A planned expansion of the Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine in South Australia has been scrapped by BHP Billiton after studies of the ore body questioned the viability of the project. It has decided instead to invest in the existing infrastructure at the underground mine.

Resuming operation of the Kayelekera uranium mine in Malawi will cost an estimated USD50 million, a restart scoping study has concluded. Australian-based exploration company Lotus Resources Ltd bought the mine - currently in care and maintenance - from Paladin Energy earlier this year. Lotus says it now plans to advance to a restart feasibility study.

Rusburmash has completed geophysical surveys at the Dobrovolnoye uranium deposit in the Zverinogolovsky district of the Kurgan region of Russia and JSC Dalur has now started the construction of a pilot site for in-situ leaching of uranium there.

Most respondents to UxC's annual summer survey agreed that the uranium market has so far managed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic effectively, and is proving robust, despite some initial issues with mine production. There is general consensus that the crisis will not harm the future of nuclear power, UxC said.

A newly completed update to Vimy Resources' definitive feasibility study for the Mulga Rock Project in Western Australia has demonstrated stronger financial returns than previously forecast for the uranium project, the company says. The DFS Refresh indicates an 8% decrease in cash operating costs over the first five years to USD23.33 per pound, and a 7% decrease over life-of-mine.

Kazakhstan's JSC National Atomic Company Kazatomprom says it will continue to "flex down" production by 20% through 2022. The company is also maintaining its 20% reduction in 2021, with no additional production planned to replace volumes lost in 2020 due to the measures taken to combat COVID-19.

Developing the Etango uranium project in Namibia as an 8 million tonnes per year (Mtpa) throughput operation as opposed to the 20 Mtpa operation envisaged in previous studies will cut upfront capital costs while maintaining project economics, according to a newly completed scoping study by Bannerman Resources.

Virginia's 38-year-old moratorium on uranium mining will continue following a district court ruling in a case challenging its constitutionality. Virginia Uranium Inc first brought the state suit in 2015 in its effort to mine what it claims is the largest known uranium deposit in the USA.

Denison Mines has resumed in situ leach field testing activities at the high-grade Phoenix deposit at Wheeler River in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. All operating procedures have been adapted to incorporate physical distancing and enhanced hygiene protocols to comply with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

The US House Committee on Appropriations has denied a funding request from the US Department of Energy for fiscal 2021 for establishing a uranium stockpile. The committee requested further information from the department on the justification for the reserve and how it will be implemented.

World Nuclear Association has published a first-of-a-kind Expanded Summary of the latest edition of its biennial nuclear fuel report. The Association is making the summary, which describes the major conclusions of the 2019 edition of the report, freely available.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the continued operations of the Euratom Supply Agency. When the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) was established in 1958, its founding Treaty of Rome recognised the necessity to ensure a regular and equitable supply of nuclear materials to all consumers in the Community.