Location: Kara-Balta
Background: The combine was commissioned in 1954 as part of the Yuzhpolimetal Association (the Southern Polymetal Mining and Metallurgical Plant) in order to process uranium and other strategic metals from deposits in both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.[1,2,3] In 1993, it was renamed the Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine.[2] In February 2007, Urals Platina Holding, which is part of the Russian-based Renova group, bought the Kara Balta combine.[4]
Sources:
[1] "Suspension Agreements: The Status Quota," The Nuclear Review, January 1996, pp. 13-19.
[2] Uranium Institute News Briefing, No. 93/7, pp. 30-31.
[3] Nuclear Fuel, 22 November 1993, p. 6; and 27 September 1993, p. 15.
[4] "Russian Company Takes Over Kyrgyz Uranium Plant," BBC Monitoring, March 2, 2007; in Lexis Nexis Academic Universe.
Activities: Activities at the Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine include the processing of uranium and molybdenum and the refining of gold.[1] Under agreements signed with Kazakhstan in the 1990s, Kara-Balta produced about 450MT of U3O8 each year from uranium concentrate provided by the Stepnoye and Tsentralnoye Mining Directorates in Kazakhstan.[2,3,4,5] In July 2000, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan agreed to form a three-way venture whereby Kara-Balta would process additional uranium concentrate from Kazakhstan's Zarechnoye deposit for the Russian nuclear power industry.[5,6] In 2004, Kazakhstan stopped supplying Kara-Balta with uranium ore and consequently uranium operations at the plant ceased. The government of Kyrgyzstan tried unsuccessfully to sell the plant several times in 2005 and 2006.[8]
Some experts report that Kara-Balta had enrichment capability in the late 1970s, probably involving gas centrifuge technology. Other scientists, however, maintain that it only had the capability to convert uranium concentrate to uranium hexafluoride.[7]
Sources:
[1] "Rossiya i Kirgiziya 10 dekabrya podpishut soglasheniye po uranu, tsvetnym i dragotsennym metallam," Interfax, 9 December 2000.
[2]"Kyrgyzstan," Nuexco Review, 1994, p. 52.
[3] The Monitor, "Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Form Uranium Joint Venture," 30 May 1996.
[4] Interfax, 28 August 1997; in "Kazakh-Kyrgyz Plant to Produce 450 Tonnes Uranium in 1997," FBIS-SOV-97-240.
[5] UX Weekly, 28 August 2000, p. 3; in Uranium Institute News Briefing 00.35, 23-29 August 2000, Uranium Institute Web Site, http://www.uilondon.org/nb/nb00/nb0035.htm.
[6] "Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan To Form Uranium Mining Joint Venture," Interfax, 31 July 2000.
[7] William C. Potter, interview with Russian nuclear scientist.
[8] "Kyrgyzstan again fails to sell Kara-Balta uranium plant," The Times of Central Asia, 13 October 2006; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://www.lexis-nexis.com.
Structure: The uranium division of Kara-Balta is a separate company, the Chemical Metallurgical Plant for Uranium Production, wholly owned by the Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] Interfax Financial Daily Report, Volume III, Issue 29 (593), 15 February 1999; in "Interfax Financial Report for 15 February 1999," FBIS Document FTS19990216000889.
[2] "Kirgiziya namerena uvelichit proizvodstvo urana vdvoye," Interfax, 21 October 2000.
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Updated July 2007 |
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