The Arlit mine, being worked in the heart of the Sahara within Niger, is taking action in favor of the training and employment of the local population. People from Niger occupy 99 % of the 1700 positions created within the group's two mining companies in the country: SOMAÏR and COMINAK.

COMINAK and SOMAÏR, mining subsidiaries of AREVA, are the two first companies to be ISO 14001-certified in Niger. As part of their effective environmental management, right in the heart of the desert, they regularly check the fresh water for the villages located near the mines.

At Cluff Lake (Canada) and elsewhere in the world, AREVA is pursuing prospecting deposits of uranium in order to respond to growing world demand. The group, the third-largest producer in the world, holds 20% of resources, and has set itself the objective of doubling its production by 2012.

Imouraren is considered to be one of the largest uranium deposits in the world. The working of it will enable Niger to be ranked second in the world among producer countries. Its operation by AREVA, starting in 2012, is anticipated to last for 35 years.

Before being converted into fuel, the uranium goes through several stages. After leaving the Akoula mine in Niger, the ore is crushed, ground, then plunged into an acid bath at the COMINAK plant in Akouta. The concentrated product that results from these operations is called "yellow cake".

Once it has been extracted from the mine and concentrated in the form of "yellow cake", the uranium is transported to plants to undergo chemical transformation. From the Muyunkum (Kazakhstan) mining site, its journey begins by truck before continuing by train for 1000 kilometers.