Uranium deposits of the world. Kazakhstan / Месторождения урана в мире. Казахстан

Uranium deposits and major occurrences have been reported in nine regions and some isolated locations (>Fig. 6.1). Deposits with resource estimates and mining potential are known from six regions: Kokshetau (Kokchetav), N Kazakhstan, Pricaspian, SW Kazakhstan, Chu-Sarysu Basin, south-central Kazakhstan, Syr-Darya Basin, S Kazakhstan, Pribalkhash or KendyktasChuily-Betpak Dala region, SE Kazakhstan, and Ily Basin, SE Kazakhstan. Deposits of limited economic interest are known from the Turga-Priyrtish region, N Kazakhstan, and the Granitnoye and Zhalanshiksky regions in central Kazakhstan.Principal types of uranium deposits include sandstone, veinstockwork, volcanic stockwork, lignite/coal and a special variety of organic phosphorite-type, viz. clay-hosted phosphatized fossil fi sh bone.
Remaining resources (RAR + EAR-I, status January 1, 2005) amount to 817 000 t U (OECD-NEA/IAEA 2005). More than 400 000 t U recoverable at less than $130 per kg U are contained in sandstone-type deposits, about 120 000 t U in vein-stockwork, almost 100 000 t U in lignite/coal, in excess of 70 000 t U in volcanic and 64 000 t U in organic phosphorite deposits (OECDNEA/IAEA 1999).Cumulative production from 1953 to 2005 is estimated at about 100 000 t U. Conventional mining yielded until 1998 when it was interupted 60 300 t U (38 700 t U of which by underground the remainder by open pit mines). ISL operations produced about 40 000 t U between 1969 and 2005. Uranium was produced from about 20 deposits in the fi rst fi ve regions mentioned above, and partly also during development work at other deposits <...>