Olympic Dam (in Australia) is the world's fourth largest remaining copper and gold deposit and the largest known uranium deposit.
In 2010, there was 53,663 tons of mined uranium production for the whole world. The 16,100 tons would be almost 30% of the 2010 world mined uranium production.
An open pit is proposed at Olympic Dam, adjacent to the existing underground mine (Image: BHP Billiton)
The expansion plan would see ore recovered from an open pit which would operate alongside the existing underground mine. It would be implemented progressively over a period of about 11 years and the project would ultimately have a uranium output of some 19,000 tU3O8 (16,100 tU) per year, including that recovered from overseas refining. Some of the uranium-bearing copper concentrate would be transported overseas for smelting under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. Uranium is recovered from the copper concentrate through a leaching circuit. Existing operations have a nameplate capacity of 4500 tU3O8 (3800 tU) per year.
In 2010, there was 53,663 tons of mined uranium production for the whole world. The 16,100 tons would be almost 30% of the 2010 world mined uranium production.
