French industrial conglomerate Areva has partially commenced operations at Somair uranium mine in Niger, a month after the project was attacked by a suicide car bomb.
Twin suicide attacks directed by Islamist groups on the Areva’s plant and a military barracks in northern Niger claimed lives of nearly 26 people that include 25 soldiers and one civilian.
Somair director-general Pascal Bernasconi told Reuters that the company has restarted output at the mine after the employees had repaired the site’s electrical plant that was damaged in the incident on 23 May.
The company is currently working on different ways to bring complete mine under operation, added Bernasconi.
The operation suspensions have cost Areva a sum of $36.7m every month.
Meanwhile, the company has employed lixiviation process for uranium production that involves dripping of sulphuric acid on crushed rocks creating a solution which is turned into a uranium-rich powder known as yellowcake.
In 2012, Somair had produced 3,000 tons of uranium that accounts to two-thirds of Niger’s total output.