View Full Version : Iran is secretly searching for uranium in war-torn Somalia
jasonglh
12-11-2006, 13:57
Didn't think this was quite breaking news so I posted it here. Definitely would explain the renewed interest in controlling Somalia.
http://pajamasmedia.com/2006/12/iranian_uranium_prospectors_in.php
(b) At the time of the writing of this report, there were two (2) Iranians in Dhusamareeb engaged on matters linked to the exploration of Uranium in exchange for arms to the ICU.
Two lines in an 86 page report?
Correct me if I am wrong, uranium mining requires a large footprint? Requires pretty good infrastructure, transportation and power wise? Hasn't Somalia been a failed state for 10+ years?
Doesn't Iran have uranium reserves of their own? Larger then Somalia's?
Shouldn't any news from a publication affiliated with Michael Ledeen that has a story involving Africa, uranium, and members of the Axis of Evil be served with a shot of skepticism? Perhaps chased by a pint of skepticism?
Correct me if I am wrong, uranium mining requires a large footprint? Requires pretty good infrastructure, transportation and power wise? no...not necessarily...processing of uranium can be done with a series of outdoor swimming pool-sized processing vats..,milling isn't much more complex than that required for a gravel quarry...it does require access to kerosene or a similar organic solvent and some sort of caustic agent to break down the host rock...
transporting uranium ore in the US doesn't require that much infrastructure...in a region where environmental safety laws are less stringent, i suspect it would only require the types of roads, et al, needed to move construction materials or large agricultural machinery around...
mining footprint is determined by the nature of the ore deposit...in the Four Corners area of the Southwest, many mines are/were mom and pop affairs...i knew several of the ore producers, saw many of the mines...
i've surveyed several mines, done construction staking on several remediation projects and even worked as a uranium geochemist during a period when survey work was slow...i'm not an expert, but i've seen some stuff...
in so far as looking for ore in Somalia, remember that there is a lack of a central government in that country and the Iranians appear to be dealing with a regional warlord for the mineral rights, such as they are...a fair amount of construction material is moved around in that part of the world, and from what is stated in the report, the Iranians would not be wildcatting, per se, but are looking for ores in a known province...much more straightforward than searching for a prospect domestically...
Thanks lksteve.
Doesn't the milling only produce around 1% percent usable product? And thats the yellow cake that would be put to export?
Doesn't the milling only produce around 1% percent usable product? And thats the yellow cake that would be put to export?1 % would be optimistic...if i had a 5 gallon bucket of ore, i'd be lucky to titrate a gram of yellowcake (i know...i used to do it...)
i don't remember what our actual percentages were...they were very small compared to the amount of raw material we started with...but in some cases, we got some really hot stuff (petrified trees in the Four Corners were hotter than firecrackers) and the percentages were not so bad...
we shipped yellowcake in 55 gallon drums...pretty non-descript...remember that Somalia also produces some sour crude that is shipped in a similar fashion...
and Dusmareb is not that far from Ethiopia, so there are shipping options...