It appears that Kazatomprom, whom is the largest producer globally of uranium, is beginning to walk back comments it made earlier in the week. On Thursday, the firm had stated that it was operating normally, with recent social unrest having no impact on exports or output from the mine.
In speaking to Bloomberg Thursday, Kazatomprom’s Chief Commercial Officer had stated, “We are fulfilling all our obligations easily, there are no problems with uranium shipments and we will meet all delivery deadlines.” Work at the firms mines was reportedly uninterrupted.
However, in the Wall Street Journal this morning, it appears that an impact is expected from the social unrest. The company indicated to the paper that they keep six to seven months of inventory in global jurisdictions, however this was followed up by commentary that stated, “Of course there’s going to be an impact when you have cities and towns in lockdown, limited telecommunications, and a financial system temporarily shut down.”
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Further details on that impact however were not elaborated on.
A report from Reuters meanwhile this morning identified the transportation risk imposed by the unrest, with deliveries to China that account for nearly half of the firms production being transported through Almaty, where much of the unrest has been centered. Deliveries to other regions, such as Europe and Canada, meanwhile go through other regions in the country where there is currently more stability.
Cameco (TSX: CCO) meanwhile, whom is a joint venture partner with Kazatomprom at certain operations in Kazakhstan, last night issued an announcement that was filled with corporate-speak, stating that the situation is “dynamic and evolving,” while identifying that the “national protest and the security clampdown on transport, financial and communication systems may add to pre-existing operating risks.” This commentary was followed up with the company stating that it has not yet “had a chance to communicate” with the firm.
The company also identified that trouble in the Central Asian nation could be “a significant catalyst in the uranium market.”
Uranium markets are currently seeing bids at $45.25 per pound of U3O8, up strongly from the $41.75 per pound exhibited at the start of the year.
Information for this briefing was found via the companies mentioned, Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
