The company that runs the Ranger uranium mine near Kakadu says the growing international demand for uranium means greater employment opportunities for Indigenous workers.

Energy Resources of Australia has had a profit increase of 587 per cent for the first six months of this year compared to the first half of 2007.

The company's outgoing chief executive Chris Salisbury says that means an expansion in operations and more work for locals in the future.

"We're headed for a target of 20 per cent Indigenous employment. We started the year at 16 per cent and now we're up to 18 per cent, so we're on our way to reach 20 per cent."

The company's will make its first delivery to a Chinese power utility later this year, and Mr Salisbury says that is further good news for local operations.

"We have secured in principle agreement for our first sale to China following the bilateral agreement between the Australian and Chinese Government last year. We're very pleased to help them meet their energy demand because it is also very clean - [it has] no emissions and low greenhouse gas generation."