The Tanzanian government has worked actively to implement International Atomic Energy Agency recommendations to develop the legal and regulatory infrastructure ready for uranium mining to commence..

The US Senate has approved a proposal for a USD15 million pilot programme to recycle used naval nuclear fuel for use as fuel in advanced nuclear reactors. The proposal was adopted by 87 votes to 9.

Researchers have used acrylic fibres to extract uranium from seawater in a trial  at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The team say the technology,  could be competitive with the costs of land-based uranium mining.

Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) has released its closure plan for the Ranger uranium mine in Australia's Northern Territory. Under the existing authority from traditional land owners, mining and processing activities at Ranger must cease in 2021.

The US Supreme Court is to consider whether federal law pre-empts Virginia's ban on uranium mining after finding in favour of a petition by Virginia Uranium, Inc against an earlier appeal court ruling. The court is expected to consider the question later this year.

Azarga Uranium Corp and URZ Energy Corp have announced they are to merge to form a new US-focused in-situ leach (ISL) uranium development company. The merger will allow the companies, which are both based in Vancouver, Canada, to consolidate their US uranium assets which together include measured and indicated resources of 30.7 million pounds U3O8 (11,809 tU) plus additional inferred resources of 8.7 million pounds U3O8.

Growth in world uranium inventories is slowing as the supply sector is responding to a gradual recovery in uranium demand, according to speakers at the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle conference held in Madrid on 18-19 April. Uranium resources remain plentiful, but the investment needed to bring resources into production depends heavily on the market, the conference heard.

Paladin Energy has begun preparations at Langer Heinrich ahead of a potential decision to put the Namibian uranium mine under care and maintenance. A decision is expected within two months.

The chairman of Energy Resources of Australia has called on Australian governments to embrace the potential to expand the country's uranium mining industry and be prepared for an expansion in nuclear power generation worldwide.

UPDATED Both houses of the US Congress have approved an omnibus appropriations bill including USD1.2 billion for nuclear energy. The bill will see the suspension of sales by the Department of Energy of surplus uranium to pay for decommissioning work at the former Portsmouth uranium enrichment plant.

Anfield Energy Inc has agreed to acquire the Charlie in-situ leach uranium project in Wyoming from Cotter Corp, as part of a strategy to create a mine and mill production complex in the state. Meanwhile, Energy Fuels Inc is pursuing opportunities to process new and additional alternate feed sources in order to allow the USA's only operating conventional uranium mill to extend its current operating campaign.

India is planning a tenfold increase in uranium production over the next 15 years, Minister of State Jitendra Singh told the country's parliament yesterday. State company Uranium Corporation of India Ltd has outlined expansion plans to meet the Department of Atomic Energy's vision of achieving self-sufficiency in uranium production.