Rain hampers Ranger uranium production

ABC NT Local News
Thursday 20 July 2006

Heavy wet season rainfalls and a technical fault have been blamed for a massive drop in uranium production at the Ranger Uranium Mine surrounded by Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.

Rio Tinto has reported a drop of more one third in uranium production in its second quarter results.

A spokeswoman for Energy Resources Australia (ERA), which operates Ranger, says the heavy rainfalls from cyclone Monica prevented access to high-grade ore at the mine.

She says production was also affected by difficulties experienced in bringing the acid plant back into operation after a planned maintenance shutdown.

The Ranger mine is expected to close down in 2014 unless more uranium deposits are found.

ERA will release its yearly results next week.