Inkai is a
uranium mine
Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. Over 50 thousand tons of uranium were produced in 2019. Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia were the top three uranium producers, respectively, and together account f ...
located in
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
. Commercial production commenced in 2009, with the main processing plant being commissioned in 2010.
Inkai is a roll-front
uranium deposit discovered in 1976.
Uranium
Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...
will be recovered using
In-Situ Recovery (ISR) mining methods.
Reserves
As of December 31, 2013, proven and probable reserves are 59,689,700 tonnes at an average grade of 0.07% U
3O
8.
(87.6 Million pounds)
Ownership
Inkai is owned and operated by Joint Venture Inkai (JVI), which is owned by
Cameco Corporation
Cameco Corporation (formerly Canadian Mining and Energy Corporation) is the world's largest publicly traded uranium company, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. In 2015, it was the world's second largest uranium producer, accounting for 18 ...
(40%) and
KazAtomProm(60%)
See also
*
Sandstone uranium deposits
References
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Uranium mines in Kazakhstan
Solution mines in Kazakhstan