Atomredmetzoloto, Moscow, Russia:

I. N. Solodov, Director of Programs of Innovative and Technological Development, Doctor of Geologo-Mineralogical Sciences, info@armz.ru

Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union, Krasnokamensk, Russia:
A. A. Morozov, Head of the Central Research Laboratory, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

The article shows that the basic trend in development of uranium production is connected with the use of geotechnologies at the simultaneous reduction in the surface and underground mining of uranium both in Russia and in the world. Russia’s hydrogenic uranium reserves suitable for in-situ leaching (ISL) contain highly recoverable uranium unlike uranium deposits in Australia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Russian in-situ leaching mines function in the more severe natural environment and climate as compared with the foreign analogs. Advanced technologies enable leveling the disadvantages and keeping the competiveness. Heap leaching in an underground uranium mine expands the uranium supply base, improves the environment and eases-off the ore processing cycle at a hydrometallurgical plant. Under the current conditions of low prices available in the market for chemical concentrates of natural uranium, a geotechnology-based way to increase in uranium production, primarily, by means of ISL, essentially enhances economic performance. Ores of the Transbaikalia and in Khiagda ore fields predominantly contain hardly soluble uranium; furthermore, Khiagda ore bodies occur in the water-bearing formations of insufficiently watered ore rocks, and water in the water-bearing formations is very cold due to the close-spaced occurrence of permafrost, which has a negative influence on geotechnological processes. Nonetheless, the implementation of the advanced computer-aided prediction and control technologies, introduction of new-structure injection holes and latter-day methods aimed to maintain the yield of the holes, the use of oxidizers for enhancement of uranium recovery and some other efforts enable the adverse effects to be abated and allow the in-situ leaching mines affiliated with Atomredmetzoloto to remain profitable under conditions of low uranium price.

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