Conclusion

The upstream nuclear fuel cycle is a vast industrial sector in which most of the world's major nuclear countries have more or less developed activities.

France, for its part, plays a significant role at every stage, and is sometimes one of the world's leading operators.

Natural uranium is mined in many countries on every major continent (except Europe and, of course, Antarctica).

It's a fairly classic mining activity, but with a few additional constraints linked to the natural radioactivity of the materials handled. Uranium conversion to obtain pure uranium in oxide or hexafluoride form (for the subsequent enrichment stage) involves fairly standard chemical engineering processes and techniques.

This sector is shared by only four major players worldwide, including France's Areva, which holds...