What Do Uranium Miners Do?

Uranium deposits are soil-like, powder-like, and block-like, stalactite-like, kidney-like, and so on. Some soil-like uranium mines are called uranium blacks, while massive ones are called pitch uranium mines. The soil-like uranium ore has no gloss, while the lumpy ones have asphalt gloss. Uranium ore is a dangerous radioactive mineral. In addition to extracting uranium for the nuclear industry, they can also extract radium and other rare earth elements from it. Uranium, a very rare radioactive metal element, has an average content of only two parts per million in the earth's crust. Its chance of forming an industrially-available deposit is much smaller than other metal elements. Uranium ore is the "rose" in the ore family. It is colorful but radioactive.

Chinese name: Uranium mine

Foreign name: Uranium deposit

Introduction of uranium ore species

Uranatemnite, pitchblende, niobium-titanium uranium ore, crystalline uranium ore, amorphous uranium ore, vanadium-potassium uranium ore, slab-lead uranium ore, barium phosphorus uranium ore, emeraldite copper uranium ore, Calcium magnesite, calcareous mica, silicomagnesium uranium ore, phosphorous zinc uranium ore, green uranium ore (above)

Chinese uranium mine

Introduction to Uranium Ore

Uranium mine China is a country with few uranium resources. According to the estimated reserves of a number of uranium ore fields that China has successively provided to the International Atomic Energy Agency, China's proven reserves of uranium mines rank 10th in the world and cannot meet the long-term needs of nuclear power development. The scale of the deposit is mainly small and medium (accounting for more than 60% of the total reserves). The ore grade is relatively low, usually with phosphorus, sulfur and non-ferrous metals, rare metal minerals symbiotic or associated with it. There are four types of ore deposits: granite type, volcanic type, sandstone type, and carbon siltite type uranium deposits. The reserves they hold account for 38%, 22%, 19.5%, and 16% of the country's total reserves, respectively. Uranium deposits in coal-bearing formations, uranium deposits in alkaline rocks, and other types of uranium deposits account for a small proportion of proven reserves, but have potential for ore prospecting. The time span of the uranium mineralization age in China is between 1900 and 3 million years ago, that is, between Paleoproterozoic and Tertiary. The Jurassic and Cretaceous mineralization of the Mesozoic is the most concentrated. In terms of spatial distribution, China's uranium deposits are divided into south and north regions. The northern uranium deposits are dominated by volcanic rocks and the southern uranium deposits are granite.

Uranium mining

China's uranium mine geological prospecting is relatively good: large- and extra-large uranium bases have been implemented in the northern region, and a number of new prospecting areas with great potential have been opened up; significant exploration of the potential of old ore fields in the south has achieved significant results. Among them, the geological prospecting of uranium deposits in the northern Ili and Ordos regions is particularly significant. In the Yili area, the 216th team of CNNC achieved the first major breakthrough in the prospecting of in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposits in China, and discovered and submitted China's first 10,000-tonne in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposit, making the Ili Basin China The first extra large in-situ leaching sandstone-type uranium field. In the Ordos region, the 208th team of CNNC innovated the prospecting ideas and metallogenic theory, put forward the "view of uranium mineralization in the ancient interlayer oxidation zone", and successively broke through the Ordos Basin and other regions, proving the largest uranium deposit in China so far. .

Uranium Reserve

As of 2005, China's proven uranium reserves were 70,000 tons. Wang Yiren, official of the China National Defense Science, Technology and Industry Commission, introduced:

Distribution map of uranium deposits in China Uranium deposits in the world are mainly distributed in two transcontinental giant uranium metallogenic belts, namely the near-east-west Eurasian giant uranium metallogenic belt and the Pacific Rim giant uranium metallogenic belt, both of which pass through China. Therefore, the geological background of uranium mineralization in China is generally favorable. The main work direction of China's next uranium geological exploration is to focus on the exploration of in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposits in the north, expand and implement hard-rock economic uranium deposits in the south, and focus on finding and implementing more large-scale uranium deposits.

Uranium distribution

Uranium ore China has more than 200 proven large and small uranium deposits (fields), mainly distributed in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Guangxi, and Xinjiang, Liaoning, Yunnan, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, Gansu and other provinces.

The deposits are mainly small and medium-sized. The main uranium deposits are: Xiangshan uranium deposit, Yixian uranium deposit, Xiazhuang uranium deposit, Zhanping uranium deposit, Qinglong uranium deposit, Tengchong uranium deposit, Taoshan uranium deposit, small uranium deposit. Qiuyuan Uranium Deposit, Huangcun Uranium Deposit, Lianshanguan Uranium Deposit, Lantian Uranium Deposit, Zoige Uranium Deposit, Fuling Uranium Deposit, Yili Uranium Deposit, Baiyanghe Uranium Deposit. Completed and newly built factories and mines include: Hengyang Uranium Mine, Yanzhou Uranium Mine, Dapujie Uranium Mine, Shangrao Uranium Mine, Fuzhou Uranium Mine, Lean Uranium Mine, Wengyuan Uranium Mine, Luzhou Uranium Mine, Lanhe Uranium Mine, Renhua Uranium mine, Benxi uranium mine, Lantian uranium mine, Yili uranium mine, etc.

The largest uranium mine

On November 4, 2012, the Ministry of Land and Resources stated that a major breakthrough was achieved in the exploration of uranium deposits in the Daying area of central Inner Mongolia, which was invested and implemented by the Central Geological Survey Fund, and found that the largest in-situ leachable sandstone-type uranium deposit in China. Together with the previous survey results, the region's cumulative control of uranium resources ranks among the world's largest ore ranks. This is of great significance for China to increase domestic uranium resource supply based on domestic resources and improve the capacity of nuclear power development resources. ^[1]

A major breakthrough in uranium exploration in the Daying area of central Mongolia ^[1]

Australian uranium mine

Australia is one of the countries with the most abundant uranium reserves in the world, and it is also a major uranium producing country in the world. 83% of the reserves were discovered in northern Australia from 1961 to 1971. Australia has a variety of uranium ore types, with shallow burials and high grades. Most of them can be mined in the open air.

Distribution map of uranium mines in Australia In 2007, the recoverable reserves priced at less than 130 US dollars per kilogram were 1,243,300 tons, and the uranium production in 2007 was 10,145 tons of U308 (equivalent to 7,820 tons of uranium) (the second largest output in the world, and the first in Canada).

Australia does not have a nuclear power plant, and the uranium produced is mainly for export, and agreements have been signed with importing countries that can only be used for nuclear power. Uranium exports in 2007 were 8,677 tons, worth 881 million US dollars.

Major uranium mining companies include BHP Billiton's wholly-owned subsidiary (Western Australian Mining Corporation) (3354 tons in 2007), ERA,

The main uranium mines include the Olympic Dam (3985 tons of U308 in 2007), the Lanjie Mine produced 5,412 tons of U308 in 2007), and Bellevue (748 tons of U308 in 2007).

In 2007, there were 1,200 employees in the Australian uranium industry, including 500 prospectors.

Uranium mines in France

Distribution of uranium deposits

The uranium deposits in France are vast, but they are mainly concentrated in Morvan, Velay, Forez, Mont Lozère, and Rueg ( Rouergue), Margeride, Dordogne and Limousin. In addition, it is also distributed in the Nassif vendéen, Serre, Vosges, Bas-Languedoc, Mobileiron, and eastern Provence. ^[2]

The discovery of new uranium deposits in Aquitaine in France in 1980 increased the reserves of French uranium deposits by about 25%.

Uranium Mine Development and Utilization

The French uranium deposits are relatively rich. From the proven reserves, 80,000 tons of uranium can be mined. Abundant uranium mines allow France to use nuclear power for a large amount of power (France has a total of 58 nuclear power units, and more than 78% of its energy is supplied by nuclear power plants)

A major breakthrough in uranium prospecting in the Daying area of central Inner Mongolia,

With the active promotion of the Ministry of Land and Resources, the idea of coal and uranium exploration is being widely applied. New uranium prospecting results are constantly emerging, which has promoted the transformation of China s uranium exploration and development pattern and improved domestic uranium resource supply capacity. Showing good prospects.

The major breakthrough in the Daying uranium prospecting is a successful practice since China established a new geological prospecting mechanism of the public interest advancement, commercial follow-up, fund convergence, package survey, and rapid breakthrough. A major prospecting result with a macro effect is of great significance to improve the resource guarantee capability of nuclear power development in China. The unique operation mechanism of the Central Geological Prospecting Fund and its rapid decision-making, investment in place, and continuous innovation management have contributed to this major breakthrough in uranium prospecting.

The 21st Century Network News Ministry of Land and Resources announced on the 4th that a major breakthrough has been made in the exploration of uranium deposits in the Daying area of central Inner Mongolia, which was invested and organized by the Central Geological Survey Fund. The discovery of large-scale uranium resources provides a guarantee for China's nuclear power development.

It is reported that China's uranium resources are mainly in the hands of three companies: China Steel Group, China Nuclear Group and China Hydropower Group. The listed companies involved in uranium mines are:

Sinosteel Tianyuan (002057) and Sinosteel Jitan (000928): The major shareholder Sinosteel Group acquired 60% of the uranium ore held by Crocker Well-Mount Victoria Company in Australia, which contains 14.8 million tons of ore, enough to mine 5-7 year.

Gold and Molybdenum (601958): According to reports, the Jinduicheng Molybdenum Mine was originally explored as a uranium ore and launched as a molybdenum ore.

Jiangxi Copper (600362): The company's domestic mines are all located in Jiangxi Province. Jiangxi has rich mineral resources, a wide variety, complete facilities, and characteristics. There are 13 species including copper, gold, silver, tantalum, and uranium that rank first in the country for their reserves of resources; eight species such as tungsten and thorium that rank second in the country; and wollastonite and sea foam that rank third in the country 5 types of stone clay.