Civilian nuclear power plant owners in the United States purchased 55 million pounds U3O8e in 2011 at an average price of $55.64 per pound U3O8e. Foreign-origin uranium accounted for 91% of the purchases and was sourced mainly from Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Brazil, China, Malawi, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, and Ukraine. Prices were up sharply.
“The South Africa Coastal Province along the South Africa coast recently was assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids resources as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s World Oil and Gas Assessment. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS estimated mean volumes of 2.13 billion barrels of oil, 35.96 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1,115 million barrels of natural gas liquids.”
A 110-carat vivid yellow, pear-shaped diamond that was mined in South Africa will be auctioned next week in Geneva. It is expected to bring up to $15 million. YouTube Video.
Archaeologists in South Africa have found a cave where they believe that humans used tools and heat to manufacture pigments from ochre about 100,000 years ago.
“South Africa’s energy sector is critical to the economy as the country relies heavily on its large-scale, energy-intensive mining industry. South Africa has only small deposits of conventional oil and natural gas and uses its large coal deposits for most of its energy needs. As a result, carbon emission and intensity levels are relatively high. The country also has a highly developed synthetic fuels industry, producing gasoline and diesel fuels from coal and natural gas.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration country analysis brief.
A new species of roundworm, Halicephalobus mephisto, has been discovered living in the high-temperature pore water of a South African goldmine at a depth of over 1 kilometer. These are the deepest-living multicellular organisms ever discovered.
The shale gas boom that started in the United States has spread to countries worldwide. The Energy Information Administration has released a report that summarizes the shale gas resource for 14 regions outside of the United States.
As De Beers prepared to sell a portion of its famous Namaqualand Diamond Mine on the Atlantic coast of South Africa, 40 families stepped forward to claim that they own part of the mine.
“Women in developing countries spend 26% of their time carrying water. * ” To ease their burden, Cynthia Koenig of the University of Michigan, is promoting use of an interesting waterwheel.
Gold prices are near record highs and miners at the Gold Fields Ltd. gold mine in South Africa are about to set a record for the deepest underground mine. They are approaching a depth of 2.5 miles.
The United States does not have very many options for a source of chromite. With no domestic production the US currently depends upon South Africa. Cliffs Natural Resources plans to develop a $30 billion chromite deposit in northern Ontario.
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