
With the mine method, the dangers are generally the same as with the open mine method, but less waste is still generated. Among the advantages is also the absence of a hole.
Therefore, it is believed that underground leaching is the least harmful to the environment. It is stated that in 4-5 years it will be possible to work at the mine site agriculture. But we should not forget that underground leaching can greatly deteriorate the quality of groundwater, and working with sulfuric acid is unlikely to improve fertility. Plus, the use of in-situ leaching is limited: it can only be used in sandstone and below the water table
13.
Uranium as a chemical element was discovered in 1789, and its radioactive properties were identified in late XIX century. In the last century, uranium was used only to make nuclear weapons. And nowadays it is widely used in many industries, for example, it is added in small quantities to glass for coloring. But it is mostly used to create electrical energy.
The most terrible on the planet
Characteristics of uranium ores
Uranium ores are natural formations containing metal in significant concentrations. Often, other radioactive elements such as polonium and radium are found in the ore along with uranium.
- coarse-grained – over 25 mm in diameter;
- medium-grained - from 3 to 25 mm;
- fine-grained - from 0.1 to 3 mm;
- fine-grained - from 0.015 to 0.1 mm;
- dispersed - less than 0.015 mm.
The size of the grains determines how the enrichment will be carried out.
Uranium ore is classified according to its impurity content;
- uranium-molybdenum;
- uranium-cobalt-nickel-bismuth;
- uranium-vanadium;
- monoore.
Ore is classified according to its chemical composition:
- silicate;
- carbonate;
- sulfide;
- iron oxide;
- caustobiolic.
The chemical composition determines how the rock will be processed. For example:
- uranium is isolated from carbonate ores by soda solution;
- from silicate - acid;
- from iron oxide - by blast furnace smelting.
The ore is classified according to its uranium content:
- very rich – contains over 1% metal;
- rich – from 1 to 0.5%;
- average – from 0.5 to 0.25%;
- ordinary – from 0.25 to 0.1%;
- poor - less than 0.1%.
From the rock, which contains uranium in the range of 0.01 - 0.015%, the metal is extracted as a by-product.
Uranium deposits in Russia
- Zherlovoe - located in the Chita region, reserves are estimated at 4137 thousand tons. In terms of metal content - molybdenum - 0.082% uranium and 0.227% molybdenum. There are only 3485 tons of pure uranium;
- Argunskoye is located in the Chita region. Ore reserves of category C1 are 13,025 thousand tons, of which uranium is 27,957 tons, category C2 is 7,990 thousand, of which 9,481 tons are pure uranium. Exactly this large deposit. It provides 93% of the all-Russian production volume;
- Istochnoye, Dybrynskoye, Kolichkanovskoye, Koretkondinskoye are deposits located in the Republic of Buryatia. In this area, exploration reserves are about 17.7 thousand tons, and predicted resources are 12.2 thousand tons;
- Khiagdinskoye - located in Buryatia. Uranium ore reserves – 11.3 thousand tons.
According to experts, the most promising deposits in Russia today are at the development stage:
- Elkonskoe - located in Yakutia, according to forecasts there are 346 thousand tons of ore;
- Malinovskoe - in Western Siberia;
- Vitimskoye and Aldanskoye - in Eastern Siberia;
- Far Eastern - located on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk;
- In Karelia near Onega and Ladoga lakes.
The total reserves of uranium in Russia are estimated at 800 thousand tons.
How is uranium ore mined?
Uranium deposits in Russia are developed in two ways:
- open;
- underground.
Uranium mining open method carried out in the case when layers of useful rock lie shallow underground.
Machinery is used to extract ores:
- bulldozers - for opening rock;
- bucket loaders;
- dump trucks for transportation.
A prerequisite for open-pit mining in Russia is its subsequent closure. It is carried out by covering layers, and reclamation is carried out on the restored surface.
The open method is safer and cheaper. It is believed that the level of radiation during such development is significantly lower. But the quality of the ore is also low.
Equipment for mining uranium ore Higher-grade ore is mined underground. It consists of equipping mines or adits. Today technical capabilities They do not limit production by depth, but exceeding two kilometers makes production unprofitable. The main problem with the underground mining method is the release of radon, a radioactive gas. It can spread quickly and create high concentrations in the mine atmosphere. One radon atom lives for 5 days. The main task when designing a mine is to ensure effective system ventilation. So that gas atoms do not accumulate, but rise to the surface. Often ventilation systems and the pipes are not used to supply oxygen to the mine, but to remove radon. The air is supplied artificially. The mine of the PIMCU enterprise in Russia consumes 1410 m 3 of air per minute. The ventilation units operate continuously, even when the mine is not in use.
The underground leaching method is a modern progressive technology. Its use causes the least damage to the ecology of the region. The essence of the method is as follows:
- a well is being drilled;
- an alkaline composition is pumped into it;
- after interaction with uranium rock, metal leaching occurs;
- uranium-rich chemical composition is pumped to the surface.
Despite the significant advantages, this method can only be used in sandstone and below the groundwater level.
World situation
Today, uranium mining is carried out only in 28 countries of the world. Moreover, 90% of the deposits are located in 10 countries that are leaders in production volumes.
Australia comes first
Basic indicators:
- proven reserves – 661,000 tons (31.18% of global reserves);
- deposits – 19 large. The most famous:
- Olympic Dam - 3,000 tons are mined per year;
- Beverly - one thousand tons per year;
- Honemun – 900 t.
- production cost – $40 per kilogram;
- largest mining companies:
- Paladin Energy;
- Rio Tinto;
- BHP Billiton.
Kazakhstan has second place in terms of production volumes
Basic data:
- proven reserves – 629,000 tons (11.81% of global reserves);
- deposits – 16 large. The most famous:
- Korsan;
- Irkol;
- Budenovskoe;
- Western Mynkuduk;
- South Inkai;
- production cost – $40 per kg;
- production volume – 22574 tons per year;
- mining company – Kazatomprom (produces 15.77% of the global volume).
Russia takes third place
Indicators:
Fourth place - Canada
Indicators:
- proven reserves – 468,000 tons (8.80% of global reserves);
- deposits – 18 large. The most famous:
- McArthur River;
- Waterbury;
- production cost – $34 per kilogram;
- production volume – 9332 tons per year;
- mining company – Cameco (produces 9144 tons of uranium per year).
Fifth place - Niger
- proven reserves – 421,000 tons (7.9% of global reserves);
- Place of Birth:
- Imuraren;
- Arlit;
- Madauela;
- Azelite;
- production cost – $35 per kilogram;
- production volume – 4528 tons per year.
The second five countries in terms of uranium reserves are as follows:
- South Africa - 297,000 tons;
- Brazil - 276,000 tons;
- Namibia - 261,000 tons;
- USA - 207,000 tons;
- China - 166,000 tons.
According to experts, the number of nuclear power plants in the world will increase by 2025. This growth will provoke greater demand for uranium – an increase of 44% (80–100 thousand tons). Therefore, there is a worldwide trend towards the use of secondary uranium sources:
- gold;
- phosphates;
- copper;
- lignite-containing rocks.
Video: How uranium is mined
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