Niger nationalises the Somaïr uranium mine operated by Orano

Niger said it would nationalise Somaïr, in which France’s Orano holds 63% and the state company Sopamin the rest. The government accused Orano of taking 86.3% of output between 1971 and 2024. Orano had already lost operational control of the mine in late 2024.

Why it matters. Nationalisation is the extreme form of country risk: the owner is left to seek compensation through arbitration.

Source

Mining Weekly

In the course

Module 10: Risk and jurisdiction