MOSCOW, June 11 (RIA Novosti) - France's Areva and Kazakhstan's national Kazatomprom have signed a deal to produce 4,000 metric tons of uranium a year until 2039, the nuclear companies said in a joint news release on Wednesday.
The deal will build on a 2004 agreement between the companies, which set up the Katco joint venture, with Areva holding a 51% and Kazatomprom a 49% stake. The venture runs a pilot uranium production plant at the Moinkum deposit in the south of the Central Asian republic.
The deposit reserves developed by Katco are estimated at 43,700 metric tons of uranium.
Areva has the right to sell the uranium. Commercial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
Kazakhstan, which possesses the world's second largest uranium reserves after Australia, has announced plans to boost uranium production 42% year-on-year in 2008 to 9,400 metric tons.
In 2007, uranium production in Kazakhstan totaled 6,600 metric tons.
