The Gulliver File Corporate Dossiers
on Global Uranium Miners
The Gulliver File :
Mines, People and Land - A Global Battleground
by Roger Moody
Published by Minewatch/WISE-Glen Aplin
The Gulliver File is an amazing book that took 14 years to compile. It contains information on virtually every company across the world that has been involved in the exploration and mining of uranium the list reads like a who's who of global mining multinationals, many of which, Like WMC and CRA, have their roots here in Australia. In order to provide the background to some of these companies, the dossiers from the Gulliver File have been provided below on every company involved in the Australian scene - many have international links and global programs with inroads to organisations like the C.I.A., military dictatorships in Africa or Asia......the usual.
I would strongly encourage people to buy a copy of "The Gulliver File" - it has so much more than the dossiers on this website. See the ordering page for more info.
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- Anglo-American
- One of the world's largest miners, from South Africa - a sordid history of involvement in apartheid, defying sanctions, union bashing, corporate slight of hands - among one of the worst mining multinationals imaginable.
- ANSTO
- ANSTO (formerly AAEC) - The Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation.
- ANZ Bank
- ANZ - "... the most important link in the financing of the Australian uranium industry"
- Aquitaine Australia Minerals
- Aquitaine - A French company, with exploration interests in Australia. In 1985, it was part of the joint venture trial of in-situ leaching at Manyingee in Western Australia.
- Bechtel Corp.
- Bechtel Corp. - the largest engineering construction company in the world. They are currently building the Roxby expansion, hope to build Jabiluka, and have been involved in many uranium mining and nuclear projects around the globe. They interesting friends in high places too, including Ronald Reagan and the C.I.A.!
- Beverley Uranium Project
- The history and controversy over the original development of the Beverley Uranium deposit - a proposed in-situ leach mine - in the Lake Frome area of South Australia. Currently owned by Heathgate Resources, a subsidiary of General Atomic.
- Broken Hill Proprietary Co. (BHP)
- The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd - BHP - is Australia's largest company, and a major international resource exploiter. No direct history with uranium, although some important near misses. Well know for it's devastation at Ok Tedi, and the fight behind Coronation Hill (now southern Kakadu) in 1989-91.
- British Petroleum Co plc - BP
- The British Petroleum Co plc - BP - is Britain's largest company, and a major international resource exploiter. It was the minority joint venturer with WMC for the initial development of Olympic Dam. It saw the light and got out in 1993.
- Carpentaria Exploration Co
- CFP/Total
- CFP/Total/Cie Francaise des petroles SA - The principal joint venturer behind the trials at Manyingee. Has extensive energy and uranium interests across the globe.
- Cigar Lake JV
- The Cigar Lake JV, located in northern Saskatchewan, contains one of the world's largest, highest grade uranium deposits. It is attempted to be developed by Cameco, in Joint Venture with Cogema. The high grade will lead to excessively high radiation doses and problems.
- Cogema
- Cogema - the French nuclear corpoation controlling both civic and military nuclear programs across France. They have been very active in exploration in Australia, and have a small shareholding in ERA plus a few others too.....
- CRA
- CRA (now merged as Rio Tinto) - the most famous of all mining multinationals. It has a truly remarkable record of indigenous and environmental abuse on virtually every continent across the world.
- CSR
- CSR is a resource company that diversified from sugar to uranium! It is active in uranium exploration and maintains interests in various deposits across Australia.
- Cultus Pacific NL
- Mineral exploration company from Western Australia - involved in the Lake Maitland, Lake Mason and Lake Raeside uranium deposits. Also involved in mineral exploration in the Phillipines.
- Delhi International Oil Corp
- The main joint venturer behind the Lake Way deposit in Western Australia. Delhi stills a valid mining licence for the Lake Way Project, however, plans are indefinitely suspended.
- Denison Mines Ltd
- Denison Mines Ltd, a Canadian mining house, operated the now infamous Elliot Lake uranium mines in northern Ontario, Canada, labelled a "moral and human outrage". In a long term plan to replace uranium supply from these mines, Denison bought the Koongarra ura .
- Esso Australia
- Esso Australia, subsidiary of Exxon, positioned itself to be a major player in the uranium industry in Australia during the 1970's, with key joint ventures in place at Yeelirrie and exploration elsewhere. However, by the early 1980's they had virtually abandoned all projects completely.
- Exxon Corp.
- Being the largest oil company in the world, it is no surprise that Exxon has extensive interests in uranium about the place, including Australia.
- EZ (Electrolytic Zinc Industries)
- A stalwart of the Australian mining industry, EZ (Electrolytic Zinc Industries) discovered the Ranger deposits along with Peko Wallsend and were the original and aggressive proponents of the Uranium mine in the late 70's - finally coercing government approvals by 1978 and overriding Mirrar opposition with legislation removing the Aboriginal right of veto..
- General Atomic
- Another company active in maintaining nuclear power plants and uranium mining interests. They have been directly involved in the sale of nuclear reactors to military-controlled countries like the former Romania and Indonesia. Through their subsidiary Heathgate Resources, they are currently involved in the proposal to mine the Beverley Uranium deposit in South Australia.
- Gencor
- One of South Africa's largest mining conglomerates, it has been a pillar of many uranium projects around the world. It's divested offshoot - Billiton plc - is continuing the pipedream. Billiton merged with BHP in early 2001 to form BHP Billiton, now the largest mining conglomerate in the world.
- Getty Oil Co. & Getty Mining Co Ltd
- A huge American resource company, primarily involved in the nuclear industry through uranium mining. In Australia this includes a history of involvement with exploration and proposals at Jabiluka, the Pilbara in WA, and the Maureen deposit in Queensland.
- Honeymoon Uranium Project
- The history and controversy over the original development of the Honeymoon Uranium deposit - a proposed in-situ leach mine - in the Lake Frome area of South Australia. Currently owned by Southern Cross Resources.
- Jimberlana Minerals NL
- Small exploration company from the 1970's with (unsuccessful) interests around the Kakadu / Arnhem Land region.
- Jingellic Minerals NL
- Small exploration company from the 1970's with (unsuccessful) interests around the Kakadu / Arnhem Land region.
- KEPCO (KEKO)
- Korea's aggressive nuclear power corporation. It has had contracts with both Ranger and Roxby in the past.
- Key Lake Mining Corporation
- The big project of SMDC, now Cameco, the mine has seen one of the biggest mine disasters - 100 MILLION litres of radioactive wastewater leaked into the adjacent lake. Unfortuntely, large accidents and spills appear common place at Key Lake.
- Mt Isa Mines (MIM)
- One of Australia's dominant mining houses. It used to have interests in Honeymoon, as well as exploration activity at sites across Australia including Angela, Westmoreland, Yarramba, and Red Hill.
- Minatome SA
- Minatome SA - A French company, with long and sordid history of global exploration and mining. It was the proponent behind the push to open up the Ben Lomond uranium deposit near Townsville in northern Queensland in the late 70's/early 80's.
- Mary Kathleen Uranium (MKU)
- The history of the Mary Kathleen Uranium mine in Queensland - arguably the world's first full scale uranium mine. A highy controversial mine with an equally colourful history.
- Newmont Mining Corp.
- A large multinational mining house. It has prospected for uranium at Pandanus Creek/Eva (NT), in in a Joint Venture with Peko and EZ (discoverers of Ranger). Together with BHP, they were trying to re-open Coronation Hill in the late 1980's against wishes of the Jawoyn people.
- Noranda Mines Ltd
- Noranda Mines Ltd, a Canadian mining house, led the exploration in the Alligator Rivers region, helping Peko find the massive Ranger deposits, and finding their own high grade deposit at Koongarra. Due to persistent politics, environmental problems and clear indigenous opposition, Noranda sold Koongarra to Denison in 1980.
- North Flinders Mines
- An investment and exploration company with interests in coal, oil, gas and uranium. It has prospected for uranium at Pandanus Creek/Eva (NT), and the Mt Victoria and Gunsight prospects (SA). Now majority-owned by gold miner Normandy Mining.
- North Kalgurli Mines
- A small ore treatment company that became (indirectly) involved in exploration around Lake Frome, SA, and the Honeymoon Project through a 50% interest in Teton.
- North Ltd
- The majority owners of ERA and the Ranger mine - another one of Australia's large extractive resource companies. They also have extensive logging interests alongside uranium.
- Ocean Resources NL
- A small mineral exploration company. Attempted uranium exploration in the Alligator Rivers and Arnhem Land region in the 1970's, with persistent opposition from Aboriginal peoples and no success in finding a new uranium deposit.
- Oilmin-Transoil-Petromin (OTP)
- A group of three mining exploration companies, partly controlled by the well-known Queensland racist red-neck and ex-premier, Joh Bjelke Petersen. Were involved in initial development of the Beverley deposit in the 1970s.
- Outokumpu Oy
- A large Finnish mining and resource company, with many global connections. Has minor interests and involvement in Australia over the years, the most noteable being the pilot plant testing and development at Olympic Dam, and the Centipede-Millipede calcrete deposits in WA.
- Pancontinental
- The original proponents of the Jabiluka Uranium mine in the late 70's and early 80's. Due to the stalling of that proposal, Pancontinental concentrated on other minerals and oil and gas instead.
- Peko-Wallsend Ltd
- A stalwart of the Australian mining industry, Peko-Wallsend Ltd discovered the Ranger deposits and were the original and aggressive proponents of the Uranium mine in the late 70's - finally coercing government approvals by 1978 and overriding Mirrar opposition with legislation removing the Aboriginal right of veto. It later merged with North Broken Hill Ltd to form North Ltd as it now stands.
- Phelps Dodge Corporation
- Involved through subsidiary Western Nuclear in early exploration and development of the Beverley Uranium deposit. Phelps Dodge also participated in the infamous uranium cartel of the late 1970s to early 1980s.
- Pioneer International
- PNC (Japan)
- A Japanese corporate giant with extensive interests in uranium exploration all over the world. Controversial activities in Australia include the Western Desert with Rio Tinto (home of the Martu people), plus SA and WA.
- PUK (Pechiney-Ugine-Kuhlmann)
- A French corporate giant with extensive interests in aluminium production and virtually the whole nuclear cycle. It was a joint venturer in the failed Ben Lomond Project in Queensland.
- Queensland Mines Ltd
- Operators of the Nabarlek Uranium mine - another highly controversial Australian uranium mine, just like them all !
- Ranger Uranium Mine
- The decision to develop the Ranger Uranium mine in the late 70's provided extremely heated debate across Australia.
- Rheinbraun
- A former German uranium giant - active across the world, but particularly Australia and Canada. Used to own 6.5% of ERA and helped fund the initial development of the Ranger uranium mine (before selling to Cameco in recent years).
- Rio Algom
- Another one of the infamous RTZ (now Rio Tinto) empire - to complete the picture of the CRA-RTZ world-wide empire. Their Elliot Lake uranium mine from northern Ontario, Canada, has been decribed as a "moral and human outrage".
- Rossing Uranium Mine
- The most controversial mining project the world has ever known - synonomous with neo-colonialism, the perpetuation of apartheid, flagrant disregard of international law, and the symbiotic relationship between civil and military nuclear fuel supplies. The mine has epitomised the illegal seizure of vital resources from a territory until recently cheated of its independence - owned and operated by RTZ (of course).
- RTZ
- Until recently, the sister corporation of CRA. In May 1997, the CRA-RTZ empire become fully merged as Rio Tinto. No dossier on CRA would be complete without their companion RTZ !
- Sedimentary Uranium NL
- Involed in the original proposal for the Yarramba in-situ uranium leach mine near Honeymoon in South Australia.
- SMDC (Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation)
- The formerly state-owned developer and operator behind many uranium mining projects in northern Saskatchewan, with the devastating environmental and indigenous impacts, such as the Rabbit Lake tailings disaster. SMDC was privatised and merged with Eldorado Nuclear in the late 1980s to form Cameco Corporation.
- Southern Ventures NL
- Primarily a mineral exploration and gold mining company - involved in the Lake Maitland, Lake Mason and Lake Raeside uranium deposits. Also involved in mineral exploration in Western Kalimantan.
- Teton Exp.
- A subsidiary of USA multinational, United Nuclear Corporation (UNC). Teton was a very active explorer in the Lake Frome region of South Australia during the late 1960s to mid 1970s. Teton was one of the original Joint Venturer's behind the insanity of Honeymoon in the early 1980s.
- Total Mining
- Total Mining (CFP - Cie Francaise des petroles SA) - The principal joint venturer behind the trials at Manyingee. Has extensive energy and uranium interests across the globe.
- United Nuclear Corp. (UNC)
- United Nuclear Corporation has a global string of uranium mining disasters, no worse than the catastrophic tailings dam failire at Churchrock mine on Navajo land in New Mexico, 1979.
- United Uranium Joint Venture
- United Uranium was one of the principal uranium miners from the Upper South Alligator Valley from 1954 to 1964. They managed to stay afloat thorugh to the mid 1970's desperately seeking new uranium orebodies to mine, but failed and were taken over by bigger mining companies.
- Uranerz
- A German giant in electricity and coal production. Involved in extensive exploration in the Northern Territory as well as minor excursions in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia. Holds a 50% stake in the Angela deposit, north-west of Alice Springs.
- UG (Urangesellschaft)
- The giant German uranium mining corpoartion with vast global interests and just as colourful a history as RTZ-CRA. It has shares in Ranger, as well as joint ventures in Yeelirrie, Westmoreland, Manyingee and the Ngalia Basin north-west of Alice Springs
- Vam Ltd (AUS)
- A gold, antimony and mineral exploration company with a small interest in the small Lake Way) uranium deposit.
- Western Nuclear Inc
- Westinghouse Corp.
- Another of the US nuclear mega-corporations, with active involvement in all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, especially nuclear reactors and the military. One of it's subsidiary's includes Wyoming Mineral Corp.
- WMC
- WMC (formerly Western Mining Corp.) are owners/operators of the infamous Olympic Dam/Roxby Downs copper-uranium mine in semi-desert country in South Australia. Another mine with a colourful history and a company that rates up there with the CRA-RTZ-Rio Tinto group for it's environmental and indigenous record.
- Wyoming Mineral Corp
- Wyoming Mineral Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Westinghouse Corp., another giant US nuclear company. It operated the trouble plagued Irigary in-situ leach mine in Wyoming, as well as other problematic proposals at Crownpoint (New Mexico) and Bruni (Utah). It originally headed up the joint venture to develop Lake Way, but withdrew in 1982. Exploration activities include Pandanus Creek/Eva (NT).
Page last updated - April 14, 2001.
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