The Norasa uranium project comprises the Valencia and Namibplaas deposits in
Erongo Region
Erongo is one of the 14 regions of Namibia. The capital is Swakopmund. It is named after Mount Erongo, a well-known landmark in Namibia and in this area. Erongo contains the municipalities of Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Henties Bay and Omaruru, as ...
in the western part of
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
. The two parts are apart and both are fully owned by
Forsys Metals
Forsys Metals is a Canadian mining company with gold and uranium operations in Namibia, particularly the Norasa uranium project.
As of November 2011 the company had market capitalization of about CDN$55 million.
Forsys was listed on the Toronto ...
. It represents one of the largest
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 ...
resources in
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
, having an estimated resource of 48,200 tU in ore grading 0.014-0.0167%
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 ...
.
The Valencia deposit was named after the farm where the uranium deposits were found.
[
If built, the mine was expected to produce 18 million tonnes of uranium a year over an 11-year period.][
] The mine is developed by Forsys Metals
Forsys Metals is a Canadian mining company with gold and uranium operations in Namibia, particularly the Norasa uranium project.
As of November 2011 the company had market capitalization of about CDN$55 million.
Forsys was listed on the Toronto ...
.[
]
History
The Valencia deposit was discovered by Trekkopje Exploration in 1972. In 1994, a licence was granted to Tsumeb Corp. a subsidiary of Gold Fields
Gold Fields Limited (formerly The Gold Fields of South Africa) is one of the world's largest gold mining firms. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company is listed on both the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the New York Sto ...
. In 2004, the licence was transferred to Tsumeb Exploration Company, a subsidiary of Ongopolo Mining & Processing. In 2005, Tsumeb was acquired by Forsys Metals.[
]
Preliminary environmental assessment for the mine was completed in the beginning of 2006. The pre-feasibility study was completed in May 2007. The environmental impact assessment and the environmental management plan were approved in June 2008.[
][ In August 2008, the mining licence was granted.][
]
In 2013, the Valencia and the Namibplaas projects were consolidated as Norasa uranium project.[
][
][
] At the same year, Forsys Metals laid off most of the workers of the mine due to the low uranium price.[ In 2014, it commenced the new feasibility study.][
][
]
Sale controversy
In 2008, it was announced that the project would be acquired by George Forrest International. The deal was cancelled in 2009. According to leaked diplomatic cables, the deal was interfered by the United States and Canadian authorities because of the fear that George Forrest will sell uranium to Iran if it obtained the mine.[
][
]
References
Uranium mines in Namibia
{{Namibia-stub