EN FR menu Leading uranium producer Mining activities are Orano’s core business. With uranium mines in operation in Canada, Kazakhstan and Niger, Orano is one of the world’s leading producers of uranium, with competitive production costs and extraction techniques at the cutting edge of innovation. Beyond mining, Orano conducts exploration and development projects in uranium-bearing zones, while also undertaking re-development and upgrading of former mines. Open pit mine, Somaïr, Niger. © Maurice Ascani/Orano ACTIVITIES RESOURCES TECHNOLOGIES RE-DEVELOPMENT RESPONSIBILITY CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ACTIVITIES Mining activities, a pillar to the Orano offer Operating at every stage of the uranium cycle Committed to responsible mining, Orano is a major player in the international uranium industry. Having developed expertise at every stage -- exploration, development production, marketing and re-development -- Orano is able to supply uranium for power generation to all its clients across the world. Mining Innovation © Orano Our Front-End solutions Front-End Solutions to Your Business Needs – Uranium Mining, Chemistry, Enrichment Download Press Release Presentation Mining Activities 2020 Download RESOURCES Operating on 4 continents to guarantee resource diversity Responding to growing electricity needs across the world As the world's nations strive to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050, while multiplying electricity production by a factor of two in response to growing demand, nuclear power remains a vital source, alongside renewable energies. Orano contributes by developing nuclear materials that will enable electricity production at a competitive price, particularly in China. Orano’s key mining and processing sites Orano mines uranium ore in accordance with the characteristics of each deposit: grade, depth, environmental context, presence of by-products, and local geology. Somaïr and Cominak Mines © Maurice Ascani / Orano Katco, Cigar Lake © Amankulov Janarbek Aman / Orano Exploration for new uranium deposits to ensure sustainable supply To develop a portfolio of resources and reserves and secure 20 years of production visibility, Orano dedicates significant resources to the search for new deposits. The Group carries out continual drilling campaigns, geophysical and geological studies. The exploration process, to confirm a new deposit, takes place over several years, from the discovery of the very first clues during prospecting, exploration by drilling until the confirmation of a potentially exploitable resource. This exploration continues throughout the life of the mining project in an attempt to identify additional resources near the initial deposit. The prospecting is done in successive stages: • geological study of the region • interpretation of remote sensing images • inspection of subsoils by geophysical methods • measurements of radioactivity in the field • study of soil and water chemistry • conduct of surveys for the acquisition of in-situ geophysical data • analysis of samples taken in soundings These studies make it possible to detect potential uranium resources and characterise deposits that can become the focus of future mining operations. Developing profitable mines It is the development phase that determines the technical, economic and environmental viability of a mining project. TECHNOLOGIES Cutting-edge technologies to extract and process uranium ore Multiple mining modes for improved yield Orano holds expertise in mining for multiple types of mines, open-pit mines for shallow deposits and underground mines for access to deep deposits. The Group is an expert in the in situ recovery technique (ISR) for low-grade deposits; this technique is used only when the ore is located between impervious soil layers, as in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Jet Boring Innovative techniques for non-conventional mines The mining experts at Orano develop innovative techniques to exploit non-accessible mines using conventional techniques and to improve the performance of existing mines. For example, for the Cigar Lake deposit (Canada), where the uranium content is extremely high and soils are saturated with water, Orano has developed a fully-automated hydraulic mining method known as Jet Boring so that not a single miner is in contact with the ore McClean Lake Plant, Canada, employee © Orano Jet Boring stages Land frozen via a cooling liquid circulating in underground pipelines Ore cut using a high-pressure water jet Ore mixed with water collected and pumped to the surface CIME: New state-of-the-art facility Uranium ore processing: from leaching to concentration The ore is crushed immediately upon exiting the mine, then turned into a solution using chemical reactants. This ore treatment process, referred to as lixiviation, precedes the purification stage. The uranium is then extracted from the solution by a precipitation process before being purified, dried and calcined to result in a natural uranium concentrate: yellow cake, which contains 80% uranium (or 800 kg per ton). Two leaching methods are used depending on the grade and nature of the ore: Static leaching for low-grade ores: the ore is stored in piles in a sealed zone, and watered with a suitable chemical solution. Dynamic leaching: the process is carried out in a liquid medium, in tanks. Yellow Cake, concentrated uranium © Maurice Ascianio / Orano RE-DEVELOPMENT The issues at stake in re-developing and enhancing former uranium mines Reintegrating the site into the environment and within the populations Redeveloping and conducting environmental monitoring on mining sites bring many disciplines into play. A full-fledged area of industrial expertise re-development is taken into consideration from the very start of the mining project and is aimed at limiting the impact on the population and environment to the lowest level reasonably possible. Re-developing and conducting environmental monitoring on former mining sites requires real know-how. Orano Mining was entrusted with this public service mission by the French State, even when the Group was not an operator, because of its recognised expertise in mining management and its commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Stakeholder consultation and compliance with international regulations De-commissioning at existing facilities Re-development and re-greening at former sites Surveillance both radiological and environmental Managing land restoration projects The Bosc mining site in the Hérault in France was remediated from 1998 to 2002. The Bosc site now has a second diversified life: plans for a Technology Park, the Regional Park of Economic Activities and 35,354 photovoltaic panels operated by a subsidiary of GDF Suez. © Orano Giving a new life to former mining sites Developing a new life, or restoring, former mining sites is part of Orano Mining's desire to develop its land assets on the territory and help maintain a local socio-economic fabric. The restoration plan is drawn up following coordination of all the local stakeholders involved. It guarantees former mining sites a future and integrates them into the region, by developing business operations, recreational activities or conservation for sites with high environmental value. A successful mining site redevelopment project The mining site in Bosc (Hérault): Redevelopment carried out between 1998 and 2002 Site surface area: 220.5 hectares Institution of a solar power plant in 2013 35,354 photovoltaic plants installed, or 13 million kWh RESPONSIBILITY Orano Mining: sustainable commitments in the field Orano Mining is supporting the NGO FXB Watch the video Orano, a responsible mining player Contrôle de la qualité de l'eau près de l'usine de traitement du minerai de McClean Lake Mill au Canada. © Orano Mining Canada Orano wants to be an efficient and exemplary player to secure the long-term development of its activities. As a responsible miner, its objective is, in a truly pro-active manner, to manage the social, environmental, societal and technico-economic issues arising from its activities at each stage of the mining cycle, in a sustainable, coordinated and balanced manner. The Group is a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and is committed to adopting the principles established on the basis of the sector's best CSR practices and to working with other mining players to further advance them. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Our social and environmental responsibility The year 2020 was turned upside down by the COVID crisis. From the very beginning of the pandemic, Orano and all of its mining companies in Canada, Gabon, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Niger, Mongolia and Uzbekistan engaged in multiple solidarity actions. Aimed at employees and subcontractors, but also at local communities, these actions included the deployment of preventive measures, the provision of medical supplies, equipment and consumables, the training of medical teams, and also initiatives to raise awareness among the public. In the countries where we operate, we have devoted more than 1,200,000 euros to these initiatives. The health crisis has had a significant impact on the mining industry and for preventive reasons led to the temporary closure of some of our mines and plants. Nevertheless, all our employees remained mobilized to fulfill our commitments and displayed great professionalism and solidarity. To provide a transparent account of our CSR approach and our achievements in 2020, we are applying, as of this year, the new ICMM (International Council on Mining and Metals) standard, while conforming to the GRI guidelines. I invite you to discover our report. Enjoy your reading, Nicolas Maes CEO Orano Mining READ THE EDITION 2020 OF THE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT OF ORANO MINING Our previous CSR reports Title Type Size 2019 responsible development report pdf 19836 KB Download 2018 responsible development report pdf 12301 KB Download 2017 responsible development report pdf 18291 KB Download 2016 responsible development report pdf 18850 KB Download 2015 responsible development report pdf 18221 KB Download 2014 responsible development report pdf 26048 KB Download 2013 responsible development report pdf 21148 KB Download 2012 responsible development report pdf 8402 KB Download 2011 responsible development report pdf 6929 KB Download 2010 responsible development report pdf 8199 KB Download Gilles Récoché'interview, Safety and Integration Director in the Mining Activities Territories. © Orano International expert in uranium processing Orano is a world leader in uranium conversion and enrichment, key steps in the development of nuclear fuel. World leader in recycling used nuclear fuels As the world's leader in reprocessing and recycling used nuclear fuels, Orano offers its expertise in the recovery and re-use of nuclear materials. Uranium mines : our sites Discover the uranium mines operated by Orano in Canada, Kazakhstan and Niger using state-of-the-art extraction techniques. Nuclear Expertise Innovation Careers Canada China USA Cominak Remediation Tricastin Melox La Hague Malvési Logistics Engineering CIME LEA Orano Innovation PME Orano Med RSE Mining News Group Finance Press Legal Notice Contact Cookies Settings By clicking “I accept Cookies”, you agree with the cookies use to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage and compile statistics. To get more information, please read our Cookies Policy in the Legal Notice I accept cookies I refuse cookies