MOSCOW, November 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia’s proven uranium reserves have increased 275% to 545,000 metric tons since 2006, the natural resources minister said on Tuesday.

Yury Trutnev attended a meeting with civilian nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko to discuss joint measures that the ministry, mineral resources regulator Rosnedra and state nuclear power corporation Rosatom are taking to develop Russia’s uranium deposits.

Vadim Zhivov, head of Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ), Russia’s leading uranium miner, said 3,841 tons of uranium is planned to be produced this year, a 20% increase on 2006.

He said joint ventures have been set up over this period for uranium prospecting and development both in Russia and overseas, in addition to management and maintenance companies included in ARMZ.

“Coordinated work has dramatically changed Russia’s global position, placing it third in terms of uranium reserves,” Rosatom head Kiriyenko said.

ARMZ manages all of Russia’s uranium mining assets and also participates in uranium production in the Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan. The company is developing cooperation with Armenia, Canada, Mongolia, Namibia and Ukraine. It is owned by Atomenergoprom, which is part of Rosatom.

ARMZ aims to increase uranium production six-fold (up to 20,000 tons per year) by 2024 and become the world’s leader in uranium mining.

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Posted on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 at 3:30 pm and is filed under nuclear energy.
Tags: Armenia, Canada, Mongolia, MOSCOW, Namibia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Rosatom, Russia, Sergei Kiriyenko, Ukraine, uranium mining, uranium mining assets, Vadim Zhivov, Yury Trutnev.