ISL Mine

Kazatomprom's mines are, in today's hightech mining industry, extremely highly rated with the company producing uranium by the in-situ leaching method - one of the most progressive mining technologies. In-situ leaching is attractive not only due to ease of technological operation but because this method is considered most favourably in terms of ecological and radioactive safety.

Kazatomprom is the first company in the world to have put  any mine with a thousand ton per year capacity, based on the ISL method, into commercial production. A ISL-mine with a 3 thousand ton production capacity is also currently under construction. Technological innovation has allowed Kazatomprom to start up uranium mining production within a record short time period – just eighteen months - whereas the ISL mine average start up period, in world practice, is closer to 3 years. It is this distinctive excellence which provides for the highest rate of investment return.

The technical equipping of mines meets all safety and quality standards as the system of centralized control used in production operation enables not only reduction of operational costs but also provides safe operating activity. All work processes, in the mines, are continuously monitored.

Kazatomprom has developed a unique mathematical model of change in uranium ore concentration at the mines that allows for the more effective use of each deposit. The company has introduced a standard project uranium mine and a program for its control with all processes for uranium mining being automated. The control is carried out by 1-2 operators: as the emphasis is placed on labor automation the number of personnel in the mines is minimized. One illustrative example: if in the USSR 20 thousand people are involved in mining 1 thousand tons of  uranium then in Kazatomprom that figure would be lowered to nearer 200 persons. 

Such technical equipping of Kazatomprom’s ISL-mines provides quick capital return. In practice the mine is paid off within 2-3 years, an absolute record in the mining industry, where return of investments, on average, is more than 10 years.