(Reuters) – Orano announced on Saturday that maintenance activities had been anticipated at the Somaïr mine site in Niger due to the depletion of its stocks of chemical products.
“The mine is still in full operation and the plant has been temporarily put into early maintenance operation,” said the French nuclear fuel specialist.
Maintenance operations were initially scheduled to start in early 2024, Orano said, adding that Somaïr was keeping its employees and some of its subcontractors active.
Somaïr (Aïr Mining Company) – 63.4% owned by Orano and 36.66% by Sopamin (Niger Mining Heritage Company) – operates several uranium deposits near the city of Arlit, in northern Niger.
Bloomberg News reported on Friday that Orano, ex-Areva, had its production of uranium concentrate in its Somaïr plant due to international sanctions taken against the military junta after the military coup of 26 July.
Niger’s uranium and oil reserves give it an important economic and strategic interest in the eyes of the United States, Europe, China and Russia.
(Reporting Ashitha Shivaprasad; French version Camille Raynaud)
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