The Dean of the School of Mining and Geosciences recently visited the Innovation Center for Extractive Metallurgy (CIME), a research center of Orano in Bessines-sur-Gartempe, France. Katco is a joint venture between Orano and KazAtomProm in Kazakhstan, a major player in the uranium leaching industry. At CIME, there is considerable effort in ore characterization for uranium potential. Of considerable interest to NU/SMG is the screening and handling of low radioactivity reservoir host rock characteristic of Kazakhstan deposits. Pictured from left to right are Pierre Filleul, thin section specialist, Randy Hazlett, SMG Dean, Ankie Smit, CIME engineer and tour host, and Sebastien Hocquet, Orano Mining Project Leader of In-Situ Recovery (ISR) R&D and visit sponsor. SMG recently signed a Phase 2 contract with Katco for geological characterization and mapping of the area of interest in Kazakhstan. Associate Professor Milovan Fustic heads this research thrust in SMG.