Orano — which is itself 90% owned by the French state — holds a 63% stake in Somair. The rest of the uranium venture is controlled by Niger's state-run Sopamin. Orano has operated uranium mines in Niger for decades but was shut out of its operations in three key mines in 2024 following a coup that saw a sharp rise in anti-French sentiment in the former French colony. Niger possesses some of the world's largest uranium deposits.