ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(80)382
Vol.1980/0135

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Proposalfora
COUNCILDECISION
ADOPTING ASECONDPROGRAMME OFRESEARCH ANDDEVELOPMENT
FORTHEEUROPEAN ATOMICENERGYCOMMUNITY INTHE
FIELDOFURANIUMEXPLORATION ANDEXTRACTION
(INDIRECT ACTION1981-1984 )
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission )ΐμβί
|fj-,ri-BrusseCsrJ#V>f.i?a?9C0M(8^382final[pcjyZ-\
C'«h-'P-BrusseCsrn 11July1980
C0M(80)382final

-2-
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Page
I.INTRODUCTION 3
1.1Uraniumneeds 3
1.2Uraniumexploration intheCommunity 7
II.THEFIRSTR&DURANIUMEXPLORATION ANDEXTRACTION PROGRAMME :
OBJECTIVES ANDEXPECTED RESULTS . 8
III.SECONDPROGRAMME ONURANIUMEXPLORATION ANDEXTRACTION 11
A.SCIENTIFIC ANDTECHNICAL CONTENT ,11
1.R&DONURANIUMEXPLORATION 11
1.1Discoveryofuraniumprovinces-uraniumgeology
andmetallogeny * 11
1.2Exploration techniques 13
1.3Transportation anddepositionofuranium 17
1.4Bore-holelogging 18
2.RESEARCH ANDDEVELOPMENT INURANIUMEXTRACTION
ANDREC0VERY 20
l
.2.1Recoveryofuraniumfromphosphoric acidliquors 20
2.2Recoveryofuraniumfromphosphatic rocks -20
2.3Extraction-of uraniumfromthewastesofphosphate
rocktreatment 20
2.4Recoveryofuraniumbydump,heap,bacterialor
in-situleaching 22
2.5Hightemperature,highpressure .leaching 23
2.6Extraction ofuraniumandothervaluesfromcalcines
andlowgradesources 23
2.7Othertechnicalaspectsrelatedtotheuranium
miningindustry '23
B.FINANCING ANDMANAGEMENT OFTHER&DPROGRAMME
PROPOSAL FORACOUNCILDECISION 25
.ANNEXA 27
FINANCIAL DATA .. 29
OPINIONOFTHESCIENTIFIC ANDTECHNICAL COMMITTEE - 33

INTRODUCTION
Thepresentproposalprovidesforafollow-uptothefirstresearch
anddevelopment programmeinthefieldofuraniumexploration andex­
tractionwhichwasadoptedbytheCouncilon6March1978(1),and
whichendson31December1980.
InordertoensurethenecessarycontinuityoftheCommunityresearch
effortinthisfield,anewfour-yearactionisnowproposed.Itis
planned,however,togroupthisactionon1January1982withothers
intoacomprehensive R&Dprogrammeinthesectorofrawmaterials,
subdividedintosubprogrammes ,ofwhichthepresentproposalwould
beone.Suchgroupingisinlinewiththeconclusions oftheResearch
Councilof20December1979whichrecommendedtoconcentrate Community
R&Dprogrammesinsectorsofpriorityinterest(includingenergy,
rawmaterials,environment,agriculture andcertainindustrialR&D
sectors)andtorationalize theproceduresforthepreparation,adop­
tionandimplementation oftheseprogrammes.Theproposedgroupingis
delayedbyoneyeartomakeitcoincidewiththeendofthecurrent
R&Dprogrammeonprimaryrawmaterials,(2).
Communitysponsorship ofR&Dinuraniumexploration andextraction
isoneoftheactionstoensureadequateandsecuresuppliesofnatu­
raluraniumfortheCommunity,inwhichtheCommissionisatpresent
engaged. v
InsidetheCommunity,theCommissionispartiallyfundinguranium
exploration,underarticle70oftheEuratomTreaty.Furthermore,the
CommissionisactingoutsidetheCommunitytofacilitatethesupply
ofuraniumtotheMemberStatesbyimprovingtheconditionsforthe
Community'sindustrytooperateabroadinuraniumexploration and
production.
TheneedtofinanceR&DshouldbeseeninthelightoftheCommu­
nity'sexpandingrequirementsfornaturaluranium.Moreadvanced
uraniumexplorationmethodsanduraniumextractionandrecoverytech­
nologymustbedevelopedtodiscovernewdepositsaswellasto
evaluateandexploitpotentialuraniumresources.
1.1Uraniumneeds
On1January1979,thetotalelectricalpowerplantcapacity
oftheEuropeanCommunitywas303GWe(gross),distributedas
follows(3):
6We(gross)
Conventional thermalplants 232.2
Hydroelectric powerplants 45.3
Nuclearpowerplants 25.6
TotalEC303.1
(1)0JL72of14March1978
(2)0JL72of14March1978
(3)Investment ,projectsintheelectricitysectoroftheCommunity
COM(79)719final

OutofthenetelectricityproductionintheCommunityin-1979
ofsome1.18millionGWh,approximately 10.8%wasproducedfrom
nuclearenergyagainst10.2%in1978(1).Thisrepresentsasaving
oftheorderof28milliontonnesofoilequivalent.Thegeneral
trendforelectricalproductionintheEuropeanCommunityis
towardsthedevelopment ofsolidfuelandnuclearpowerstations
andagradualreductionofoilandgasfiredpowerplants.
Atitsmeetingof13February1975theCounciladvocatedthe
development ofeconomical andsecureuraniumresourceswithin
theCommunityandtheexamination of-whetherandhowaction
shouldbetakeninseveralfieldsincludingprospecting for
minerals.IntheCommission'spaperconcernedwithenergyob­
jectivesoftheCommunityfor1990andtheconvergence ofpoli­
cies-fortheMemberStates(2),itwasstatedthattheCommunity's
energyobjectivesshouldinclude:
-increasinguseofsolid-fuelsandnuclearenergyfor
electricalproduction,
-development ofdomesticresourcesofconventional forms
ofenergyandpromotionofnewenergies,
-diversification ofsecurityofexternalsupply,
-pricepoliciesaimingatcoveringthecostsofsupplying
energy,ensuringtheequilibrium ofenergybalanceand
encouraging energysaving. ,
InthispapertheCommissionalsostatedthatactionswerere­
quiredtoincreasetheuseofsolidfuelsandnuclearenergy,
which,together,shouldcover70-75%atleastoftheproduction
ofelectricity .InrealtermsthismeansthateachMemberState
shouldcontributetotheachievement ofthisoverallpercentage
fortheCommunity,inparticular :
-creatingagreatersolidfuelburningcapacityinpower
stationsandcertainindustries,
-restoration ofnuclearenergyprogrammesasfaraspossible-
Atpresent(1980)withintheCommunitywehaveintheregion
of31.6GWeinstalledelectricalcapacitygeneratedbynuclear
energy.ThepresentforecastsasindicatedintableIcouldbe,
bytheendof1985,intheregionof75GWeandby1990inthe
regionof130GWe.In1980,thisrepresentsarequirementof
about11,400tonnesnaturaluraniumbutobviouslythisrequire­
mentwillincreasesignificantly .
(1)Eurostatprovisionalfigures-Electricalenergy6.2.80
(2)C0M(79)316 1

TABLE I
FORECASTS FORNUCLEARELECTRICAL CAPACITY ANDURANIUMNEEDS
(Period1980-1990)
1980 19851990
Installed nuclearelectrical
capacity(inGWe) 31.6^75130
%ofthetotalelectrical
capacity 12 2635
Uraniumneeds
(m1000tonnes) 11.4 16 24
Uraniumdemandcumulated
fromyear1980 11.490200
TheMemberStatesimportaboutSO/,oftheirnaturaluranium
requirements ,theECuraniumproduction beingintheregion
of2.300tonneswithFrance,byfarthemostimportantpro­
ducer(seeTableII).Notonlyisourdependence onimportsin
naturaluraniumlikelytoincrease,buttheactualamountof
naturaluraniumrequiredisalsogoingtoincreasesharplyun­tilatleast1990(seeTableI).Ourpresentreasonably
assureduraniumresources asshowninTableIIIQan
onlycoverapartofourneedsandtheadditional uraniumre­
sourcesremaintobefound,mainlywiththedevelopment ofnew
exploration techniques .Theuraniumpotentialofseveralmember
countriesfforexampleIreland,Denmark(Greenland)^needsto
befurtherevaluated andmayaddsomeadditional resources.
Theseadditionalpossibleresources,togetherwithR&Defforts
inextraction (forexampleuraniumfromphosphaterocks)can.de­
creaseourdependence onforeigncountries andimprovethedeficit
ofourbalanceofpaymentswhilstproviding newmethodsforthe
Community'sindustryapplicable insideandoutsidetheEC.
TABLEII
.(1)
URANIUMPRODUCTION INTHECOMMUNITY (intonnes)
pré1977197719781979(planned)
FRANCE 23,133 2,0972,1832,180
FEDERALREPUBLIC
OFGERMANY 151.1 14.741.1n.a.
TOTALEC 23,284.1 2,111.72,224.1
TOTALW.WORLD469,933 28,85233,900
(1)Source:Uranium-reserves,production anddemand
NEAandAIEA-0ECDreportDec.1979

TABLE -III
.URANIUMRESERVES ANDADDITIONAL RESOURCES (1000tonnesU)
I.Reasonably assuredresources
costrange 4.%80/kgUi80-130/kgUTotal
at<2130/kgU
DENMARK(Greenland ) 27. 27
'FRANCE 39.6 15.7 55.3'
FEDERALREPUBLIC
OFGERMANY 4 0.5 4.5
ITALY 1.2' 1-2
TOTALEC 43.6 44.4 88.0
TOTALWEST.WORLD1,850*740 '2,590
II.Estimatedadditionalresources (1000tonnesU)
costrange <Ct80/kgUS80-130/kgUTotal
at^SS130/kgU
DENMARK(Greenland) 16 16
FRANCE 26.2 20 46.2
FEDERALREPUBLIC
OFGERMANY 7.0 0.5 7.5
ITALY 2 2
TOTALEC 33.2 38.5 71.7
TOTALWEST.WORLD1,480 -970.0 2,450
(1)Source:Uranium.-reserves,productionanddemand
NEAandAIEA-OECDreportDec.1979

-7-
1.2Uraniumexploration intheCommunity
Uraniumexploration isoneofthefieldswheretheCommunity
hasaneffectiveintegrated supplypolicy.Since1976under
article70oftheEuratomTreatytheCommission hasbeen
supporting uraniumexploration programmeswithintheMember
States.Theseprogrammes havealreadybeensuccessfulinout­
liningsignificant newuraniumresourcesinGreenland andItaly.
InGermanyandIrelandnewuraniumoccurrences havebeendis­
covered.Itisintendedthattheseprogrammes togetherwiththe
programmes notfundedunderarticle70willcontinueandexpand
sothatacompleteevaluation oftheuraniumpotentialofthe
Community canbeachieved.
Inthisframework,itisvitalthattheR&Dintouraniumtech­
niquesbestimulated inproviding newtoolsfortherecognition
ofnewuraniumprovinces andspecifictargetstothebenefitof
thewholeCommunity.Inthesameway,R&Disessentialfor
improvement inoreprocessing methodsand.recoveryofuranium
fromlowgraderesources.Moreover,theresultsoftheR&D
programmecouldalsofindusefulapplications outsidetheCommu­
nity.ItshouldbenotedthatwhereR&Dandexploration prog­
rammeshavebeensuccessful,othermechanisms areavailableor
areproposedatCommunityleveltosupporturaniumproduction
(Euratomloans,facilitiesoftheEuratomSupplyAgency,etc.).

-8-
IX.THEFIRSTR&DURANIUMEXPLORATION ANDEXTRACTION PROGRAMME:
OBJECTIVES ANDEXPECTEDRESULTS
On6March1978,theCounciladoptedthefirstR&Dprogramme .on
uraniumexplorationandextraction (1).Themainobjectivewasto
increasetheEC'suraniumsupplyforexpandedneeds.Thisrequired
R&Dintheareasofexploration andextractionforthefollowing
reasons:
•-risingcostsofoilforwhichtheECismainly"dependenton
foreignsources
-increasingworldandECdemandforuraniumforelectricity
production '
-increasinguraniumpriceswhichallowtheexploitation of
lowergradeuraniumresources •
-thenecessityofdeveloping newprospectingtechniques
owingtothedifficultyoffindinguraniumdepositsinside
aswellasoutsidetheEC
-thenecessityofdevelopinglesscostlyuraniumextraction
methodsandnewprocessesfortherecoveryofuraniumfrom-
potentialresources.
Foruraniumexploration,theR&Dobjectiveswere:/
-toimprovegeological andinterpretative skillsinuranium
exploration
-toimproveprospectingtechniquesappropriatefordifferent
geologicalenvironments andconditions
-todevelopmethodsofdetectionforburiedmineralizations
whichcannotbefoundbyclassicalmethodsofprospecting
Foruraniumextraction,theR&Dobjectives were:
-toimproveextractionofuraniumfromlowgradeoreaswell.
asother'sourcessofaruntapped(e.g.phosphates )
-toprovidenewadvancedtechnologyinextractionforthev
benefitofthewholeCommunity .■
I-todevelopmethodsofuraniumrecoverywhichachieveasignificant
costreduction
AlloftheseR&>PactionsareofinteresttotheMemberStatesand
notonlyreinforcecurrentnationalR&Deffortsbutalsoavoid
(1)OJL72,14March1978

-9-
uselessduplication ofeffort.
TheR&Dprojectsfundedunder'thefirstprogrammewereselectedby
theCommissionaftertakingtheopinionoftheAdvisoryCommitteeon
ProgrammeManagementonthebasisofthequalityandoriginality oftheir
scientificcontentandtheirpracticalinterestfortheEC.Sincemost
ofthecontractsbeganduringtheyear1979onlypreliminaryresultsare
available.However,anumberofinteresting developments aretakingplace
thatcouldbeeffectivelyappliedtouraniumexploration .Progresshas
-alsobeenmadeinuraniumextraction.Inaddition,themeetingsorganized
bytheCommissionbetweenthedifferentparticipantlaboratories have
broughtafruitfulex-changeofideasandexperience,abettercoordina­
tionofR&Deffortsandhavesometimesledtoabetterorientation of
theR&Dprogramme.
Intheareaofuraniumexploration,themainaim.ofgeologyandmetallo-
genyresearchistofacilitatethedistinction betweenfertileand
sterilerocksandtoimproveourknowledgeofthemajorcontrolsof
uraniumtransportanddeposition.T
Preliminaryresultsconfirmtheworthofseveralprojectsmainlybased
onrockgeochemistry indefiningindicatorelementsforthediscovery
ofnewuraniumprovincesespeciallyinthegraniticareasoftheECand
forthelocationofuraniummineralizations inagivenuraniumprovince.
Theseprojectsmayleadtoaconsiderable reductioninexplorationcosts
andalsomayprovidenewtoolsforuraniumprospecting .
Acomparativestudyofseveralmineralized andnon-mineralized Permian
basinsinFranceappearstobevaluableindefiningcriteriaforuranium
exploration.Suchastudycouldbeextendedtoothercontinentalsedi­
mentaryformationsinseveralMemberStates.Theseformationsremain
geologicallylittleknownbutmaycontainimportanturaniumresources.
\ . •
Theuraniumpotentialofseveralalkalinerockshastobeevaluatedand
ageochemicalmethodisbeingtestedforidentifyingprimaryuranium
mineralizations .
Theon-goingprojectsonradioactivedisequilibrium betweenuraniumandits.daughterproductsmaygiveusefulinformationaboutmigrationand
depositionofuranium. ,
Significantprogresshasalsobeenachievedinimprovinghydrogeochemical
prospectingunderdifferentclimaticconditionsforthelocationof
uraniumdepositsingraniticareas.
Severalprojectsarerelatedtothedevelopmentofprospectingmethods
whicharetestedinthefield.
Experimentswithleadisotoperatiosforthelocationofburieduranium •mineralizations areinprogressandtheanalyticalproblemsarebeing
resolved.

incri<rëîQ-
Aplasmamassspectrometer ofhighsensitivity andaccuracyisbeing
developedforrapidroutineanalysisinuraniumexploration andits
performancewillbeimproved.
Anewtype,ofactivatedcharcoalabsorberofhigherperformance hasbeen
developedforthedetectionofradonemanationsandisbeingtestedin•
thefieldtogetherwithothertechniques.
Theuseofthermoluminescence forthediscoveryofburieduraniumminer-
alizationsisbeingtestedonseveralsites,themainproblembeingthe
interpretation oftheresults.Thismethodwillbecomparedwithother
techniquesinthefield(emanometry,activatedcharcoalabsorbers,track
etch). \
... '\
Adelayed,neutroninstrumenthasbeendevelopedandisbeingtestedfor
thequantitative determination ofuraniuminboreholes.Suchaninstru­
mentshouldfacilitatetheevaluation ofuranium'reserves.
TheRisdNationalLaboratory (Denmark)has.allthefacilitiesfor.the:
calibration offieldscintillometers andspectrometers (partlyprovided
throughtheRSDprogramme)whichwillaidcomparisons betweensurveys
withintheEC....
Inthefieldofuraniumextraction,itis,again,alittleearlyto
judgetheresultsoftheeightcontractsawardedbecauseofthelate'
signingofthecontracts.Theextractionofuraniumfromphosphoric
acidliquorsisattractingconsiderable industrialattentionand'there
areseveralon-goingresearchcontracts.Aprojectonuraniumrecovery
fromwetprocessphosphoricacidbyselectingsequestering groupsfor
theseparationoftheuraniumandthenincorporating thesegroupsinto
"solidsubstratesappearstobemakingpositiveprogress.Inthesame.,
areatwomoreprojectsarefinancedbytheEC,oneinBelgiumandone
inHoiland.;
Inadditiontotheprojectsonphosphaterock,,therei§.aprojectto
examinetheextractionofuraniumfromanimportantdepositof.re­
fractoryoreinGreenlandandanotherprojecthasbeenfinancedin. 1
ordertostudyacidleachingunderpressurefor.recoveryofuranium ..
rejectwasteoriginatedfromrefractoryores.- /
Asfarasinsituleachingisconcernedaprojectisconsidering the
implementation ofaleachingsystemcapableofextracting uraniumfrom
smallorlowgradeuraniumoresingraniticenvironment .Thisproject
hasgoodpotential,andiftheresultsareencouraging,uraniumcould
beextractedfrommanysmalldepositsscatteredintheECterritory.

III .SECOND PROGRAMME ONURANIUM EXPLORATION AND EXTRACTION
A. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONTENT
1.R&DONURANIUM EXPLORATION
Itisvery important forthe ECtodevelop and improve methods
fortherecognition ofnewuranium provinces anduranium depos­
its..This may contribute notonly toanincrease ofourown
uranium reserves butalso may find useful application incoun­
tries outside the EC.NSuch aR&Dprogramme isjustified
because classical radiometric methods only give indications of
outcropping ornear surface uranium mineralizations and uranium
deposits arebecoming more difficult tofind .Inmany cases,'
noresults can beobtained bythese methods ,especially in
strongly weathered zones orinthe case ofdeep seated uranium
mineralizations ,therefore ,newmethods and criteria must be
tdeveloped forthedelineation ofnewuranium provinces andfor
thediscovery ofspecific uranium targets .Most ofthe topics
discussed below under theheading "exploration techniques "are
applicable both tothediscovery ofnewuranium provinces and .
'.the prospecting foruranium orebodies within aknown uranium
province .Moreover' abetter knowledge ofthebehaviour of
uranium and itsdecay products canalso provide newtools for
uranium exploration and improve theinterpretation ofprospec­
ting results .^
Asafollow-up tothe first programme ,theaims oftheR&D
:actions inuranium exploration are :
-toprovide newtechniques forexploration totheCommunity 's
industry inside andoutside the EC
-toimprove our bas'ic knowledge andtheinterpretation of
data inuranium prospecting -
-todefine thebest methodology tobeused with respect
tothegeological andclimatic environment
-toobtain abetter .coordination ofR&Defforts in ,
uranium exploration
-toreduce prospecting costs .
Aclose liaison inapractical wayofthe R&Dexploration
programme with national prospect.ion programmes andwith those
supported under article 70oftheEuratom Treaty would behighly
'beneficial fortheCommunity .Theidentification ofresearch­
,needs wasalso made taking into account thework done bythe
Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD )andtheInternational Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA )Joint group ofexperts onR&Dinuranium ex­
ploration techniques . . -
\ .
1.1 Discovery ofuranium provinces -uranium geology and
metallogeny 1
Newuranium provinces could befound inthegranitic and
volcanic areas ofthe ECand'in theadjacent sedimentary
basins .Inaddition ,aconsiderable uncertainty still
exists ontheUpotential ofalkaline rocks .Inspite of
fai'rly well known Umineralizations intheHercynian belts
inside ,theEC,amuch better fnderstanding'of theUconcen

trationprocessesonaregionalscaleisnecessaryandtheU
potentialofthePrecambrian,CaledonianandTertiaryintru-
sivesandextrusivesshouldbeevaluated (e.g.theDonegal
granite).
Researchinitiatedduringthefirstprogrammemustbeextended
andamplifiedforabetterunderstanding ofthemajorcontrols
ofuraniummineralizations andtoimprovebasicdataonuranium
oregenesisindifferentgeologicalenvironments (granitic,vol­
canic,alkalineandsedimentary rocks).Therelationship ofuranium
mineralization tosourcerocks,tectonicsandchangesinrockgeo­
chemistrymustbemorecarefullyexamined.Advancesinthisarea
arerequiredtoprovidebetterbasicinformationforuraniumex­
plorationplanningbytheCommunity'sindustryinsideandoutside
theEC.
R&Disneededforthediscoveryofnewuraniumprovincesin
severalgeologicalenvironments :
a)graniticareas '
Uraniummineralizations relatedtograniticintrusivesaremain­
lyduetopostmagmatic processesorla'terremobilizationofthe
Ucontainedinaccessoryminerals.ProgresscouLdbemadethrough:
-theapplication ofimprovedmineralogical andgeochemical
criteriaallowingadifferentiation betweenfertileand
sterilegranites;
-improvedunderstanding ofremobilizationandreconcentration
processesandthestructuralcontrolsleadingtouranium
mineralizations . -
b)acidvolcanics(e.g.Rheinland-Pfa Iz,Alps) '
Acidvolcanicsandassociatedsedimentsconstitute apossible
targetforuraniumexploration .Inthisarearesearchshould:
-assesstheuraniumpotentialofacidextrusivesintheEC
andthepossiblestructuralcontrolsofthemineralizations ;
~increaseourknowledgeofthegeochemistry andofprocesses
whichleadtoUmineralizations .
c)alkalinerocks
Uraniummineralizations mayoccurinalkalinerocksincluding
carbonatites (e,g.Greenland,Latium).Researchwillbeaimed
atabetterunderstanding of,
-theuraniumconcentration processes;
thegeochemistry oftheserockswhichmay^containothervaluable
elements;
-thestructuralcontrolsoftheUmineralizations .

-13-
d)sedimentary basins
TheuraniumpotentialofmanysedimentarybasinsintheECisstill
littleknownbutrecentexploration (e.g.Aquitainebasin,France),
hasclearlyshowntheirimportanceasapotentialresourceofuranium.
OneprojectinthefirstprogrammeconcernsthePermianbasins
and.willbeextendedtotheTertiarybasins.Severalothersedi­
mentaryformationsofvariousages(Precambrian,Cambrian,Devonian,
'Mesozoic)alsopresentafutureinterestforuranium.
Researchwillbedirectedat:
-betterknowledgeandcomparisonofthepaleogeographi caI
setting,stratigraphy,tectonics,geochemistry andstruc­
turalfeaturesofthedifferentbasins;
-thedetermination ofkeyhorizons(forexampleorganic-rich
•sediments)andstructuralcontrols(forexamplepaleochannels )
forpossibleuraniummineralizations ;
-anassessmentoftheuraniumsourcerbcksandthepossiblere-"
mobilization ofuranium(forexamplebytectonicfeatures).
Fromthesebasicdata,itwillbepossibletodefinemuchbetter
guidelinesapplicabletothediscoveryofnewuraniumprovinces
insideandoutsideoftheEC.Moreover,thiswouldfacilitate an
inventoryoftheuraniumresourcesoftheECandcouldoutline
somenewfavourablegeologicalformations.
Adetermination oftheaveragecontentofradioactive elementson
freshmaterialfor.alltypesofrockswouldalsobeuseful.Itis
doubtfulwhetherClarkevalueshavebeenaccuratelydetermined on
manyrocksinthepast.-
1.2Exploration techniques
Explorati-ontechniquesshouldbeimprovednotonlythroughadvances
inthetoolsusedbutalsothroughabetterinterpretation ofthe
databothforthediscoveryofnewuraniumprovincesandforspecific
targetswithinaknownuraniumprovince.Suchprogresswillbehigh­
lybeneficialforexploration bytheCommunity'sindustryinsideand
outsidetheEC.Oneofthemajorproblems ,isthedevelopment ofbetter
prospection methods:forthediscoveryofburiedmineralizations in
differentgeologicalenvironments <granitic,sedimentary,volcanic)
andclimaticconditions.Thereisalsoaneedtocomparetheefficiency
ofthevariousprospecting methodsondifferenttestsite&forboth
nearsurfaceandconcealeddepositsinordertodefinethebestmethods
tobeusedaccordingtotheenvironment .
1.2.1Gammaspectrometry .
Thismethodiswidelyusedinreconnaissance surveyingbothfor
newuraniumprovincesandspecifictargets.Moreworkshouldbe
done

14-
-toimprovetheinterpretation ofairbornemeasurements by-
computermodellingancftoprovideanatlasofresponses -
whichcouldbeusedasanaidinairbornegammaprospecting
forthediscoveryofuraniummineralizations ;
-toimprovetheinterpretation ofcar-bornemeasurements ;
-toarriveatamorequantitative analysisofradiometric
results,"especiallyingroundmeasurements ;
-tocalibrateinstruments .-
1.2.2Remotesensing -
Theuseofremotesensingtechniquesasanaidmdefining
uraniumprovincesandmineralized zonesshouldbefurther .
examined.Someinterestingresultshavealreadybeenobtained
usingLandsatimageryintheframeworkoftheArticle70uraniumex­
plorationprogramme.Variousremotesensingtechniques andimage
enhancement methodscanhelptoidentifylineaments/fractures,
structuresorrockalterationthatmay"beassociatedwithuranium
mineralizations .Theycouldprobablyalsogiveinformation onthe
structureandtectonicsoffavourablesedimentary basins.Ona
regionalorlocalscaleairborneimageryisgenerallythemost
usefulmethod(higherresolution).Integration ofremotesensing
datainuraniumexploration mayconsiderably facilitatethedis­
,coveryofuraniummineralizations (forexampleveinmineraliza-
tions)andcouldreduceexploration costs.R&Dinthisfield
isimportantfor
-theassessmentofremotesensingdata(multisbectral-thermal \
infrared-sidelookingradar)forthelocationoffavourable .
structuresrelatedtouraniummineralizations ;
-thedetectionofrockalterationrelatedtouraniumminerali-
zationsbyremotesensingtechniquesincludingvegetation
patterns;
■«-theevaluationoftheapplication ofsidelookingradarand
othertechniques onspecifictestsitesinsedimentaryunits;./
-theimprovement ofdataprocessing (spectralsignature)and
oftheinterpretation ofremotesensingdata.
Italsoappearsimportanttoapplyremotesensingtechniquesasa
newtoolinareaswheretraditional methodshavebeensuccessfully
applied.Inthiswayitwillbepossibletoassesstheimpactremote
sensingmighthavemadeifusedearlierinexplorationhistory.
-1.2.3Geochemicalprospectingtechniques '
Streamsedimentinvestigations andhydrogeochemi calprospecting
methodsarewidelyusedforthediscoveryofuraniumprovinces
anduraniummineralizations ;Someresearchisneededtoimprove
analyticalmethodsandtheinterpretation ofresults.. *
Furtherdevelopmentforrapidmultielement analysisisnecessary ■■'

-15
becauseinseveralcasespathfinder elementsmaygivebetter
resultsthanuranium.
Thepotential useofradiumforfindinguraniummineralizations .
shouldbealsotested.Acomparisonoftheefficiency ofradium
anduraniumanalysesforthedetectionofuraniummineralizations
indifferentenvironments wouldalsobeworthwhile .
1.2.4Rockgeochemistry
/Uraniummineralized ,zonesarecharacterized bychemicalchanges
ofthecountryrockcomposition oftenforminganalteration halo •
ofvariableextension.Thesechangesinrockgeochemistry and
theirspatialextensionshouldbemorecarefullyinvestigated
withaviewtoapplications inthesearchforburieduranium
mineralizations . .
RSDisnecessary:
- t
-tostudythecorrelation betweenuraniumandotherelements
inmineralized andunmineralized zones;
-todéterminepathfmder élémentsapplicableinagivengeo-
logicalenvironment;
-toimprovethequantitative interpretation ofgeochemical data;
-todeveloplaboratory andfieldinstruments forrapidmulti-
elementanalysis.
1.2.5Biogeochemistry
Biogeochemical prospecting basedontheanalysisofdecaying
organicmaterialhasbeensuccessfully appliedinpeat-bog
areasbothinreconnaissance surveying andforthelocalisation
ofdepositsofuraniumandothermetals.Thismethodcouldfind
'applications insimilarenvironments intheEC.
Biogeochemical prospecting usinglivingplantmaterialscould
alsobeappliedintheECandabroadespeciallyforthediscovery
ofburiedmineralizations infavourable areas.
Furtherresearchisneededtoevaluatethepotential useofbio-
geochemical methodsinuraniumexploration .
1..2.6Gasgeochemistry
Theuseofgasesinuraniumprospecting (mainlyRnandHe)for
thedetectionofconcealedmineralizations hassofarbeensuccess
fulinonlyalimitednumberofcases.'Itemstobeinvestigated
are:

-16-
-thebehaviourofRn,Heandothergases
ontestsitesindifférentgeologicalenvironments
-comparisonoftheefficiencyofdifferenttechniquesforthe
measurement ofHeandRn(emanometry,tracketch,charcoalde­
tectors)atthesurfaceandingroundwater withanassessment
ofthesetechniquesindifferentgeologicalenvironments forthe
detectionofburiedUmineralizations
\-integration andassessmentoftheusefulnessofothertech­
niquessuchasthermoluminescence ,theHe/Arratioandother
parameters (U,Raingroundwater forexample)
-assessmentofradioactiveaerosolsinUexploration
■5-
-improvements ontheinterpretation ofresultstakinginto
accountgeology-fracturepattern,hydrogeology
«
-development offieldinstruments forsurfaceandbore-hole
gasmeasurements
-improvement ofsamplingtechniques andmeasurements
-establishment ofamethodology forthedetectionofburied
orebodiesindifferentgeologicalenvironments andclimatic
conditions ''
1.2.7Leadisotoperatios
Themeasurement ofleadisotoperatiosmayprovidevaluablein­
formationforthediscoveryofnewuraniumprovincesandspecific
targets.Thereisaneed:
-toassesstheuseofleadisotoperatiosinground- '
waterforuraniumexploration;
-toimprovetheinterpretation ofdataandcomparetheresults
withothermethods;
-toassessthepossibilityofapplication ofthismethodtosur­
facewaterinrelativelyunpollutedareasandtocommonlead
minerals.
1-2.8Indirectgeophysical methods
Magnetic...andelectromagneticaerialsurveysfacilitatethe^
smappingofgeologicalformations whichisanessentiaIback­
'sgroundforuraniumexploration..J–
Detailedgravity,magnetic,resistivity,polarization and.'
seismicmeasurements canprovideinformation onfavourable

17
structures foruranium deposition .Research inthis field
isnecessary toimprove thetechniques andtheinterpre­
tation ofresults aswell astodevelop instruments .
1.2.9 Microtectoni es
Fracture analysis inmineralized zones hasbeen quite success­
fully applied togranitic formations .Ityields useful information
on .thelocation ofuranium mineralizations and,inaddition ,allows
drilling costs tobereduced .Research isneeded to:
-improve theinterpretation ofresults ;
assess themethod inother geological environments .
1.3 Transportation anddeposition ofuranium
Amuch better knowledge ofthetransportation anddeposition of
uranium inthemagmatic cycle andduring weathering isimportant
for thedevelopment ofnewprospecting methods inuranium explo­
ration .Fluid inclusions provide basic information about thegenesis
ofuranium deposits andmay possibly beused asanew tool for dis-,
covering uranium mineralizations .Thedifferences inbehaviour bet­
ween uranium ,thorium andtheir decay products during weathering
processes may give useful information foruranium exploration .A
better understanding ofthe data isimportant for the development
ofnewmethodologies forthediscovery ofspecific uranium targets
andtherecognition ofnewuranium provinces .R&&inthis area is
highly necessary .
1.3.1 Fluid inclusions
Studies onfluid inclusions are important for abetter understanding
oftheprocesses andconditions leading totheformation ofuranium
deposits .Research must bedone : • ■, .
-toimprove ourknowledge onthecomposition offluid inclusions
indifferent geological environments andonthephysico-chemical
conditions ofuranium deposition ;
-toassess therole ofhydrocarbon compounds inuranium deposition ;
-toexamine thepotential useoffluid inclusions asapossible new
prospecting tool . '
.1.3.2 Transportation anddeposition ofuranium inthehydrogeochemi caI
envi ronment '
Uranium isusually mobile inthehydrogeochemi caIenvironment ,
however ,itisstill difficult tointerpret anomalous uranium

-18-
valuesasthecontrolsactinginthisenvironment arenotfully
understood.Additional workonthetransportation ofuranium
andotheraccompanying elementsinwater,theirtransfertosoiI,
lakesedimentsandvegetationinknownuranium.districtsisre­
quired,toimproveknowledgeofphysico-chemical controls.
1.3.3Radioactivedisequilibrium
Thevariationintheabundanceofdaughter ,productsfromU238/
u235andTh232isoneofthemostusefultoolsforstudyinggeo­
chemicalprocessesinvolvedinthemigrationofuranium(e.g.
theRosholtmethod).Interpretation ofradioactive disequiLibrium
datacouldbeveryhelpfulinuraniumexplorationforthelocation
ofuraniumdepositsespeciallyinsedimentary environmentsaswell
asfordefiningnewuraniumprovinces.Researchinthisarea
isimportantforthedevelopment ofnewmethodsforuraniumpro­
specting: ,
-Identification ofuraniumsolutionpathwaysthroughdecay
products;
-Development ofamethodology forthemeasurement andinter­
pretationofresults;
-Assessmentoftheapplications ofradioactive disequilibrium
datainuraniumexploration onaregionalscale; ,
-Applications ofradio-isotope datatothediscoveryofnew
uraniumprovinces.
1.4Bore-holelogging
Thereisaneedtodevelopnewinstrumentsformeasurements in
boreholesandalsotoimprovetheinterpretation ofresults.
Specialemphasismustbegivenheretodirectmeasurement of
uraniuminsituasgammaspectrometry loggingisnotaccurate
■enoughowingtothefrequentradioactivedisequilibrium between
uraniumanditsdecayproducts.
1.4.1Directmeasurement ofuraniuminsitu
Thedirectmeasurement ofuraniuminsituisespeciallyvaluable
inassessingreserves,themostimportantstepbeforethedevelop­
mentofanymine.Thetechniquesavailableatpresent(X-ray
fluorescence,neutronactivation )haveyettobefullydeveloped.
,Assessment -ofthese-techniquesanddevelopment ofimproved
instrumentsisrequired.
Dataprocessingandinterpretation ofbore-holeloggingalsopresent
difficultproblems.Refinementoftheseisnecessary.

-19-
1.4.2Otherinstruments forinsitumeasurements
Besidesuranium,measurements ofotherphysico-chemical para­
meters(suchasresistivity,conductivity,pHetc.)inbore
holesarenecessary.Thereisinthisfieldaneedfordevelop­
mentofinstrumentation andanimprovement indataprocessing
andinterpretation .

-20-
t
2.RESEARCH ANDDEVELOPMENT INURANIUMEXTRACTION ANDRECOVERY
TheCommission,withthehelpofthemembersoftheACPMandof
contractors hasanalysedthestateofR&Dactivities onuranium
processingandrecoveryinthevariousMemberStates.
Itappearsthatthereisstillconsiderable interestinthisfield
becauseworlddemandinuraniumisstillimportant,thedegreeof-
.dependency onoutsidesourcesisveryhighandthereisaneedto
supportECindustryinordertodevelopadvancedtechnologies .
KnowingthaturaniumresourceswithintheCommunityarelimited,
R&Defforts(and,insomecases,demonstration projects)are
neededatCommunityleveltostimulateinterestinthewinningof
uraniumfromvariousresources,includinglow'gradeores.
Theresearchtopicsselectedwouldbring,inthemediumandlong
term,asignificant reductioninprocessingcostsorleadtoura­
niumbeingobtainedfromdomesticsourceswhichhavenotsofar
beenwidelyexploited.
Inaddition,R&Dactivitiesshouldbeimplemented atEClevelin
ordertohelpEuropeanindustrydevelopadvancedtechnologies that
couldrepresentanimportantbenefitfortheECmembers.Exporting
advancedprocessesofuraniumextraction fromuranium-bearing ma­
terialsmayhaveanimpactonthebalanceofpaymentsoftheMember
States.
Theseresearcheffortswould:
'I
-beofdirectorindirectinteresttoallMemberStates
-complémentorreinforcecurrentnational R&Defforts
-avoiduselessduplication ofnationalR&Defforts.
Asafollow-uptothefirstprogramme,.R&Dactivityinuranium
extractionandrecoverywillcoverthetopicsof:
-recoveryofuraniumfromphosphoricacidliquors,fromphosphatic
rocksandfromwastesproducedduringphosphaterocktreatment .
-in-situleaching(chemicaland/orbacterial)
-leachingappliedtodumpsandheaps
-bacterialleaching
-hightemperature,highpressureleaching.Inparticular,applica­
tiontooresthataredifficulttotreatconventionally
-extractionofuraniumandothervaluesfromcalcinesandlow
gradeores .- •
"othertechnical-aspectsrel'atedtothe-uraniumminingindustry.

-21-
2.1Recoveryofuraniumfromphosphoricacidliquors
Phosphaterockcontaining50to200ppmofUisimportedinto
ECcountriesfortheproductionofapproximately 4MtpaP2O5.
Alargepartoftheuraniumispresentinphosphoricacidpro­
cessLiquorsandthereisthepotentialforrecoveringupto
1500tpaofU3O3 .
Uraniumpricesofferthephosphateindustryanattractivereason
forrecoveringuraniumasaby-productoffertilizermanufacture.
Recoveryfromphosphoricacidliquorswouldmeankeepinganim­
portantresourcetoaugmenttheEC'suraniumsupplywhileatthe'
sametimeremovingaradioactivecontaminantfromprocessresi­duesandfertilizers .
Variousuraniumrecoveryprocessesbasedonprecipitation,solvent
extractionandionexchangehavebeendevelopedbut,whilstsome
oftheseprocesseshavebeenutilizedatfullplantscale,the
existingprocessesarenotyetuniversallyapplicablebecausethey
areonlyeconomicallyviableatthroughputswhichareappreciably
higherthanthethroughputsinmanypho6phoricacidplants,par­ticularlyinEurope.Alsotherearedifficultiesinapplyingthese
processestorecoveruraniumfromhighlyconcentrated phosphoric 'acidliquors.
Itisproposedthatalternativeprocessesbeexaminedinvolving
theuseofsolventextractionandionexchangetechniquesbut
withnovelreagentsleadingtoeconomicrecoveryofuraniumfrom
highlyconcentrated acidliquors.Particularconsideration willbe
giventoproposalsonthedevelopment of"secondgeneration"plants
andextractants andtoproposalsforprocessesdealingdirectly
withimpure"black"phosphoricacidLiquors.Cheapprocessesand
technologies capableofbeingoperatedatsmalltomediumsized
phosphoricacidplantsisanareawhereworkisparticularly needed.
Dependingontheresultsoftheworkalreadysupportedbythe
Commission onthistopicinthefirstR&Dprogramme,proposals
fordemonstration projects(pilotplants)couldbesupported.
2.2Recoveryofuraniumfromphosphaticrocks
ThepotentialofphosphaticrockslocatedinECcountriesas
hostsforuraniumdepositsisinteresting andsomeoccurrences
havealreadybeenidentified.Mineralogical studiesandlabor-•
atorytestshavebeeninitiatedtoidentifythetechnological
solutionstorecoveruranium.Asasecondstageofdevelopment
pilotscaleworkcouldfollowthesuccessfulcompletionof
laboratory work.
2.3Extractionofuraniumfromthewastesofphosphaterocktreatment
Itiswellknownthatinphosphoricacidandfertilizers production,
someoftheuraniumremainsincertainwastessuchas.leachresidues
andphosphogypsum .Thesewastespresentdisposalproblems.Ifthe
resultsoftheinitialactivitysofarsupportedareencouraging
itisproposedtosupportstudiesatpilotscale.

-22
Recoveryofuraniumbydump,heap,bacterialorin-situleaching
Dump,heap,bacterialandin-situleachingtechniqueshavemany
featuresincommon,althoughtheyareapplicabletodifferent -
typesoforebodies.
Thepercolation Leachingofdumpsorheapsisanoperationwith-
lowcapitalandrunningcostsandisthusapplicabletolowgrade
ores(particularly smalldeposits)orresidueswhosetreatmentby
moreconventional energy-intensive routeswouldbeuneconomic.
Althoughthetechniqueiseasilyapplied,themechanismof
dissolution oftheuraniuminadumporheapisoftencomplex,
beingrelatedtomanyfactorsincludingthemechanismofacid
attackandtheproductionofbacteriawithintheorepile,and
theachievement ofsatisfactory resultsisnotalwaysvery'certain^
Whilstbeingafundamentalpart-ofmanyheap,dumpandin-situ
leachingoperations,bacterialleachingcanalsobeusedasan
alternative techniqueforthetreatmentofsmall,highgrade
deposits. ...
Bacterialleachingprocessesintheirvariousforms(vatleaching,
stopeleaching,bacterialregeneration oflixiviants )mayhave ,
severaladvantagesoverchemicalattacksuchassavingsinchemicals
reducedcapital-cost andloweringofcut-offgradeofores.Sofar,
thetechniqueofbacterialleachinghasonlybeenappliedtosulphide
ores,butiftechnicallypossible,itwouldbeparticularly advan­
tageousifitcouldbeappliedtooreswhichrequireahighenergy'
inputfortreatment.Itispossiblethatbacterialleachingcouldbe
appliedtoothertypesofores(e.g.insandstones).Supportwillbe
givenforworkonallaspectsofthistopicincludingthegather­
ingofengineering designparameters. :.
Forlargedeposits,insitu-leaching canofferameansofeconomical
exploitation wheretheinvestmentincapitalrequiredfortreating
suchdepositsbyconventional meansishighenoughtopreclude
working.... , '
Theproblemsencountered indumpandheapleaching,e.g.difficulty
inpredictingflowpatternsandhenceoverallrecoveries,are,even
moredifficulttosolvewhenleachingin-situdueto,amongstother
things,problemsincontrolling rockfracturepatternsandreagent
flow.
Withtheabovepointsinmind,andhavingregardtotheresultsfrom
theactivityinitiatedinthefirstprogramme,thereisaneedto
continuethisaction.Testswillbecarriedoutusingin-situ
leachingtechniqueswithacidoralkalinesolutions.Specialcare
willbeplacedonthepreparation oftheoredeposits:
--topreventenvironmentalpollution,particularly
ofgroundwater •„ ;• ;
-.toimprovecontactbetweenoresandreagent.

-23-
Thisrecoverytechniquewillbetestedonothersuitablesites
inordertoassessitsmerits.
2.5Hightemperature,highpressureleaching
Theuseofhightemperatures andpressuresforleachingcanbe
aneffectivemeansoftreatmentforseveraldifferenttypesof
ore.Refractoryand/orlowgradeoresandwastescanbetreated
inthiswayascanotheroreswhicharedifficulttotreatcon­
ventionallye.g.basicrocks.Thereasonsforthisareseveral.
,Thelixiviantisrenderedmoreaggressive,reactionkineticsare
improved,and,inaddition,theuseofconventional oxidantscan
oftenbeavoidedduetotheincreasedactivityofoxygenorair.
Ithasalsobeenclaimedthatleachingofthiskindcanbeuse­
fulwheresolid/liquidseparationisaproblem,particularly for
claymaterials.
Laboratory andpilottrialsofthistechniquewillbesupported.
.Duetothehighenergyinputnecessaryforthisleachingmethod,
supportwillalsobegiventostudies'ofeconomicfeasibility,
particularly onlowgradeoresorwastesbeforepassingtothe
pilotplantscale.
2.6Extraction ofuraniumandothervaluesfromcalcinesandlow
gradesources
TheEC,haslargereservesofmaterialswhich,whencalcined,
couldprovideusefulsourcesofuraniumandothervaluese.g.
aluminium,vanadiumetc.Materialsfallingintothiscategory
includeoilandcoalshales,lignites,peat,coaletc.Most
ofthesematerialshaveintrinsicvalueas-sourcesofenergy,
butafteruseitisfoundthattheuraniumisconcentrated in
theashandthefly-ash.Projectstorecoveruraniumandother
valuesfromthesematerialswhichoftenpresentadisposalproblem,
willbesupported.
2.7Othertechnicalaspectsrelatedtotheuraniumminingindustry
ThedevelopmentoftheuraniumminingindustryrequiresR&D
forimprovingtechniquesrelatedinparticulartothetreatment
ofeffluents,thestorageofminingwastes,thestabilization of
tailingspondsandreclamationafterexploitation .Miningand
processingoflowgradeoresaswellastheuseofleachingpro­
cessespresentspecialproblemsinthisrespect.
R&Dwillbepromotedintheareasof
-improvementintheprocessingofeffluents
-storageofminingwastesandreclamationofminingsites
-long-termstabilityoftailingsponds.

-24-
B.FINANCING ANDMANAGEMENT OFTHER&DPROGRAMME
1.TheprogrammewillbeexecutedasaCommunityindirectaction
programme.Thecontribution oftheCommunitytothefundingofthisindirectactionisestimatedat8MEUAfortheperiodof
fouryears(1981-1984).Thisamountisdeemednecessarytoallow
•fortheapplicationoftheresultsfromthefirstprogrammein
fieldwork(explorationR&D)andinindustrialpilotplants
(extraction R&D)aswellastoinitiatenewprojects.
Theindicativedistribution offundsbetweenresearchareaswill
beasfollows: '
exploration :45-554;,.
extraction :45-55%.
Thedefiniteallocation,ofcourse,wjllbemadeafterexamma-,
tionoftheproposalsreceivedfollowingacallfortenders.
2.TheCommissionwillexecutetheprogrammeinclosecollaboration
withtheAdvisoryCommitteeonProgrammeManagementalready
established bytheCouncilofMinistersforthefirstprogramme.'
TheCommitteewillexamine-allR&Dproposalssubmittedandadvise
theCommission ontheirrelativemerits.Itwillfollowupthepro­
jectsduringtheirexecutionandevaluatethemuponcompletion.It
'will {alsomakerecommendations onnewresearchneedsandpriori­
tiesforthecontinuation oftheprogramme.
3.Asindicatedintheintroduction (page3)asof1January1982the
programmewillbecomeasubprogramme ofthenewsectorialR&D
Nprogrammeinthefieldofrawmaterials,tobesubmittedtothe
Councilin1981.Thisshouldallowforgreaterflexibility inre­
searchmanagement,i.e.inviewofthefactthatanothersubprog-
ramme(onprimaryrawmaterials)willincludeseveralrelated •
topicswhichcouldbecoordinated asmuchaspracticable withthe
actionsundertakenundertheuraniumsubprogramme ..

-25-
PROPOSAL FOR ACOUNCIL DECISION ADOPTING ASECOND PROGRAMME
OFRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY
INTHE FIELD OFURANIUM EXPLORATION AND EXTRACTION
/
(INDIRECT ACTION 1981-1984 )
The Council ofthe European Communities ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Atomic Energy
Community ,and inparticular Article 7thereo.f ;
Having regard totheproposal oftheCommission submitted after con­
sultation with the Scientific andTechnical Committee ;
Having regard totheopinion oftheEuropean Parliament ;
Whereas ,under thecommon scientific andtechnological policy ,the
multi-annual programme ofresearch anddevelopment isoneofthe
•V
Community 'sessential ways ofcontributing tothedevelopment of
nuclear industries ,andtotheacquisition anddissemination of
knowledge inthenuclear sector ;
Whereas theCommunity depends toagreat extent onnon-member countries
foritsnatural uranium supply ,andwhereas therefore theCommunity 's
interest istodevelop theexisting resources onitsterritory ;
Whereas anextension anddevelopment oftheCommunity research action
inthefield ofuranium exploration andextraction would contribute to
therealization oftheabove-mentioned objectives ;
ν
Whereas initsdeliberations of20December 1979 theCouncil invited
theCommission toconcentrate Community research programmes insectors
ofpriority interest ,including energy andrawmaterials ,andto
rationalize thestructures forthepreparation ,adoption andimplement -
I
ation ofthese programmes ;

-26
WhereastheCounciltakesnoteoftheintention'oftheCommissionto
submitin1981aproposalforaresearchprogrammeinthesectorof
rawmaterialsinwhichthepresentprogrammewillbeincluded;
Whereasareviewoftheabove-mentioned researchprogrammeinthesector
ofrawmaterials,includingthepresentprogrammeasasubprogramme,will
becarriedoutduringitsexecution.
»
HASDECIDEDASFOLLOWS:
Article 1
Aprogrammeofresearchanddevelopment onuraniumexploration anduranium
extractionassetoutintheAnnexshallbeadoptedforaperiodoffour
yearsstartingon1January1981.
Article2
Fortheimplementation ofthisprogramme-themaximumamountoftheex-
I
penditurecommitmentsisestimatedat8millionEuropeanunitsofaccount
andthemaximumstaffrequiredisestimatedtobethreepersons.Theunit
ofaccountisdefinedaccordingtothefinancialregulations inforce..•
DoneatBrussels
FortheCounciI
ThePresident

-27-
ANNEX
PROGRAMME CONTENT
1.Research anddevelopment onuranium exploration
1.1 Discovery ofuranium provinces -uranium geology andmetallogeny
- Granitic areas
Acid volcani cs
- Alkalme rocks
- Sedimentary basins
1.2 Exploration techniques
Gamma spectrometry .
- Remote sensing
- Geochemical prospecting techniques
Rock geochemistry
Biogeochemi stry
Gas geochemistry
- Lead isotope ratios
Indirect geophysical methods
- Microtectom es
1.3Transportation anddeposition ofuranium
Fluid inclusions
-Transportation anddeposition ofuranium inthe
hydrogeochemical environment
Radioactive disequilibrium
1.4 Bore-hole logging
Direct measurement ofuranium insitu
Other instruments for insitu measurements

28-
2.Researchanddevelopment inuraniumextraction andrecovery
2.1RecoveryofuraniumfromphosphoricacidLiquors
2.2Recoveryofuraniumfromphosphaticrocks
«
2.3Extractionofuraniumfromthewasteofphosphate
rocktreatment
2.4Recoveryofuraniumbydump,heap,bacterialor
insituleaching " v
2.5Hightemperature,highpressureleaching
2.6Extraction ofuraniumandothervaluesfrorrt
calcinesandlowgradesources
2.7Othertechnicalaspectsrelatedtotheuranium
miningindustry

-29-
FINANCIAL DATA
1.BUDGETCHAPTER:3350-3
2.HEADING OFTHEBUDGETTITLE:
Primaryandsecondary rawmaterials-Uraniumexploration and
extraction (indirectaction1981-1984 )
3.JURIDICAL BASIS:Article7ofEAECTreaty
4.DESCRIPTION -.OBJECTIVES ANDJUSTIFICATION OFACTION
4.1Description
' •
2ndprogramme onuraniumexploration andextraction .
Researchprogrammecarriedoutbymeansofcost-sharing
contracts (indirectaction)withresearchorganizations
intheMemberStates,inthefollowingareas:
a)researchanddevelopment inuraniumexploration
<b)researchanddevelopment inuraniumextraction and
recovery.
4.2Objectives
R&Daimedat:
*
a)increasing theself-supply potentialoftheEC
inuranium
b)developing newtechniquesforexploration and
exploitation ofuraniumdeposits
c)developing advancedextractiontechnology and
reducingoreprocessing costs.
4.3Justification
Preliminaryresultsobtainedfromresearchrealizedunderthe
firstprogrammeprovedtheusefulness andnecessityofasecond
programme.ActionscarriedoutatCommunityleveloptimizethe
productivity ofresearchundertakenintheMemberStates,by
avoidinguselessduplication andfillinggaps.Theyalsomakeitpossibletoconcentrate thepotentialofresearchorganiza­
tionsintheMemberStatesonproblemsofcommoninterestand
facilitatethedevelopment ofadvancedtechnologies .

-30-
5.FINANCIALIMPLICATIONS INRESPECTOFINTERVENTIONS APPROPRIATIONS
(includingexpenditure onstaffandadministrative andtechnical
expenditure )
5.1Totalcostfortheexpectedduration 8,000,000 EUA
5.2Proportion financedfrom:
-theCommunitybudget 8,000/000' EUA
-nationalbudgets EUA
-othersectorsatnationallevel EUA
5.3Multirannual timetable
5.3.1.1Appropriations forcomnitrtient-mEUA
Typeof
expenditure1981 1982 1933
'1934 TOTAL
4
Staff|158,400i171,200 185,.100200,100 714,800
Administration 50,000i
54,000 I58,400 59,900 222,300
Contracts.. ]
I3,502,600 '500,800 I"•I
3,059,500 7,062,900
Total 3,711,000 726,000 -3,303,000 260,000 8,000,000
5.3.1.2Appropriations forpayment inEUA
Typeof
expenditure1981
i1982 1983 1984
\1985 TOTAL
Staff ■•_ 158,400 171,200 185,100 200,100I-
714,800
Administration 50,000 '54,000 58,400 59,900 222,300
Contracts1
1,752,600 .2,000,800 2,078,500 1,099,000 132,000ç
7,062,900
Total- 1,961,000«
2,226,000 2,322,0001,359,000 .i132,000 8,000,000

5.3.2Evaluation method
(includedmultiannual previsions )
a)Staffexpenditure -
Theneedsareestimatedtobe3staffforthisprogramme.
1981-1984(4years)
2category Astaff
1category Cstaff
\
Inadditiontostaffnumberestimates,thecalculations
alsotakeaccountoftheratesofsalaryincreasesofCom­
missionstaffusedtoestimatetheappropriations entered
inthe1981budget;theestimatedoverallincreasesinthe
generalCommunitypriceindexusedindrawingupthetrien­
nialestimates,i.e.8.1%perannum.
b)Administrative and/ortechnicalexpenditure
Thisexpenditure specifically coversthecostofmissions
andtheorganization ofmeetings.Ithasbeenestimated on
thebasisofaveragerequirements .
c)Expenditure oncontracts
Thisexpenditure coversthefinancialparticipation ofthe
Communityinresearchcarriedoutundercost-shared contracts
(studies,researchetc)tobeconcludedwithresearchinsti­
tutionsintheMemberStatesspeciatized inthefield.Since
thespecificnatureofthevarioustopicsandthequalifi­
cationsofthecontracting partiesare>likelytovary,it
.hasnotbeenpossibletodeviseauniformmethodofcalcu­
lation.Consequently ,theestimate'ofrequirements isa
hypothetical onebasedonthenumberofcontractstobe
negotiated andonaveragefinancialparticipation bythe
Communityapproximating to50%oftotalcosts.Atallevents,
theAdvisoryCommittee onProgramme Managementwillbecon­
sultedovertheallocation oftheappropriations .
FINANCIAL IMPLICATION INRESPECT OFAPPROPRIATIONS FORSTAFFAND
CURRENTADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE :
(seepoint5above)

32
7.FINANCING OFEXPENDITURE :
7.4Therequisiteappropriations tocovertheCommunity's-
participation inthisprojectaretobeenteredunder
futurebudgets.
8.IMPLICATIONS INRESPECTOFREVENUE:'_
-Communitytaxesonofficials' salaries
-Officials' contributions tothepensionscheme
9.T-YPEOFMONITORING TOBEAPPLIED
-Administrative checksbytheDGforFinancialControlwith
regardtotheimplementation ofthebudgetandtoensurethat
theexpenditure hasbeenincurredinaregularandproper
mannerpluscheckscarriedoutbytheContractsServiceof
DGXII.
-Scientific checks:ACPM;
Competentofficials fromDGXII.

-33-
OPINION OFTHESCIENTIFIC ANDTECHNICAL COMMITTEE ONTHEPROPOSAL
FORA-1981-1984 PROGRAMME ONURANIUMEXPLORATION ANDEXTRACTION
Atitsmeetingof29April1980theScientific andTechnical Committee
examinedanddiscussedthe"ProposalforaCouncilDecisionadopting a
secondprogrammeofresearchanddevelopment fortheEuropeanAtomic
EnergyCommunity onUraniumexploration andUraniumextraction"(Doc.XII/
364/80-EN)."
Thisproposalisconcernedwithafour-year (1981-1984)programme asa
follow-upofthecurrentR&Dprogramme 1978-1980inthefieldofuranium
exploration andextraction .Itwouldbecarriedoutbymeansofcost-
sharingcontracts (indirectaction)withresearchorganizations andindustry
fromtheMemberStates. •
FundingforthisindirectactionbytheCommunityisestimatedatamaximum
of10MEUAfor4yearstocoverabouthalfofthetotalcostoftheresearch
anddevelopment actionstobecarriedout.Ofthisamountabout50percent
shouldgotoresearchinuraniumexploration andtheother50percentfor
R&Dactionsinuraniumextraction asdefinedintheproposal (Doc.XII/
364/80-EN).
TheCommitteeconsidersthattheCommission'sproposaliswelljustified
asitwouldprovidefortheextension,development andapplicationofre­
searchinitiatedunderthefirstprogramme.
TheCommitteenotestherelativelylargeincreaseoffundingrequested,but
inviewofthestrategicimportanceofthesubject,theCommitteeconsiders
thisincreasetobejustified.Howeverwhileimplementing theprogramme,the
Commissionshoulddevotespecialcareintheselectionoftheresearchpro­
posalswhicharetobesupported.
Inviewoftheforeseeable needsoftheCommunityinnaturaluraniumfor
electricitygeneration,thelargedegreeofdependenceonoutsidesources
ofsupply,theincreasingdifficulties tofindnew.depositsandtheLong
leadtimenecessarytobringintoproduction anewlydetecteddepositora
newextractiontechnology,itisclearlyintheinterestoftheCommunity
toincreaseeverypossibilityofselfsupply,whetherfromsmallhigh-grade

34-
deposits,orlargeLow-gradedeposits,residuesandotherresources,ar,dto
developknow-howtobeusedbyCommunityindustryinitsworld-wide opera­
tions.TheR&DprogrammeproposedwouldcomplementusefullytheCommunity
effortstopromoteuraniumprospection onitsterritory (Article70activi­
ties)oroutsideaswellasotheractionsaimedatensuringsufficient and
securesuppliesofnaturaluranium.
TheCommitteenotesthatthehealthundenvironmental aspectsofuranium
extraction arebeingpursuedintheframeofthe"Biology-Health Protec­
tion"programme.' , •^
χ ·
TheScientific andTechnical Committeeisofthe"opinionthattheproposed
R&Dprogramme onuraniumexploration anduraniumextractionisadequate
astocontent,financialvolume,andduration,"andrecommendsitsadoption
byCounciI.