Guide Note

On September 7, 2007, Russian president Vladimir Putin and Australian prime minister John Howard signed an agreement which will send uranium from Australia to Russia. The agreement states that the material will not be used for military purposes or sold to third parties. It replaced a 1990 agreement, which only allowed Russia to sell the enriched uranium to other countries.

Fast Facts

1. September 7, 2007: Deal signed
2. Putin was in Australia for the Asia Pacific summit meeting
3. 16% of Russian power is nuclear¹

1. 24%: Australia's known percentage of total global uranium resources²
2. 21%: Amount of world's uranium produced, per year²
3. Currently operating uranium mines: Three (Ranger in Northern Territory, Olympic Dam and Beverly in South Australia)
4. Uranium mine under construction: Honeymoon, South Australia
5. 12% of world uranium supply is from Ranger mine²
6. 2007: 11,183 tons mined (10,145 British tons)³

1. Symbol: U
2. Atomic number: 92
3. Discovered: 1789, by Martin Heinrich Klaproth
4. Isolated: 1841
5. Uses: Nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear submarines
6. 140 British tons of uranium ore makes 27 British tons of enriched uranium fuel⁴