Niger has decided to nationalise Orano’s affiliate Somaïr (Société des Mines de l’Aïr: 63.4% Orano, 36.6% Sopamin), after seizing control of the Aïr mine in December 2024, considering that Orano was taking a disproportionate share of the mine's commercialised production compared to its shareholding. Somaïr is already 36.6% state-owned, through a stake owned by Sopamin, the Niger Mining Heritage Society, which manage the Government of Niger shares in the capital of mining companies. Orano is a French state-owned uranium mining company.
Somaïr operates several fields near the city of Arlit. The mine has a production capacity of 2-2.5 kt/year. The company extracted 2 ktU of uranium in 2022, accounting for the country’s entire uranium output. In 2023, the government signed a partnership agreement with Orano, authorising Somaïr to operate the mine until 2040, compared to 2029 previously.