Operating at every stage of the uranium cycle

Committed  to responsible mining, Orano is a major player in the international uranium  industry. Having developed expertise at every stage -- exploration, development production, marketing and  re-development -- Orano is able to supply uranium for power generation to all its clients across the world.

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Responding to growing electricity needs across the world

As the world's nations strive to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050, while multiplying electricity production by a factor of two in response to growing demand, nuclear power remains a vital source, alongside renewable energies. Orano contributes by developing nuclear materials that will enable electricity production at a competitive price, particularly in China.

Orano’s key mining and processing sites

Orano mines uranium ore in accordance with the characteristics of each deposit: grade, depth, environmental context, presence of by-products, and local geology.

Exploration for new uranium deposits to ensure sustainable supply

To develop a portfolio of resources and reserves  and  secure 20 years of production visibility, Orano dedicates significant resources to the search for new deposits. The Group carries out continual drilling campaigns, geophysical and geological studies. 

The exploration process, to confirm a new deposit, takes place over several years, from the discovery of the very first clues during prospecting, exploration by drilling until the confirmation of a potentially exploitable resource.
This exploration continues throughout the life of the mining project in an attempt to identify additional resources near the initial deposit. The prospecting is done in successive stages:

• geological study of the region
• interpretation of remote sensing images
• inspection of subsoils by geophysical methods
• measurements of radioactivity in the field
• study of soil and water chemistry
• conduct of surveys for the acquisition of in-situ geophysical data
• analysis of samples taken in soundings

These studies make it possible to detect potential uranium  resources and characterise deposits that can become the focus of future mining operations.

Developing profitable mines

It is the development phase  that determines the technical, economic and environmental viability of a mining project.

Multiple mining modes for improved yield

Orano holds expertise in mining for multiple types of mines, open-pit mines for shallow deposits and underground mines for access to deep deposits. The Group is an expert in the in situ recovery technique (ISR) for low-grade deposits; this technique is used only when the ore is located between impervious soil layers, as in Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

The Bessines Center for Innovation in Extractive Metallurgy (CIME)

In this internationally renowned laboratory, Orano improves mining processes and conducts research to design new ones.

Uranium ore processing: from leaching to concentration

The ore is crushed immediately upon exiting the mine, then turned into a solution using chemical reactants. This ore treatment process, referred to as lixiviation, precedes the purification stage. The uranium is then extracted from the solution by a precipitation process before being purified, dried and calcined to result in a natural uranium concentrate: yellow cake, which contains 80% uranium (or 800 kg per ton).

Two leaching methods are used depending on the grade and nature of the ore:  

• Static leaching for low-grade ores: the ore is stored in piles in a sealed zone, and watered with a suitable chemical solution.
• Dynamic leaching: the process is carried out in a liquid medium, in tanks.

Reintegrating the site into the environment and within the populations

Redeveloping and conducting environmental monitoring on mining sites bring many disciplines into play. A full-fledged area of industrial expertise re-development is taken into consideration from the very start of the mining project and is aimed at limiting the impact on the population and environment to the lowest level reasonably possible.

Re-developing and conducting environmental monitoring on former mining sites requires real know-how. Orano Mining was entrusted with this public service mission by the French State, even when the Group was not an operator, because of its recognised expertise in mining management and its commitment to environmental and  social responsibility.

• Stakeholder consultation and compliance with international regulations
• De-commissioning at existing facilities
• Re-development  and  re-greening at former sites
• Surveillance both radiological and environmental
• Managing land restoration projects  

A successful mining site redevelopment project

The mining site in Bosc (Hérault):

• Redevelopment carried out between 1998 and 2002
• Site surface area: 220.5 hectares
• Institution of a solar power plant in 2013
• 35,354 photovoltaic plants installed, or 13 million kWh