An Interregional Workshop on Good Practices and Safety and Regulatory Aspects of In Situ Leaching (ISL) for Uranium Production took place 9-13 October 2017 in Beijing, China. This event is the latest in a series of events on the topic of In Situ Leaching (ISL) uranium mining taking place under an interregional technical cooperation project[1] which aims at implementing an effective uranium extraction strategy to meet fuel needs for nuclear power generation. Over 130 participants and experts from 39 Member States of four regions attended the workshop, with the goal of exchanging and sharing information on ISL, as well as to review the progress made under the project and any new needs that had been identified by the participating Member States.
ISL or in situ recovery (ISR) mining has become one of the standard uranium production methods. Its application to amenable uranium deposits (in certain sedimentary formations) has been growing in view of its competitive production costs and low surface impacts.
The workshop was structured around presentations on ISL national status, and general discussions. Forty-four presentations in total were delivered by the international experts, participants and IAEA staff, and emerging issues were discussed. These discussions were complemented by a technical tour to the laboratories of Uranium Geology, Uranium Mining and Metallurgy in Beijing. Project implementation was also reviewed to improve progress where appropriate, and a work plan for 2018–2019 was drafted based on an updated understanding of the needs of the participating Member States, the development of good practices, and relevant IAEA Safety Standards.
