Uranium major Kazatomprom is delaying the resumption of higher production volumes by another month, saying that pandemic-related risks remain too high for a full return of production employees to its sites.
The company in April reduced its uranium production volumes as it implemented physical distancing measures, reducing the number of employees on site to a minimum.
Kazatomprom CEO Galymzhan Pirmatov says the company plans to gradually increase mine site staff levels at the beginning of August, if it is deemed safe to do so.
The extension of the protection measures for an additional month is not expected to have a material impact on the 2020 production volume guidance of 19 000 t to 19 500 t on a 100% basis provided in April.
Before Covid-19, Kazatomprom had planned to produce 22 750 t to 22 800 t.