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Russia sells out of vast Kazakh uranium deposits to China

Kazakhstan's state-controlled nuclear resources company said on Tuesday that Russia's state Rosatom corporation was selling its stakes in large uranium deposits that it had actually been establishing with the world's largest uranium manufacturer.

Kazatomprom stated that Rosatom system, Uranium One Group, had offered its 49.979% stake in the Zarechnoye mine to SNURDC Astana Mining Company Limited, whose supreme beneficiary is China's State Nuclear Uranium Resources Development Company.

Uranium One Group is likewise expected to give up 30% in the Khorasan-U joint venture to China Uranium Development Business Limited, the supreme recipient of which is China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN, China), Kazatomprom stated.

Kazatomprom's stakes will remain the same, it said.

Zarechnoye's uranium reserves amounted to roughly 3,500 tonnes at the beginning of 2024, according to Kazatomprom.

Khorasan-U runs at the Kharasan-1 block of Severny Kharasan deposit in the Zhanakorgan district of the Kyzylorda region. Uranium reserves of the deposit amounted to about 33,000 tonnes at the beginning of 2024, with an anticipated maturity in 2038, Kazatomprom stated.

Rosatom did not immediately comment. Uranium One produced 4,831 tonnes of uranium in Kazakhstan in 2023.

Kazatomprom is the world's biggest manufacturer of uranium and has the largest reserve base. It accounted for approximately 20% of worldwide primary uranium production in 2023.

(source: Reuters)