“Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union” JSC (Krasnokamensk, Russia):

Tirskiy A. V., Deputy Head of Central Research Laboratory, phone: +7 (30245) 3-35-67

Morozov A. A., Head of Central Research Laboratory, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Bakharev V. Yu., Chief Geophysicist

The program of medium-term development of Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union till 2020 has certain strategy, which is based on increasing of extraction amount of silicate uranium ore with low uranium content. Processing of a huge amount of such ore with application of hydrometallurgical technology does not guarantee the production break-even. Existing process flowsheet of preparation of silicate uranium ore foreordains the processing of rich part of initial raw materials and concentrated products, according to hydrometallurgical technology. Poor part is proces sed by heap leaching method. Raw materials with over critical value of uranium content, provide the production profitability. Delivery of these raw materials to hydrometallurgical technology is one of the most important tasks. Hydrometallurgy is economically reasonable method for ore processing. The carried out analysis shows that the part of this ore was decreased by nearly two times. According to this, near 80% of initial ore with uranium content of 0.08% requires the preparation for the following processing by the heap leaching method. It is possible to use the raw materials preparation technology for the provision of extraction during the heap leaching, which should be close to extraction during the hydrometallurgical technology. Raw materials preparation technology foresees the washing of initial ore for the purpose of clay removement and lump material recrushing. Development of existing scheme of preliminary concentration by break-even technology with obtaining of the product for hydrometallurgy, should be considered as alternative operation to the heap leaching. Material with over critical value of uranium content should be released to through product, which will make it possible to obtain the conditioned product for hydrometallurgy.