COMINAK

Compagnie minière d'Akouta, generally known as COMINAK, was a Nigerien uranium mining company based at Akokan in the Agadez Region, close to the mining town of Arlit. It was created in the 1970s as part of a France–Niger–Japan uranium-development programme and became one of the two principal industrial uranium producers in northern Niger, alongside Société des mines de l'Aïr (SOMAÏR). COMINAK's business covered underground extraction of uranium ore, milling and chemical processing into uranium concentrate, commonly called yellowcake. The company's origins lay in French Atomic Energy Commission exploration in the Arlit–Akokan area during the 1950s and 1960s. Uranium-bearing sandstone deposits were identified and developed through French state and successor mining organizations, including COGEMA. A 1970 agreement involving France, Japan and Niger established the framework for exploiting the Akouta underground deposits. COMINAK was organized during this period and obtained mining rights in the mid-1970s. Its processing plant began production in 1978, making the company the second major industrial uranium venture established in Niger after SOMAÏR. COMINAK operated a network of underground workings at Akouta and later at nearby areas including Akola and Afasto. The mine was notable for its scale: its galleries extended for hundreds of kilometres and reached depths of roughly 250 metres. Ore was treated at a plant beside the mine using sulphuric-acid leaching and related processing steps to produce uranium concentrate. The deposits were hosted primarily in sandstone formations and were regarded as relatively high grade by African uranium-mining standards. The company supplied an important share of Niger's uranium output for several decades and helped sustain the industrial infrastructure of the Arlit–Akokan mining corridor. Its historical shareholding was divided among international and Nigerien partners. The French partner, originally COGEMA and later part of Areva, held 34%; Niger's state mining interests held 31%; Japan's Overseas Uranium Resources Development Company held 25%; and Spain's ENUSA held 10%, according to descriptions of the joint venture during its operating period. COMINAK also maintained employment, training, health and community-service facilities in Akokan. The company reported environmental and occupational-management certifications, including ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, while its operations were also subject to public debate over radiation exposure, tailings, water and wider environmental effects of uranium mining in the region. Production reached a historical high of about 2,260 tonnes of uranium in 1981. Output was later constrained and declined as accessible ore was depleted. A reported 2010 production figure was approximately 1,606 tonnes of uranium, with cumulative production stated at around 61,500 tonnes since the beginning of industrial operations. The mine's reserves and remaining operating life were repeatedly reassessed as new zones were explored and market conditions changed. After more than four decades of production, COMINAK ceased mining and processing operations on 31 March 2021 because the economically recoverable ore at its underground complex had been exhausted. The closure did not represent the end of uranium mining in Niger: SOMAÏR continued as a separate operation, while COMINAK entered a decommissioning and rehabilitation phase. Its legacy includes a major contribution to Niger's uranium industry, the creation of the Akokan mining settlement and a substantial environmental and social-rehabilitation obligation.

Uranium exploration in the northern Nigerien mining belt began under the French Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s. Discoveries around the future Akouta and Akokan workings during the 1960s led to more systematic evaluation by COGEMA, the French state-linked uranium organization that later became part of Areva. The deposits were located near Arlit in sandstone formations containing uranium minerals, and their development became part of a broader international arrangement involving France, Niger and Japan. A framework agreement was reached in 1970 for the exploitation of the Akouta underground deposits. COMINAK was established in the early 1970s and received mining rights for the area during the middle of that decade. Its plant at Akokan entered production in 1978. The company became Niger's second major industrial uranium producer after SOMAÏR and developed a substantial mining settlement, processing complex and supporting infrastructure in the Arlit area. The principal operation was an underground mine accessed through separate declines for equipment movement and ore transport. The workings eventually formed a large network of galleries extending for more than 250 kilometres and reaching depths of approximately 250 metres. Mining expanded from Akouta into nearby areas including Akola and Afasto. Ore was conveyed to the adjacent mill, where sulphuric-acid processing produced uranium concentrate. The resulting product, commonly known as yellowcake, was shipped into the international nuclear-fuel supply chain. COMINAK's production rose rapidly during its early years and reached a reported peak of 2,260 tonnes of uranium in 1981. Output was subsequently limited by operating conditions and the progressive depletion of high-quality accessible ore. The company continued exploration and development work in the 2000s, including studies around Agebout, Afouday and the southern part of the Ebba deposit. It also pursued environmental and occupational-management systems, receiving ISO 14001 certification and maintaining occupational-health and safety certification during its operating period. The joint venture's historical ownership reflected the multinational structure of Niger's uranium industry. COGEMA or its successor Areva held 34%, Nigerien state interests held 31%, Japan's Overseas Uranium Resources Development Company held 25%, and Spain's ENUSA held 10%. COMINAK employed more than one thousand people at various points and supported training, medical and social services in Akokan. At the same time, uranium mining in the region generated continuing scrutiny concerning radiation, tailings management, water resources, worker safety and the effect of mining on surrounding communities. By the late 2010s, the mine's remaining ore was no longer sufficient to support continued commercial production. COMINAK stopped mining and processing on 31 March 2021. The company thereafter shifted from production to dismantling, site remediation, waste and tailings management, and social measures for workers and the local community. Its closure marked the end of one of Niger's longest-running uranium operations, although Niger's uranium sector continued through other companies and projects.

1. 2021Production ends

   COMINAK halted mining and processing on 31 March because its economically recoverable ore had been depleted.

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2. 2007Afasto development work advances

   Feasibility work and extraction-related development progressed at the Afasto area as the company sought to extend its resource base.

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3. 2003Environmental-management certification

   COMINAK obtained ISO 14001 certification related to environmental management and sustainable-development practices.

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4. 1981Reported production peak

   Annual uranium production reached approximately 2,260 tonnes, the company's reported historical maximum.

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5. 1978Akokan processing plant begins production

   COMINAK started industrial uranium production from its underground mines and adjacent processing plant.

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6. 1974COMINAK is established

   The company was formed as a multinational joint venture to develop and operate uranium mines near Akokan.

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7. 1970International development framework for Akouta

   France, Japan and Niger established an agreement covering the planned exploitation of the Akouta underground uranium deposits.

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8. 1956Early uranium exploration begins in northern Niger

   The French Atomic Energy Commission began reported uranium exploration in the region that later became the Arlit–Akokan mining corridor.

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A large-scale industrial uranium producer serving Niger's mining sector and international nuclear-fuel supply chain.

• Uranium oreMining output1978

  COMINAK extracted uranium-bearing sandstone ore from underground workings at Akouta and nearby deposits including Akola and Afasto. The deposits were associated with regional Carboniferous sandstone and conglomerate formations. Ore grades were reported at roughly 0.4% uranium in descriptions of the mine, although grades varied by zone and period. Mining ended in 2021 after the depletion of economically recoverable reserves.

• Uranium concentrateProcessed uranium product1978

  The Akokan plant processed mined ore through sulphuric-acid leaching and associated milling operations to produce uranium concentrate. The product was commonly referred to as yellowcake and formed an intermediate material for conversion and further stages of the nuclear-fuel cycle. COMINAK supplied this concentrate to the international uranium market during its operating life.

• 2021Closure and rehabilitation of the Akouta complexStrategy

  The underground mine's economically recoverable ore had been exhausted after more than four decades of production.

  What changed. COMINAK stopped mining and processing and moved into a closure programme covering dismantling, remediation, waste management and social measures.

  Aftermath. The company ceased to be an operating uranium producer and became associated with decommissioning and rehabilitation obligations at the Akokan site.

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• 2021COMINAK ceases mining and processing operations

  The company ended production after the depletion of economically recoverable uranium ore at its underground mining complex and began closure and rehabilitation activities.

  BankruptcyOther
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• 1981COMINAK reaches peak reported uranium production

  The Akouta operation recorded approximately 2,260 tonnes of uranium production, its reported historical high.

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1. COMINAK
2. Orano news and information on COMINAK closure