Saudi Arabia announces 110 million tonnes of uranium-bearing material — OilPrice
Saudi Arabia has announced the discovery of 110 million tonnes of uranium-bearing material in the Medina region. According to Saudi state television, the country’s energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, announced this on September 14 at the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
Uranium concentrations in the Medina region
As OilPrice reports, geological studies recorded elevated uranium concentrations in the Medina region. Saudi Arabia is also assessing the possibility of extracting uranium as a by-product of its large phosphate industry.
At the same time, the stated volume of uranium-bearing material does not mean that the country has discovered 110 million tonnes of uranium itself. The volume of resources that can be extracted will depend on the uranium content in the ore, geological conditions, and the economic feasibility of extraction. The IAEA also notes that identified uranium occurrences are not necessarily commercially viable resources for development.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Plans for developing nuclear energy
The report of the discovery came amid Riyadh’s plans to include nuclear energy in its energy mix. In July, Saudi Arabia and the United States signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy, creating legal conditions for U.S. companies to supply nuclear technologies and equipment to the kingdom.
According to the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the IAEA, Saudi Arabia currently does not produce uranium and previously had no domestic uranium enrichment industry. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stated that the kingdom’s nuclear plans are exclusively peaceful in nature and will be implemented transparently in cooperation with the IAEA.
