i found this article today that is quite interesting -its nice...

i found this article today that is quite interesting -
its nice to see the head of vostgok mention publicly that they are still conducting negotiations with uran

Ukraine will send investors on uranium

01.12.2007 08:00 01.12.2007 08:00


In Europe's largest producer of uranium ore-East GOK-decided to bring 260 million hryvni to development in the year 2008. The company reported that negotiates with a number of investors about the signing of an agreement on joint action in ore extraction. The project will enable early as 2015, fully ensure Ukraine uranium, the experts believe.

PEs' East IMOC plant "is the only enterprise in Ukraine mining and processing of uranium ore. Produces 3.3% of the world's uranium production. The 35% provides the country's demand for raw materials in the production of nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants.

Bazovy East GOK Alexander Grebenyuk said that considering a proposal from several companies on the joint production and processing of uranium ore. The company is interested in attracting investments to increase production capacity expansion ore and processing it into uranium concentrates. For this plant has been turned into "Ukratomprom" (from the end of 2006 GOK is goskontsern) and the DPP "The management business, built on the basis of uranium ore deposits Novokonstantinovskogo" with a request to return the subjugation of East GOK Novokonstantinovskoe deposit. "This will open the way for the extraction of uranium ore at the field as early as 2008," said Grebenyuk.

In Mintopenergo explained that since East GOK is in the list of objects that are banned, not only privatized, but korporatizirovat, the company will work with investors on a treaty on joint activities. "Thus, the law will be respected and East GOK get the necessary investment," the high-ranking source in the ministry. He said that the department is now considering 18 proposals from prospective applicants for the joint development of uranium deposits of Ukraine, among them "feel" (Russia), Areva (France), Uran (Australia), as well as companies from Canada and South Korea.

The "feel" confirmed that the negotiations, but declined to comment more. Get comments Areva and Uran yesterday failed. One of the conditions for joint activities between East and kompaniyami-investorami GOK is their financial participation in the extraction of uranium.

According Grebenyuka, investing only in the renovation of production facilities GOK in 2008, should be about 260 million hryvnias. This year, Ukraine is planning to invest in East GOK 150 million hryvnias, yet 100 million hryvni in the development Novokonstantinovskogo uranium ore deposits. Next year, East GOK plans to retain the production of uranium ore at the level of this year, about 830 tonnes in 2009, increasing to 900 tons, and in 2010, to 1000 tons per year.

According to the committee on TAC Verkhovna Rada Vladimir V convening Bronnikova, the project will have already declared to 2015, fully ensure Ukraine uranium. "But in order to carry out this task require investment of at least $ 100 million a year, and for the development of off-site Novokonstantinovskogo uranium ore deposit required more than 1.5 billion hryvnias," Bronnikov said.