Updated Feasibility Study Yields More Resources For Etango Uranium Project In Namibia

31 January 2011

WORLD NUCLEAR NEWS (LONDON)-- Bannerman Resources estimates that the indicated and inferred resources at its Etango deposit in Namibia have risen to 149 million pounds (mlbs) and 64 mlbs of U3O8 respectively. Its updated feasibility study indicates that Etango will have a mine life of 20 years, producing 5-7 mlbs of U3O8 per year. Bannerman will mine the deposit using open pit methods and a simple heap leaching process. It plans to complete the feasibility study, secure a development partner, and obtain a mining license during 2011. Source: http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ENF-More_resources_as_Etango_plans_take_shape-3101118.html (Reliability: 46.73 -- Moderate)

Analysis:
It is likely that uranium mining will dramatically increase in Namibia over the next 12-24 months. Currently, Rio Tinto's Rossing mine and Paladin Energy's Langer Heinrich mine produce about 10% of the world's uranium. UraMin expects to start production at its Trekkopje mine in 2012, and Bannerman is making significant progress with its Etango project and aims to start production in 2013. Lastly, the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism gave the environmental approval for Extract Resources' Husab project on 28 January 2011. This is a large step in obtaining a mining license from the Namibian government and Extract estimates the Husab project to produce 15 mlbs of U3O8 per year. (Analytic Confidence: Moderate)


Image Source: Google Earth and http://australianuraniuminvesting.blogspot.com/2010_01_24_archive.html

New Estimates Put Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal At More Than 100

31 January 2011

WASHINGTON POST (WASHINGTON)--Analysts estimate that Pakistan now has over 100 nuclear weapons. Pakistan likely now has more nuclear weapons than its rival India and the United Kingdom. Pakistan has more than doubled its nuclear weapon total since 2007. The estimate comes independently from Hans M. Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists, and Shaun Gregory, director of the Pakistan Security Research Unit at Britain's University of Bradford. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/30/AR2011013004136.html?hpid=topnews (Reliability: 49.82 -- High)

Analysis:
It is highly likely that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal will become a major point of contention diplomatically between Russia, China, India, and the United States (U.S.). Russia recently has increased its cooperation with India and finds Pakistan's nuclear buildup "disturbing." China sees India as a major rival in the area and thus has invested heavily in Pakistan. The U.S. is caught in the middle due to partnerships with both India and Pakistan, along with the ongoing war in Afghanistan. (Analytic Confidence: Moderate)

Pakistani Nuclear Weapons Arsenal On Track To Be World's Fifth Largest

01 February 2011

GLOBAL SECURITY NEWSWIRE (WASHINGTON) Recent U.S. intelligence estimates claim Pakistan is rapidly increasing the size of its nuclear stockpile and could become the fifth largest nuclear arms possessor. United States officials believe Pakistan has roughly 90 to 110 nuclear weapons. When President Obama assumed office in 2009, the United States believed Islamabad's nuclear forces numbered in the upper 70s. US officials believe India possesses between 60 and 100 nuclear weapons. Source: http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20110201_5282.php (Reliability: 39.52 -- Moderate)

Analysis:
Increased Pakistani nuclear development is unlikely to change Pakistan's relationship with India or the rest of the world. Pakistan already possesses enough nuclear weapons to present a credible nuclear threat to India. (Analytic Confidence: Low)

Davos: Saudi Not To Forego Its Right To Domestic Uranium Enrichment

27 January 2011

IFANDP (SURREY, ENGLAND) –Prince Turki al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia stated that Saudi Arabia does not plan to forego their right to enrich uranium, but will consider alternatives in an effort to improve relations with Iran. According to the Prince, Saudi has plans to develop nuclear energy for domestic uses. In an interview at the Davos economic summit, Prince Turki al Faisal stated, “Saudi has proposed as a way to resolve this issue with Iran to have a neutral country to supply enriched uranium to Middle East countries.” Source: http://www.ifandp.com/article/009235.html (Reliability: Moderate - 40.71)

Analysis:
It is unlikely that Iran will stop pursing domestic uranium enrichment despite the Saudi’s proposal to import enriched fuel to Iran. After the investment made into their current uranium enrichment infrastructure, and the stubborn stance to date about their program, it is unlikely that importing enriched uranium would coerce the Iranian regime into abandoning their domestic enrichment program. (Analytic Confidence: Low)

Alarm Raised Over Shipment Of Spilled Uranium

28 January 2011

TIMES COLONIST (NANAIMO) — A shipment of partially spilled uranium concentrate docked offshore from Ladysmith, Canada for a few days raises questions about what kinds of hazardous materials are shipped through B.C. waters, an environmental organization says. The Liberian-registered cargo ship Altona carried 350 tons of uranium from Saskatoon-based Cameco Corp. when heavy seas forced it to return to Canada after several of its containers shifted. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission considers the uranium concentrate, also known as yellowcake, as “mildly radioactive” and said it poses no threat to the ship’s crew, the public or the environment. Source: http://tinyurl.com/5vlgbxs (Reliability: 40.1 -- Moderate)

Image source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Cameco+uranium+spill/4134597/story.html

Analysis:

It is likely that over the course of the next six months, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will re-evaluate their regulations to ensure proper safety of nuclear material transportation. If they do not, then it is likely groups will continue to raise concern over their abilities to properly transport nuclear material. (Analytic Confidence: High)

CTBTO Tests Nuke Explosion Monitoring Technology

28 January 2011

GLOBAL SECURITY NEWSWIRE (WASHINGTON)--The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) tested a new way of detecting an atmospheric nuclear explosion in the Israeli Negev desert. The test successfully demonstrated that infrasound technology can detect low-frequency sound waves that human ears cannot hear. The test involved 25 infrasound sensors located in 15 Middle Eastern and European states. Six additional states collected the data for analysis. Source: http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20110127_8992.php (Reliability: 40.36 -- Moderate)

Image source: http://bit.ly/dLl0NO

U3O8 Aims To Rapidly Expand South American NI 43-101 Resources

24 January 2011

MARKETWIRE (TORONTO)--Canadian-based U3O8 Corp. plans to substantially increase its NI 43-101 (NI) resource portfolio in Colombia, Guyana, and Argentina in 2011. At its Berlin project in Colombia, U3O8 Corp. aspires to define a potential NI resource of an initial 20-25 million pounds (mlbs) of uranium. It wants to expand current NI resources to 20-25 mlbs at the Kurupung project in Guyana. Lastly, the company aims to report a NI resource estimate on the Laguna Salada project in Argentina while exploring the next target in order to increase resources to 20-24 mlbs. Source: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/U3O8-Corp-Outlines-2011-Exploration-Program-Aimed-Rapidly-Expanding-Its-NI-43-101-Resource-TSX-VENTURE-UWE-1384160.htm (Reliability: 47.91 -- High)

Image: The top left white thumbtack identifies the location of the Berlin project in Colombia (about 94 miles northwest of Bogota), the top center tack is of the Kurupung project in Guyana (about 120 miles southwest of Georgetown), and the bottom center tack is of the Laguna Salada project in Argentina (about 122 miles southwest of Rawson).
Image source: Google Earth