Kazakhstan world leader in uranium mining

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The government of Kazakhstan announced it became the largest uranium miner in the world amid nuclear trading concerns with Iran.

Kazakhstan's state-owned nuclear company Kazatomprom announced it passed Canada and Australia to become the largest miner of uranium in the world. The company said uranium production in 2009 increased by 63 percent to 13,900 tons, roughly 30 percent of the world's output, The Financial Times reports.

The state company said it would raise its output to 18,000 tons in 2010. Nuclear energy watchers expect uranium demand to increase by 50 percent in the near future as the global community embraces nuclear power.

The announcement follows rumors that Kazakhstan was on the verge of landing a $450 million deal with Iran for the sale of 1,350 tons of uranium. The deal would have involved state employees in Kazakhstan acting without government consent.

The governments of Iran and Kazakhstan denied the allegations.

The Times report noted, however, that Mukhtar Dzhakishev, who once led Kazatomprom, is scheduled to appear in court in January to face charges that he stole the country's uranium assets.