Navoiyuran launches uranium production at Kizilkok field

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The state enterprise Navoiyuran has announced the start of industrial-scale uranium production at the Kizilkok deposit located in Uzbekistan’s Navoi region.

According to the company’s CEO Jamal Fayzullaev, pilot industrial operations at the site began in December 2024, and after two years of development the project has now reached commercial production stage. The launch is viewed as part of a broader strategy to increase output and strengthen the country’s mineral resource base under the state program through 2030.

In 2025, Navoiyuran’s uranium production reached 7,000 tons of natural uranium. The Kizilkok deposit, with an estimated operational life of 15 years and a projected annual capacity of around 1,200 tons, is expected to become a key asset supporting further production growth and regional economic development.

The company estimates that the deposit contains around 10,900 tons of uranium resources, with ore reserves of approximately 9,400 tons. Based on reserves, Kizilkok ranks third in the company’s portfolio after the Sugrali deposit with 20,800 tons and Uchkuduk with 14,800 tons. There is also reported potential for further expansion of the project in a northern direction.

Development is being carried out using the in-situ leaching method with oxygen as an oxidizing agent. The company states that this technology increases uranium recovery rates while reducing production costs by two to three times. The International Atomic Energy Agency considers the method to have both industrial and environmental advantages compared to conventional mining techniques.

Navoiyuran reports that it is currently developing 43 deposits with total mineral resources of 151,100 tons of uranium, including 96,000 tons of ore reserves compliant with JORC international standards.

According to the World Nuclear Association, Uzbekistan produced around 4,000 tons of uranium in 2024, ranking fifth globally among uranium-producing countries. The company also states that Navoiyuran currently ranks sixth among the world’s largest uranium producers.