nuclear-news

Dar es Salaam — There are traces of uranium at Lake Jipe, located in northern Tanzania according to preliminary findings by the Tanzania Minerals Adult Agencies (TMAA) .

For several leading industrial countries, a guaranteed supply of uranium is extremely important for their future energy security.

However, this resource is also a key component of nuclear weapons.

TMAA’s Planning and Research Development Manager, Julius Moshi told East African Business Week the geologists are currently conducting tests to determine the quantity and economic viability of the uranium.

The discovery of uranium in Mwanga, Kilimanjaro (Northern Tanzania), brings to four regions where uranium deposits have been found.

The other key uranium projects countrywide are Bahi North in Dodoma region, Manyoni in Singida and Mkuju River situated in Tunduru district, Ruvuma regions.

Moshi said exploiting the uranium deposits will help the country to boost its foreign exchange earnings. Tanzania is one of the few producers of radioactive minerals in the world.

The Mkuju River Uranium project has estimated resources of 101.4 million pounds (24 million kilograms) of uranium oxide concentrate, about 77% of global mined output in 2010.

The country is estimated to have a total deposit of 54 million kilograms of Uranium Oxide. It is projected to produce about 14,000 tons of uranium annually. This will generate over $249 million in royalties.When opening the new offices of the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission in Arusha, President Jakaya Kikwete said Tanzania was eyeing the world’s biggest uranium producer slot. “If all the reserves we have are fully exploited, Tanzania can become the seventh leading uranium producer in the world,” Kikwete said.

Already Mantra Resources and a Russian firm ARMZ have entered into a joint venture to mine uranium.

Tanzania has so far confirmed the presence of multiple thick zones of sandstone-hosted uranium mineralization at shallow depths at the Nyota Prospect.

An Inferred Mineral Resource of 35.9 million pounds has been estimated for the prospect. Kikwete said this initial resource estimate is based on drilling which covers only a small part of the total area of the prospect. The potential exists to substantially grow the resource base with ongoing work.

The Japanese Company also signs mineral exploration deal with Tanzania: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National Corporation (JOGMEC) and the Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) will see the two institutions join efforts to explore and assess mineral resources.

In Tanzania, uranium prospection and exploration is being performed by Uranex NL, Omegacorp Ltd, Mantra Resources Ltd, Uranium Resources plc, Indago Resources Ltd, Sabre Resources Ltd , Uranium Hunter Corporation , Trimark Explorations Ltd. Others are IBI Corporation , Gambaro Resources, Douglas Lake Minerals Inc. , Canaco Resources Inc. , Sub-Sahara Resources NL, East Africa Resources Ltd,

Tanganyika Uranium Corp. , Troll Mining Ltd, Jacana Resources Ltd, Globe Metals & Mining Ltd, Atomic Minerals Ltd, Universal Power Corp.