Niger has granted 7 More companies Uranium Exploration Rights

NIAMEY - Niger has granted seven more exploration licences of uranium to seven foreign companies, in the Agadez region (north), theatre for a year of a Tuareg rebel army, it was learned Saturday.

The authorities estimate that 32 million in investment and tax revenues that should generate work for three years.

Some 500 jobs and community infrastructure will also be created for the benefit of local people, the statement added.

Thanks to the recent rise in price of uranium, which had collapsed in 1980, especially in the wake of the decision of China to develop civil nuclear power, the Nigerian authorities have decided to diversify their partners in the 'mining of ore.

Thus, in August 2007, Niger had already issued 29 permits research and exploitation of uranium to new companies, ending 40 years of near monopoly of the french group Areva on the exploration, exploitation and sale of its uranium.

In addition to the two deposits that operates in the North, Areva btained permission in January to invest more than 1 billion euros to operate a giant site Imouraren extraction.

With production of almost 5,000 tons of uranium per year, Imouraren, estimated at 200,000 tons, will place the Niger second in the world by 2011.

The Rest (in French) @ APA Agence de Presse Africaine