Mongolia has identified 13 uranium deposits, approximatel 100 occurrences, over 1,000 mineralized points, and areas with redioactive anomalies across its territory. The total geological resources of these 13 deposits are 192,241.02 tonnes, with 11 of them officially registered through the Mineral Resources Professional Council. There have been no changes in these figures since 2020. 67% of the total resources are considered suitable for in-situ leaching (ISL) mining.
Mongolia’s 13 uranium deposits are Dornod, Gurvanbulag, Ulaan, Nemer, Mardain Gol, Kharaat, Khairkhan, Gurvansaikhan, Ulziit, Dulaan-Uul, Zuuvch-Ovoo, Enger-Ar, and Dalt.
As of October 2024, 98.46 thousand hectares of land across 9 soums in 4 provinces have been licensed for uranium exploration and mining. Currently, 7 companies hold 3 exploration and 8 mining licenses. Of these, two exploration licenses are fully owned by Mongolian companies, while the remaining exploration license and all 8 mining licenses are held by foreign-invested companies from China, France, the Czech Republic, and Japan.
The total licensed area for uranium mining and exploration accounts for 0.06% of Mongolia’s total land area. Compared to 2009, the number of exploration licenses has decreased 13-fold.
Overview of uranium deposits in Mongolia
Source: MRPAM
Changes in the number of uranium licenses over 15 years
Source: MRPAM
According to the 2022 publication by the International Atomic Energy Agency on uranium production, demand, and supply, the global uranium reserves are estimated at 6.1 million tonnes. 93% of these reserves are concentrated in 13 countries, with Australia (1.6 million tonnes), Kazakhstan (906,000 tonnes), and Canada (594,000 tonnes) leading in uranium resources.
Mongolia holds 192,000 tonnes of uranium reserves, accounting for 3% of the world’s total uranium reserves, ranking 10th globally.
In January 2025, the Government of Mongolia and Orano Mining have signed an investment agreement for the development and operation of the Zuuvch-Ovoo uranium mine in Mongolia’s southeastern Dornogovi province. Under the terms of the agreement, Badrakh Energy, a joint venture between Orano and Mongolia’s state-owned MonAtom Group, will be responsible for the industrial operation of the major Zuuvch-Ovoo and Dulaan Uul / Umnut deposits, which have estimated uranium resources of close to 90,000 tonnes. With a 30-year estimated lifespan, the project represents an initial investment of around $500 million before the deposit comes on stream, and a total of $1.6 billion over the mine’s lifetime, creating 1,600 direct and indirect jobs.
Development of the project is planned to take 4 years, after which the Zuuvch-Ovoo mine will go into production, with an estimated nominal capacity of around 2,500 tonnes of uranium per year.
Orano Mining has been present in Mongolia for over 25 years.