Toronto-based World Wide Minerals (WWS-T) has restarted the TGK uranium processing plant at Stepnogorsk in Kazakstan.
The company is currently processing stockpiled uranium ore, from which it expects to produce 900,000 lb. U3O8. Meanwhile, underground mining at the MU1 and MU5 mines is slated to resume in the third quarter. The fomer is now estimated to contain resources of 2.5 million tonnes grading 0.27% U3O8 in the Vostok deposit and 4.6 million tonnes of 0.28% U3O8 in the Zvezdnoye deposit. The latter has an estimated resource of 6.4 million tonnes of 0.23% U3O8.
Another deposit, the Semisby, holds an estimated 16.3 million tonnes grading 0.04% U3O8 and is exploitable using in situ leach methods.
For the current year, total production from the Stepnogorsk operations is projected at 1.8 million lb. U3O8. An additional 1.7 million lb. will be toll-processed for Kazakstani government-owned Kazatomprom.
By the year 2000, World Wide expects annual production from its underground mines to rise to at least 2.2 million lb. U3O8, with the Kazatomprom toll-processing rate increasing to 4 million lb. annually.
The company recently made its first uranium sale on the international market — the first such sale in Kazakstan by a non-governmental body. The shipment, which represents about 20% of 1997 production, will be delivered to a U.S.
electrical power utility in the fourth quarter.
World Wide is active in Kazakstan though its 95%-owned subsidiary, KazUran, which manages the Stepnogorsk uranium facilities.
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