The Katko Joint Venture between Cogema and KATEP was created in August 1996 to develop the Moinkum ISL deposit near Tsentralnoye. Ownership is as follows: Cogema owns 45%, KATEP--29%, Volkovgeologiya--9%, Kazakhstani Main Mining Division--7%, other financial investors (mainly Swiss)--10%.[1,2] Under the agreement, Cogema will handle the marketing responsibilities.[1] The Katko Joint Venture is an independent agent handling Kazakhstani production and has exclusive rights only to that part of production that is not tied to existing contracts with Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) and Nukem, Inc.[3] Nominal production capacity at the Moinkum deposit is estimated as 700t/year. In June 2000 Kazatomprom CEO Mukhtar Dzhakishev valued the Katko JV at $100 million.[4]

Activities: Cogema is planning to build an acid ISL pilot plant at Moinkum in 2000. The Katko Joint Venture plans to produce between 9t and 22.7t of U3O8 in 2002.[5,6]

Sources:
[1] Paul Carroll, "The Reconstruction of the Uranium Industry in Kazakhstan," presentation at the Uranium Institute's Twenty Second Annual International Symposium 1997, Uranium Institute, www.uilondon.org.
[2] "Cogema, KATEP set up Joint Venture to Develop U Deposits in Kazakstan," Nuclear Fuel, 26 August 1996, p.8.
[3] "Interview: The President Speaks," Interview with KATEP President Victor Yazikov, Nukem, May 1994, pp. 14-15.
[4] "Joint uranium processing projects in Kazakhstan worth over $600 million," Interfax CIS Daily News Brief, Volume II, Issue 100 (122), 1 June 2000.
[5] Georges Capus and Daniel Comte, "Uranium in 1999--The End of the Roller Coaster Ride?" Uranium Institute Twenty Fourth Annual International Symposium 1999, Uranium Institute, www.uilondon.org.
[6] "Kazakhstan is planning to increase uranium production by 16% from 1999 to 2000," Uranium Institute News Briefing 00.48, 22-28 November 2000, The Uranium Institute, www.uilondon.org.