Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Uranium Country Notes

France

Exploration for uranium commenced in 1946 and during the next 40 years a number of deposits were located. Exploration activities have now ceased and production is confined to small amounts obtained during remediation. Total output in 2005 was only 6 tonnes, bringing the cumulative tonnage to 76 000 tonnes. Since the closure of France's last uranium mine (Jouac) in 2001, RAR have been put at zero; inferred resources are 11 740 tonnes, recoverable at below US$ 130/kgU.

The last French ore-processing plant, at Le Bernardan in the north-western part of the Massif Central, ceased operations in 2001.