Uranium deposits of the world. Uzbekistan / Месторождения урана в мире. Узбекистан

Uranium deposits have been identified in the Kyzylkum region in central Uzbekistan and the Karamazar region in eastern Uzbekistan (>Fig. 7.1). The former contains sandstone-type U mineralization in sedimentary basins as well as carbonaceous (or black) shale-related stockwork-type mineralization in basement uplift s. Volcanic vein-stockwork-type deposits are typical for the Karamazar region. Remaining in situ resources (status: January 1, 2005) are confi ned to the Kyzylkum region and amount to 165 000 t U RAR + EAR-I and 220 000 t U EAR-II + SR recoverable at costs of up to $130 per kg U (OECD-NEA/IAEA 2005). (Note: mining and processing losses of 30% have to be deducted to convert from in situ to recoverable resources.) Mining took place in the Kyzylkum and Karamazar regions.  Conventional mining had ceased, however, by 1994. Continued  exploitation was restricted to ISL operations in the Kyzylkum  basins.
From 1946 through 2004, cumulative production in Uzbekistan amounted to between 105 000 and 110 000 t U (OECDNEA/IAEA 2003, 2005). Th e bulk of production came from the Kyzylkum region and an estimated few thousand tonnes U from the Chatkal Range of the Karamazar region (total production from the Karamazar region, including Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, was reportedly 20 000 t U). Annual production reached a peak of 3 700–3 800 t U in the 1980s. Since the mid-1990s, production has been on the order of 1 500–2 200 t U yr−1. A production of 2 300 t U was expected for 2005. A hydro-metallurgical plant started operation at Navoi in 1964/1965. It has a nominal annual production capacity of 2 300 t U. Molybdenum, vanadium, selenium, rhenium, scandium, yttrium, and REE were recovered as, or are considered potential by-products. Ore from the Karamazar region and Nurabad District was shipped to the Chkalovsk mill near Khodzhent (Khudzhand, Chudzand, formerly Leninabad) in Tajikistan. <...>