Uranium mine in Niger. ~1,100 tU in 2023; 959 tU Jan–Nov 2024 (Orano); capacity ~2,000 tU/yr
Origin: Niger
Site data
- Commodity: Uranium
- Tier: Tier 1 (03 Resources Map tier rule)
- Status: Suspended / disrupted: Nationalised; running far below capacity; ~1,000 t yellowcake stock moved to Niamey (Nov 2025–Jan 2026)
- State takeover flag: yes (seizure, nationalisation, permit withdrawal or state administration since 2023)
- Operator / ownership: Niger state (nationalised 19 Jun 2025; concession cancelled and TSUMCO SA created May 2026). Was Orano (France) 63.4%, SOPAMIN 36.6%
- Production: ~1,100 tU in 2023; 959 tU Jan–Nov 2024 (Orano); capacity ~2,000 tU/yr
- Coordinates: 18.7437, 7.3135 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021 ‘Arlit Open Pit Mine’; WP 18.773,7.344)
Security context
- Niger’s junta took operational control on 4 Dec 2024, nationalised the company on 19 Jun 2025, cancelled the 1968 Orano concession and created the state company TSUMCO in May 2026. Orano has four arbitrations running; an ICSID order (Sep 2025) bars any sale of SOMAIR uranium.
- 27 Nov 2025: a convoy of ~1,000–1,050 t of yellowcake left Arlit under military escort; 34 trucks were seen at the Niamey airport military zone in early Dec, Il-76s on 9–13 Jan 2026, and the trucks were gone by 17 Jan. Destination and buyer unknown. Il Foglio alleges an Africa Corps-escorted air route via Libya and Syria to Russia (unverified, single source); Niger’s mines minister said in May 2026 that nothing had been sold.
- No attack on the mine or the convoy found. No source ties Africa Corps to guarding Arlit; Rosatom has a 2025 civil-nuclear MoU with Niger.
Sources
- Mining Weekly / Reuters, uranium convoy, 1 Dec 2025: https://www.miningweekly.com/article/frances-orano-says-uranium-convoy-from-seized-niger-mine-poses-safety-risks-2025-12-01
- Connaissance des énergies / AFP, ‘nothing sold’, May 2026 (www.connaissancedesenergies.org)
- Il Foglio, alleged Russian air route (unverified), 20 Dec 2025: https://www.ilfoglio.it/esteri/2025/12/20/news/inside-russia-s-air-route-for-transporting-uranium-from-niger-via-libya-and-syria-8458654/
- Map and tier rule: 03 Resources Map
Relationships
- Nationalised by: FAN (Niger)
- Uranium convoy escorted by: FAN (Niger)
Media
Zoom C: Aïr / Arlit uranium province.