On June 13, 2025, Benoit Lemonne, CEO of Nurlikum Mining, announced that the South Jelken uranium deposit in Uzbekistan is expected to begin industrial development by the end of 2025. This statement was made during the Tashkent International Investment Forum.
Nurlikum Mining, a joint venture formed in late 2019 between France’s Orano and Uzbekistan’s Navoiuran, has conducted extensive geological exploration over the past five years, including over 200,000 meters of drilling and various pilot projects. Lemonne highlighted the rapid progress of the project, reaching the production phase in under six years, which he believes will attract further international investment in the mining sector.
In March 2025, Japanese corporation ITOCHU acquired a minority stake in Nurlikum Mining. The company currently holds two exploration licenses for uranium sites in the North and South Dzhetymbay areas of the Navoi region, granted in October 2020.
