Honeymoon Uranium Mine

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The Honeymoon Uranium Mine is a mine for the extraction of uranium ore in the eastern South Australia, located between Broken Hill and the southern Lake Frome about 600 km north-east of Adelaide and 300 km east of Port Augusta. The Honeymoon Uranium Mine is currently being developed as the fourth uranium mine in Australia.

History

The uranium deposits of East Kalkaroo (910 t of uranium oxide ) and Yarramba (300 t) were discovered by the Company Sedimentary Uranium, which, however, did not possess the necessary size for an economic yield. In November 1972, the uranium deposits in the area Honeymoon in 1973, the largest uranium deposits in the area, " Gould Dam" ( 17,640 t) were ( 3,300 t ), 75 km north- west of the "Broken Hill ", and discovered. Between 1973-1979 250 exploration wells have been drilled.

Occurrence

In the area there are several uranium deposits in sandstone in different size: Honeymoon, East Kalkaroo, Yarramba and Gould 's Dam. First, it was merely the occurrence of Honeymoon, but the Canadian company Southern Cross Resources led the deposits which are estimated at about 22,000 tons, for a project together.

Mining method

Smaller uranium deposits in sandstone can solution (English: in - situ leaching) be developed economically, and this method should be applied in this partially scattered deposits. After bores in the orebodies oxidizing fluid is introduced, which mobilizes the uranium. The solution is introduced into the outer portion of the ore body via injection wells, which are located in the outer region of the Erzköpers. In the center of the ore body, the holes are drilled, promote the uranium-bearing solution. This is a flow of the fluid ensured to the center of the deposit and uncontrolled spread be prevented in the rock. Are created in the environment of the deposit Additional drilling is monitored with which to prevent that there is a contamination in the vicinity of the deposit. To apply the method, the ore body is to be completed by impermeable rock up and down, as well as the ore body up and down by impermeable ( clay ) should be limited rocks. If this is the case, falls on using this method to no overburden.

Policy

Since the uranium mining is controversial in the anti - nuclear movement in Australia and the population, a blockade of the mining area was held to 16 May 1982 by the 14th. In March 1983, John Bannon of the Australian Labor Party (ALP ) in South Australia to power, and because of the so-called three - mines policy of the ALP degradation was not approved. On 17 March 1998, the Government of South Australia allowed uranium mining as a pilot project of 115 tons annually. Has the Honeymoon mine with the lowest volume capacity of 400 tons of uranium oxides. Annually over the next 5 to 7 years

In April 2009, the Prime Minister Mike Rann of South Australia approved uranium mining after the ALP had given the three- mines - policy two years ago. The mining of uranium was carried out by the Southern Cross Resources Inc., the aufgingen in December 2005 with the Aflease Gold and Uranium Resources of South Africa to the international society SXR Uranium One, headquartered in Canada. The AUD $ 138 million extension Honeymoon Project is operated by Uranium One with 51% shares and the Japanese Mitsui & Co with 49%.