SOUTH AFRICAN URANIUM PRODUCTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PRETORIA 002175 SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS USGS USDOC FOR 4510/ITA/MAC/AME/OA/DIEMOND E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EMIN ENRG TRGY PARM KNNP EIND ECON MI NG WA ZA SF DRC SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICAN URANIUM PRODUCTION Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) South Africa is ranked fourth in world uranium reserves and tenth in uranium production. In 2004, all uranium production came from AngloGold Ashanti's Vaal River mine and dump treatment operations. Currently, South Africa has two concentration plants,both owned by AngloGold Ashanti,that produce about 800 metric tons of uranium oxide per year. After a break of 20 years, South African producers and former producers are evaluating the potential for new uranium mining. South Africa is well positioned to take advantage of a sustained upturn in the world demand for uranium. However, most will probably wait to see whether the uranium price stabilizes at higher levels before committing to new production. The government has announced its intention to utilize South Africa's uranium resources to support a growing nuclear industry, including nuclear fuels, that would contribute to the security of the country's energy supply. End Summary. Uranium Resources in South Africa -------------- ¶2. (U) South Africa Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) statistics indicate that South Africa is ranked fourth in world uranium reserves and tenth in uranium production. DME estimates that South Africa's recoverable reserves of uranium total 298,000 metric tons. Gold-bearing conglomerate reefs of the Witwatersrand geological formation contain 80% of South Africa's uranium resources. Uranium also occurs over a wide area in certain Karoo-age sediments, but these have not proved economical. In addition, the Palabora Mining Company (PMC) mines copper ore from a huge carbonatite intrusive in the Limpopo Province and, until 1999, recovered uranium as a by-product. With some exceptions, Witwatersrand gold ores hold uranium at less than 1 pound per ton. The world average is about 1.5 pounds per ton ore. Uranium Production in South Africa -------------- ¶3. (U) At the peak of world uranium demand in 1980, South Africa was the world's leading producer at 6,147 metric tons of contained uranium (i.e., uranium contained in oxide) per year, accounting for as much as 18% of global production. Since, South African production has fallen to just 12% of its historic peak and 3% of global production. Today, South Africa has no primary uranium mines. Uranium is mined only as a by-product of gold mining in the Witwatersrand Basin. As South African gold production has declined over the past ten years, so has South African uranium production. In 2004, all uranium production came from AngloGold Ashanti's Vaal River mine and dump treatment operations. ¶4. (U) With the uranium price at 20-year highs and a generally supportive South African government, some South African gold mining companies are re-thinking their strategy. Neil Froneman, CEO of Aflease Mines, recently announced plans to re-start uranium mining in the Klerksdorp area (about 100 miles west of Johannesburg). Originally a gold mine, the Aflease mine has an estimated resource of 150,000 metric tons of contained uranium, mineable at depths of less than 500 meters for the first ten years. Froneman projects 350 metric tons of uranium production per year beginning in 2007, with a ramp up to 1,300 metric tons by 2010 and 2,000 metric tons in 2018. This time when the Aflease mine opens, uranium will be its primary product and gold the by-product. ¶5. (U) Additionally, AngloGold Ashanti has plans to expand output from the Moab Khotsong mine to increase production to 1,200 tons per year of uranium oxide. Gold Fields is considering re-opening the Beisa Reef of the old Beisa Mine in the Free State that operated for three years as South Africa's only dedicated uranium mine. Uranium Recovery and Concentration in South Africa -------------- -------------- ¶6. (U) During the 1970's and 1980's, South Africa mined uranium to supply substantial but undisclosed quantities to its nuclear weapons and research programs. In 1983, South Africa boasted 21 uranium oxide concentration plants that produced 6,060 metric tons of uranium contained in oxide. This situation did not last long. In the late 1980's, South Africa abandoned its nuclear weapons program and, in 1994, the country became a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). Since, uranium oxide production fell precipitously. By 2004, South Africa was producing only 890 metric tons of uranium oxide (or 750 metric tons of contained uranium). ¶7. (U) Since 1968, all South African uranium oxide has been concentrated and marketed by the Nuclear Fuels Corporation of South Africa (NUFCOR SA),a private company originally owned by gold producers, but wholly- owned by AngloGold Ashanti since 1998. In 1999, Anglo established NUFCOR International, a 50:50 partnership with Rand Merchant Bank based in London. Today, NUFCOR SA is responsible for concentrating South African uranium oxide into "yellowcake," and NUFCOR International is responsible for the international marketing of this product. ¶8. (U) Uranium recovery from gold pulp residue takes place at the mine sites after gold is extracted. The resulting pulp containing 30-35% uranium oxide is transported by road tanker (under escort) to the NUFCOR SA plant about 30 miles west of Johannesburg, where it is filtered, dried, and calcined to remove ammonia and produce a 97% uranium oxide cake, commonly called "yellowcake". According to Greg Donahue, Operations Director at NUFCOR SA, all current uranium oxide concentration occurs at two plants at AngloGold Ashanti's Vaal River operations in the Northwest Province. The South Plant serves the Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong mines and produces about 60 metric tons of uranium oxide per month. The West Plant serves the tailings dump retreatment operation and produces about 10 metric tons of uranium oxide per month. The uranium oxide is then exported through NUFCOR International to any of four sites in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Canada, where the U235 is separated and enriched. Part of Building a Nuclear Industry -------------- ¶9. (U) In her Budget Speech to Parliament on May 19, Minister of Minerals and Energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka stated that the government wanted to utilize South Africa's uranium resources, already a "protected" mineral, to support a growing nuclear industry and to contribute to the security of the country's energy supply. Along these lines, the DME would soon announce a "special dispensation" to allow for the licensing of exploration, prospecting, and mining of uranium in South Africa, which until now the Minister has identified as a restricted activity under the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act. In a reference to the re- launch of an enrichment program some day, Mlambo-Ngcuka stated that while currently South Africa exported uranium ore concentrates, it "would actively pursue further uranium beneficiation" [read enrichment]. This is in line with the Ministry's commitment to add value to South African minerals before export and intention to support the government's development of a pebble bed modular reactor. Mlambo-Ngcuka recognized that the renewed emphasis on nuclear energy as an industry would require training a new generation of nuclear scientists. Along these lines, she congratulated the French company AREVA for its sponsorship of postgraduate students in France, and mentioned the U.S. Department of Energy and the IAEA for collaborating to offer training in South Africa. Other African Production and Exploration -------------- ¶10. (U) In 2004, apart from South Africa, Africa's other two producing countries, Namibia and Niger, accounted for 14% of global uranium oxide production. Niger produced 3,900 metric tons and Namibia 2,400 metric tons of uranium oxide (3,300 and 2,040 metric tons of contained uranium, respectively). However, Niger's relatively small and rapidly depleting resource base and the possible closure of the Namibia's Rossing mine in 2009 puts a question mark on Africa's long-term supply potential. Uranium was mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the Shinkolobwe mine until 1960, when the mine was officially closed. Scavenging of copper and uranium from waste dumps by locals continued until about 2000 when the government finally sealed off the area. No uranium prospecting is known to be taking place in the DRC at this time. ¶11. (U) Niger has two producing companies: SOMAIR [COGEMA- French (63%) and ONAREM-Niger (37%)]; and COMINAK [COGEMA (34%),ONEREM (31%),OURD-Japan (25%) and ENUSA-Spain (10%)]. All production is exported to France, Japan, and Spain. SOMAIR reserves are estimated at only 14,000 metric tons uranium at an ore grade of 3 kg uranium per metric ton, and COMINAK at 29,000 metric tons uranium at 4 kg uranium per metric ton. These are considered to be high-grade operations, equivalent to the Australian mines, but less than those in Canada. However, Niger's reserves are rapidly being depleted. ¶12. (U) Annual production at Rio Tinto Zinc's (RTZ) Rossing Mine in Namibia is about 2,400 metric tons of uranium oxide. Rossing is Namibia's only uranium producer, with a capacity of 4,000 metric tons per year. RTZ has completed a feasibility study to extend the mine life of Rossing to 2017. Based on current economic conditions, company officials concluded that the mine would remain in production to 2009 when the situation would again be reviewed. According to the London-based Mining Journal, Rossing intends to increase production to 3,200 tons uranium by 2006. ¶13. (U) Paladin Resources recently announced the completion of a bankable feasibility study of the Langer Heinrich project in western Namibia. The study found that the project was technically and financially viable. The mine would be designed to produce 1,180 metric tons of uranium per year with production starting as early as ¶2006. ¶14. (U) The recent positive outlook for the uranium market has justified exploration for new deposits and the re-evaluation of known, lesser grade deposits in a number of countries. At its Eronga uranium project in central Namibia, Reefton Mining recently announced positive drilling results and a number of prospective drilling targets identified from airborne surveys. [Note: Some industry observers and local geologists have questioned whether Reefton has actually located a uranium deposit. They believe Reefton stumbled upon a deposit of thorium, another well-known radioactive substance. End Note.] In Malawi, Paladin Resources is currently evaluating the Kayelekera project, and Omegacorp the Mkuju River project in Tanzania and the Zambezi Valley project in Zambia. In Zambia, Equinox Minerals have completed a bankable feasibility study on their Lumwana copper project, which included an evaluation of the deposit's uranium potential. Equinox estimates the total uranium resource to be 5,900 metric tons of uranium oxide (5,020 metric tons of contained uranium). (Note: The information in this section was cleared with respective U.S. Missions in Lusaka, LiLongwe, Kinshasa, Windhoek, and Niamey, some of which also provided input. End Note.) Outlook for Global Uranium Supply and Demand -------------- ¶15. (U) World demand for uranium is on the incline. While most uranium is sold on long-term contract, the spot price has more than doubled since 2002, from $10 per pound uranium to the current $29 per pound. Economists who track the industry believe that higher uranium prices are supported by the expectation that the revitalization of the nuclear energy industry is just around the corner. ¶16. (U) New mine annual production of uranium represents about 55% of the total global demand of 66,000 metric tons. The 30,000 metric ton shortfall is typically sourced from reprocessed stockpiles of high-grade fuel and weapons-grade material, some of which is derived from dismantled nuclear weapons. The exact extent of these stockpiles is unknown. The table below shows annual global uranium statistics and projections (The World Nuclear Association 2004): Uranium Supply/Demand (kt = kiloton, or 1,000 metric tons of contained uranium) (2003) (2004) (2007) (2010) Country Reserves Production (kt) Rank (kt) Rank (kt) (kt) (kt) Australia 863 1 7.57 2 7.92 11.38 11.38 Kazakhstan 472 2 3.30 3 3.30 6.47 8.30 Canada 437 3 10.46 1 10.39 12.31 16.42 South Africa 298 4 0.76 10 0.75 0.58 0.39 Namibia 235 5 2.04 6 2.04 2.04 Niger 71 10 3.14 4 3.14 3.14 3.14 Total Mine Supply 35.81 36.26 42.27 48.01 Inventory Supply 29.89 30.11 23.69 21.05 Total Demand 65.70 66.66 70.80 74.80 Supply Shortage -- -0.28 -4.82 -5.73 Spot Price $/lb U 11.2 18.0 26.0 30.0 Global Nuclear Power Generation (2003) (2004) (2005) (2010) Operating Nuclear Stations 439 441 441 460 Generation Capacity (GW) 359 363 363 379 [Note: The distinction between resources (ore that could be mined given favorable conditions) and reserves (ore that is currently economic to mine) is dynamic and depends on many factors. However, the distinction is vital to any specific or regional evaluation of future production potential. It is likely that much of what is published as reserves is in fact resources, pending more detailed evaluations. End Note.] Where South Africa Fits into the Mix -------------- ¶17. (U) Canada, Australia, and Kazakhstan are the three major country producers of uranium in the world today. Together, they account for 60% of the 36,000 metric tons per year of newly mined uranium. Both Canada and Australia expect new production to come on stream by 2007 - 5,900 and 1,400 metric tons, respectively. Major African producers (Namibia, Niger, and South Africa) account for 17% of global production. Australia possesses the largest reserves, followed by Kazakhstan, Canada, South Africa, and Namibia. Current estimates show a 1% average annual depletion rate of reserves for the top five countries, reflecting a substantial global reserve-base at current production rates. ¶18. (U) Comment: The revival of world demand for uranium could have a major positive effect on marginal gold mines in South Africa currently struggling to survive a very strong rand. Many of these mines could also produce uranium for the world market. With nearly 60 years of experience in uranium mining, concentration, and marketing, and an infrastructure that could be rehabilitated fairly rapidly, South Africa is well positioned to take advantage of a sustained upturn in world demand for uranium. Nevertheless, industry officials tell us that the spot price of uranium oxide would probably have to stabilize at $45-$60 a pound at current exchange rates before South African mining companies begin investing in new production. What the government has in mind in the way of enrichment is not clear. South Africa does possess the technology, but domestic demand alone will likely not sustain a nuclear fuels industry and, given the dynamics of the international market today, the country may have difficulty producing fuel at competitive prices for export. HARTLEY