Kazakhstan was the former Soviet Unioin’s (FSU) largest uranium producer, but the industry has suffered a drop of more than 65% since dissolution of the FSU. Kazakhstan has identified reserves containing 450 000t uranium, most of which is located in five major deposits (out of a total of 53 known deposits). As in the country’s gold industry, major capital investment is required to improve infrastructure and extraction technology (leaching techniques) to increase production to previous levels of 3500 t/year. KazAtomProm is the country's largest importer and exporter of uranium and is rated as one of the ten largest producers in the world. Most production is exported to Russia, Western Europe and South Korea.
Kazakhstan’s uranium industry is regulated by state controlled company KazAtomProm. KazAtomProm subsidiary, the Ulba Metallurgical Pant (UMZ), is Kazakhstan’s largest uranium producer (and also the largest nuclear fuel producer in the CIS). UKazatomprom is responsible for the country’s uranium imports and exports, and has proven uranium reserves totalling 926,000 t.
KazAtomProm has a joint venture to develop the in situ leach Inkai deposit with major uranium producer, Cameco, which has a 60% interest in the joint venture. The Inkai deposit is located in south central Kazakhstan, about 370 km from the regional capital of Shymkent and some 1 000 km northwest of Almaty. KazAtomProm and French producer, Cogema both hold 45% interest in KATCO, a company that has been evaluating the Muyunkum deposit located in the southern parts of the country. The project is at pilot testing phase and could increase production to 1000t per year.
KATCOFrench producer Cogema is reportedly developing a deposit in the Zhambyl region. One of Kazakhstan’s largest uranium facilities is the Tselinney mining and beneficiation complex.
Kazatomprom plans to mine 3,420 t of uranium in 2004, up from 2,840 t in 2003 and 2,665 t in 2002. Under a government-approved programme for the development of Kazakhstan's uranium industry (largely authored by Kazatomprom), annual production of natural uranium is targeted to increase by 2015 to 11,700 t, valued at US$380 million.
