Swakop Uranium
Namibia's uranium giant Swakop Uranium is constructing and developing the Husab uranium mine, approximately 65km by road from the coastal town of Swakopmund in Namibia Writer Emily Jarvis Project Manager Tom Cullum Swakop Uranium was established in 2006 to explore, evaluate, develop and produce uranium oxide as a source of fuel for low cost, environmentally-friendly, nuclear power. Swakop uranium has identified as its first task "to deliver to its shareholders and the Namibian nation one of the largest and most efficient uranium mines in the world," says Swakop's Director: Communications and Stakeholder relations, Grant Marais. Cementing its place as one of the largest resource drilling projects globally, Swakop uranium has completed over 800,000 metres (or 800km) of combined reverse circulation and diamond core drilling since April 2006. The Husab area was targeted as an exploration area of interest in 2006- 07. The geological reasoning behind this was that similar rock formations to those hosting the Rössing Mine to the north were interpreted to be concealed beneath the desert plain in the northern part of Swakop uranium's Exclusive Prospecting License (EPL). The discovery holes were drilled in late 2007, the chemical assay results for the three discovery holes were returned from the laboratory in early 2008 and released to the market in February 2008. Until April 2012, Swakop uranium was a 100% subsidiary of Extract Resources, an Australian company listed on the Australian, Canadian and Namibian stock exchanges. However, in April 2012, Taurus Minerals Limited of Hong Kong became the new owners following a successful takeover of…
Swakop Uranium
World's third largest uranium deposit Swakop Uranium has started developing the $2.5 billion Husab mine near Swakopmund, the third-largest known primary uranium deposit on the planet. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Debbie Clark Emerging Namibia based miner Swakop Uranium's Husab mine has the potential to transform the nation. It will create thousands of jobs, increase export earnings and taxes and will elevate Namibia past Niger, Australia and Canada to the second rung on the world ladder of uranium producers. The project is ambitious and daring. It'll see the creation of the world's third-largest uranium mine, with first production in the third quarter of 2015. It will reach 15 million pounds per annum of nameplate production by 2017. "The project officially kicked off on 18 April but we actually broke ground in October last year," says Grant Marais, Swakop Uranium's Director of Communication and Stakeholder Involvement. "Several contracts have been awarded, bulk earthworks have commenced, construction on the temporary road to the Husab mine is well under way, Nampower has approved guaranteed power supply for the mine and the first water from the temporary pipeline was delivered from the reservoir near Rossing into a newly built pond on the Husab mine." The project's 8km uranium mineralisation has been confirmed as the highest-grade granite-hosted uranium deposit in Namibia and one of the world's most significant discoveries in decades. "Swakop Uranium was established in 2006 to explore, evaluate, develop and produce uranium oxide as a source of fuel for low cost, environmentally-friendly, nuclear power," says Marais. "Husab will be…
