Nuclear Mining and Milling

Uranium One To Raise Production, Cut Costs By Mining Dumps At Dominion
27 January 2007

MINING WEEKLY (SOUTH AFRICA)— Uranium-miner UraniumOne plans to increase production and reduce costs over the next three years at its Dominion, South Africa mining operation by recovering uranium and gold from mine dumps located on the property, according to a company statement UraniumOne released on 17 January 2007. The statement reported that these dump sites have indicated reserves of 1.2 million pounds of uranium and 55,000 ounces of gold. The company has additional prospecting applications pending for 16,815 hectares. After almost doubling in 2006, uranium prices are likely to continue a strong run, Mining Weekly suggested, adding that demand continues to outstrip supply and miners rush to bring new operations into production. Source: http://www.miningweekly.co.za/min/utilities/search/?show=100190

Source Reliability: 8.5

-Tom

Nuclear Research Reactors

AMEC Extends Laboratory
25 January 2007

ENGINEER ONLINE (LONDON) AMEC is adding 10 percent additional floor space to its nuclear science laboratory in the northwest England town of Birchwood on 26 January 2007. The company's nuclear consultancy, AMEC NNC, expects to add significantly to AMEC's 80 existing jobs in order to meet demand from customers such as British Energy, British Nuclear Group and UKAEA.

'This extension will support current UK reactor operations work and also play a major role in decommissioning activities of British Nuclear Group at Sellafield and Magnox reactor sites. We anticipate adding to our team of 80 scientists in the coming months and also continuing to develop the North West as a major centre of expertise vital for the future of the UK nuclear industry,’ said Greg Willetts, AMEC NNC's Director of Laboratory Services. Source: http://www.e4engineering.com/Articles/297882/AMEC+extends+laboratory.htm

Source Reliability: 9

-Pat

Fuel Fabrication

U.N. Officials Say Iran Plans To Start Installing Centrifuges Next Month
26 January 2007

AP (DAVOS) — Senior Iranian officials have informally told officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran expects to announce in February 2007 its intention to install 3,000 centrifuges in an underground facility at Natanz, according to comments made by Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei on 26 January 2007 on the margins of the World Economic Forum. U.N. officials, who demanded anonymity because the information was confidential, emphasized that Iran had not notified their agency officially. Source: http://www.panews.com/news/local_story_026104025.html?keyword=topstory

Source Reliability: 8

-Kelly

Nuclear Waste Storage

Video Clip Of Transportation Cask Testing.

Uranium Enrichment and Refinement

Putin Calls For Global Nuclear Energy
24 January 2007

UPI (MOSCOW)--- On Tuesday 23 January 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed that international organizations like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) establish uranium enrichment centers where all countries can gain access to nuclear technologies and materials under strict international regulation. President Putin, who was to travel to India on Wednesday 24 January 2007, told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that the world must meet growing energy demands while also avoiding nuclear weapons proliferation. Source: http://www.upi.com/Energy/view.php?StoryID=20070124-011603-5448r

Source Reliability: 7.5

--Nate

Nuclear Waste Storage

Ukrainian NPP's To Soon Store Spent Fuel Domestically
22 January 2007

EASTBUSINESS.ORG (UKRAINE) -- Ukrainian Fuel and Enery Minister Yuriy Boyko told reporters in Simferopol late last week that Ukrainian nuclear power plants will be using a new, Ukraine-based storage facility to conserve spent nuclear fuel. Use of this new facility will be restricted to Ukrainian nuclear facilities only. Boyko also said that at present, three of Ukraine's nuclear power plants lack storage facilities and send their waste to Russia. Meanwhile, Russia has been raising the cost of these storage services. If Russia shuts down its spent fuel facilities to Ukraine, the local nuclear plants will be forced to close their doors.

Source: Eastbusiness.org Accessed via Nexus.com 23 January 2007 (Reliability: 6)

Comment: Ukraine currently has 15 operating water-moderated nuclear reactors, which supply approximately 49% of the nation's energy. Ukraine also has plans underway to build an additional 2 reactors which would increase the nation's nuclear energy output of 13,168 MW's by another 1,900 MW's.

-Josh

Nuclear Mining and Milling

Kazakhstan To Expand Uranium Production And Supply
18 January 2007

WORLD NUCLEAR NEWS (UK)— Kazakhstan plans to expand uranium production in 2007, in addition to marketing its nuclear fuel products to Western and Asian markets. The country plans to increase uranium production by 31% in 2007, to 6937 tons, compared with output of 5279 tons in 2006, the Kazakh Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry announced. Over the 2001-2005 period, Kazakh uranium production rose from 2000 to 4357 tons per year, and further mine development is underway with a view to annual production of 15000 tons by 2010.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/2zlk6d

Source Reliability: 8.5

-Tom

Enrichment and Refinement

Iran President Defies U.N. Sanction Resolution
21 January 2007

REUTERS (TEHRAN)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday, January 21st, that the United Nations Security Council will not change the Iranian government's nuclear policies by passing additional sanctions resolutions against Tehran. "The resolution was born dead and even if they issue 10 more of such resolutions it will not affect Iran's economy and policies,'' Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said in a speech to the Iranian parliament broadcast live on state television. According to Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, "The issue about suspension of uranium enrichment does not have any logical or legal basis. Therefore it is not acceptable."
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-iran-nuclear-ahmadinejad.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Source Reliability: 7.5

-Nate

Nuclear Conversion And Processing

Pakistan Expanding Nuclear Reactor Facilities To Give Increased Capabilities For Nuclear Weapons
18 January 2007

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL (WASHINGTON)— The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) concluded that Pakistan is expanding its nuclear facilities in order to make nuclear weapons. ISIS based their conclusion on commercial satellite imagery it received from DigitalGlobe and GeoEye of the Chasma nuclear industrial park in Pakistan. ISIS indicated that the imagery depicts the construction of a second nuclear reactor at Chasnupp, a fuel fabrication facility, and a fuel reprocessing facility. Although ISIS was not certain that the facilities are operational, the nature and rate of construction indicate the facilities may soon be ready for operations. ISIS further stated that the reprocessing facility may be capable of "separating weapons-grade plutonium out of spent reactor fuel in order to develop thermonuclear weapons as well as increase the size of its nuclear arsenal."
Source: www.upi.com

Source: Reliability: 8

Pictured Right: Map of nuclear facilities in Pakistan including the Chasnupp nuclear industrial park. Source: http://tinyurl.com/39lapc

-Ian

Nuclear Research Reactors

Vietnam To Upgrade Sole Nuclear Reactor
18 January 2007

VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY (HO CHI MINH CITY)— The Nuclear Research Institute (NRI) at Da Lat has temporarily shut down Vietnam’s only nuclear reactor for necessary repairs to its control system (see photo, right). According to that country’s National Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Control, the 500 KW nuclear reactor, which NRI has used for training and research for nearly a quarter of a century at the institute’s facilities in the central highlands province of Lam Dong, is getting its second upgrade in a decade courtesy of a combination of domestic and international funding. Foreign experts will supervise tests of the reactor in March 2007, and NRI will bring the reactor back on line in May 2007.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/yvav25

Source Reliability: 7

-Pat