U.S. TRANSPARENCY MONITORING OF HEU OXIDE CONVERSION AND BLENDING TO LEU HEXAFLUORIDE AT THREE RUSSIAN BLENDING PLANTS

The down-blending of Russian highly enriched uranium (HEU) takes place at three Russian gaseous centrifuge enrichment plants. The fluorination of HEU oxide and down-blending of HEU hexafluoride began in 1994, and shipments of low enriched uranium (LEU) hexafluoride product to the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) began in 1995. U.S. transparency monitoring under the HEU Purchase Agreement began in 1996 and includes a permanent monitoring presence. U.S. transparency monitoring at these facilities is intended to provide confidence that HEU is received and down-blended to LEU for shipment to USEC. The monitoring begins with observation of the receipt of HEU oxide shipments, including confirmation of enrichment using U.S. nondestructive assay equipment. The feeding of HEU oxide to the fluorination process and the withdrawal of HEU hexafluoride are monitored. Monitoring is also conducted where the blending takes place and where shipping cylinders are filled with LEU product. A series of process and material accountancy documents are provided to U.S. monitors.