A partnership to capture "potential synergies" between Rossing and the Husab uranium project is being discussed by London-based Rio Tinto and Husab's 100% owner, Australia's Extract Resources. The initiative is understood to have come from Rio Tinto which, along with Japan's Itochu, holds minority shareholdings in both Extract and its biggest (43%) shareholder, Kalahari Minerals, which is currently listed on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The talks announced on February 21st are focused on sharing resources to develop Husab, through some kind of joint venture, and are also looking at simplifying the Extract-Kalahari shareholding structure.

Husab (formerly known as Rossing South)-one of the world's largest and highest-grade unexploited uranium deposits-is located less than 20 km from Rossing, so a partnership would make technical and economic sense. It would provide a means of prolonging operations at Rossing and avoid the need to build a processing plant as well as a mine at Husab-the cost of the two has been put at US$1bn. A definitive feasibility study for Husab is near to completion and may raise the projected output above the current 6,700 tonnes/year of uranium oxide. However, Rossing's existing processing plant, which has operated continuously for 35 years, would need to be expanded and upgraded to handle ore from Husab.