Secret in Burma about Uranium

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ไม่มีใครแปลกใจกันบ้างหรือ!!!!!

ว่าทำไมรัสเซีย ยูเครน จีน และเกาหลีเหนือ ถึงต้องลงทุนมหาศาลด้านนิวเคลียร์ที่ประเทศพม่า

อะไรคือสิ่งสำคัญที่อยู่ในประเทศพม่า ที่ทำให้ประเทศมหาอำนาจอย่างอเมริกาและยุโรป ต้องกระโจนเข้าใส่ให้ได้

แค่การพัฒนาทางด้านนิวเคลียร์ของประเทศพม่า ....เหตุผลเพียงเท่านี้หรือ???

นอกเหนือจากสิ่งที่เคยบอกกล่าวไปแล้วนั้น ว่าหลังจากที่มีการเปลี่ยนแปลงของแกนโลก

ภูมิภาคเอเชีย จะเป็นภูมิภาคเดียวที่สามารถใช้ทำการเพาะปลูกได้

นั่นหมายถึง "คลังอาหารของโลก"

นอกจากนั้นแล้ว "แร่ธาตุสำคัญ"ต่างๆ จะมีการเคลื่อนที่และไหลเทตัวมาภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้

จากการสำรวจด้วยภาพถ่ายทางดาวเทียมของประเทศจีนล่าสุด พบว่า

ประเทศพม่าเป็นประเทศที่มียูเรเนียมมากที่สุดในโลก ซึ่งขณะนี้มีจำนวนมากถึง 8 บ่อ

แค่ยูเรเนียมบ่อเดียว ก็รวยมหาศาลแล้ว แต่นี่มีมากถึง 8 บ่อ

จึงไม่ต้องแปลกใจ ว่าทำไมอเมริกาและยุโรปต้องเข้าประเทศไทยให้ได้

นอกจากประเทศไทยจะเป็นจุดยุทธศาสตร์โลกที่สำคัญแล้ว

ในขณะเดียวกัน อเมริกาและยุโรปยังใช้ประเทศไทยเป็นฐานหลักในการโจมตีและช่วงชิงพื้นที่ประเทศพม่าจากมหาอำนาจอีกขั้วหนึ่งไปพร้อมๆกันด้วย

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IMAGES OF SUSPECTED URANIUM MINE AND REFINERY IN BURMA

March 2007

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A schematic of a uranium mill.

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The Chauk facility.

A facility in the town of Chauk, on the Irrawaddy River north of Magwe; Chauk is known to have an old petroleum refining operation, but the facility in the close-up photo obviously has a different use. The tanks in the image may be thickening tanks.

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The Lanwya facility.

Another facility in Lanwya, a few miles further north. The facility at Lanwya, while not a refinery, is large and clearly top secret. Its purpose is unknown.

[MI-6]

พม่าสามารถทำการเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพคุณภาพของยูเรเนียม (enrichment) ได้หรือยัง ?

แล้วที่น่าวิตกก็คือ ประเทศไทย ไม่ควรจะอยู่ติดกับประเทศ ที่มีแร่อันตรายแบบนี้เลย

จะว่าไปแล้ว ในเมื่อธรรมชาติ เขาบอกว่า ทุกอย่างจะต้องมีตัวข่มกัน แล้วแร่กัมมันต์พวกนี้ มีอะไรเป็นตัวข่มได้ ?

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A wide-view image of the city Yangon in Burma. The Insein Locomotive Shed is likely
located within Insein Township, circled in blue.

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Wide-view of Mandalay in Burma. The Ywahtaung Diesel Locomotive Shed is likely
located in the area circled in blue.

[MI-6]

ตัวอย่างเช่น ธาตุ โซเดียม ซึ่งปกติจะต้องเก็บในน้ำมัน เพราะว่าหากมันอยู่ในอากาศจะลุกเป็นไฟได้

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พม่าสามารถทำการเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพคุณภาพของยูเรเนียม (enrichment) ได้หรือยัง ?

แล้วที่น่าวิตกก็คือ ประเทศไทย ไม่ควรจะอยู่ติดกับประเทศ ที่มีแร่อันตรายแบบนี้เลย

จะว่าไปแล้ว ในเมื่อธรรมชาติ เขาบอกว่า ทุกอย่างจะต้องมีตัวข่มกัน แล้วแร่กัมมันต์พวกนี้ มีอะไรเป็นตัวข่มได้ ?

ยูเรเนียมไม่ใช่แร่อันตรายซะทีเดียวค่ะ ขึ้นอยู่กับผู้ใช้ว่าจะนำไปใช้ทำอะไร

แต่ที่แน่ๆแร่ยูเรเนียม เป็นแร่ธาตุที่มีราคาและไม่ได้มีอยู่ทั่วไป อีกทั้งก็ยังมีจำนวนที่จำกัด

ทางที่ดี ประเทศไทยควรตีซี้กับพม่า จีน รัสเซีย และเกาหลีเหนือไว้ดีกว่า

ขืนไปเข้าข้างอเมริกาและยุโรป และเป็นปรปักษ์กับประเทศที่ร่วมกับทางพม่า

นอกจากคนไทยจะเป็นทาสหรือขี้ข้าคนต่างชาติแล้ว

เราอาจถูกสะเก็ดการทดลองพลังงานทางนิวเคลียร์จากประเทศพม่าก็เป็นได้

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Currently Burma’s nuclear effort is managed by the Directorate of Defence Services Science and Technology Research Center (DDSSTRC). This organization is located in May Myo, also called Pyin Oo Lwin at the Defense Services Technological Academy (DSTA). It is a large complex for the education of military officers and for research. It is primarily a headquarters site and probably does not conduct experimental research, at least with nuclear materials or explosives.

Figure 1. Defense Services Technological Academy at Pyin Oo Lwin

The scientific side of the nuclear program is run by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), headed by Minister U Thang. Beneath Thang is the Director General of MOST, Dr. Ko Ko Oo. Dr. Ko Ko Oo is the most public face of MOST and its nuclear activities. An example is an invitation to a June 2010 training course sponsored by IAEA where Dr. Ko Ko Oo is the addressee to choose participants from Burma.(5) It is vital to note that Dr. Ko Ko Oo has also served as director of the Department of Technical and Vocational Education (DTVE), which is a front for military procurement activities. It will become clear later in this report that DTVE has been purchasing equipment for the nuclear and missile programs. There is also a Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in Burma. The DTVE and DAE at one point shared an address, phone number and fax number according to an excellent and detailed report by Andrea Stricker of ISIS.(6) In 2002 Dr. Ko Ko Oo gave his email address at DAE in his personal data at a conference.(7)

The DDSSTRC is responsible for a program, which according to sources, is charged with building a nuclear reactor, enriching uranium, and building a nuclear weapon. It is clear that this is a very difficult task for Burma to successfully accomplish. Much of what STW is providing suggests Burma has little chance of succeeding in its quest, but that does not change the fact that even trying to build a bomb is a serious violation of its international agreements. It would also seem that the very act of trying to build nuclear weapons is a sign of desperation and fear, no matter how unlikely it is to succeed.

Thabeikkyin

Our assessment of multiple sources is that Burma is really developing nuclear technology, that it has built specialized equipment and facilities, and it has issued orders to a cadre to build a program. The cadre in charge is known as the Number 1 Science and Technology Regiment at Thabeikkyin.It is colloquially referred to as the “Nuclear Battalion” and we will adopt that term as well. Major General Sein Win and Lt.-Col. Win Ko have signed a document directing a special factory to produce a part for the No. (1) Scientific and Technology Regiment.

This document is important and will surface again when we look at equipment that is needed for the Nuclear Battalion. There are many reported activities at Thabeikkyin. Previous reports have associated it with mining or ore concentration. This latest source goes further and describes it as a site where “dangerous” ore is brought and stored. He also believes that the site is involved in trying to produce “yellowcake” but he is not sure what this material is or if they have been successful.

In Google Earth imagery we can see a small ore concentration plant and ore reserve about 7 miles east of the Irrawaddy at Thabeikkyin. This is very close to the point he describes. A group of buildings with one thickener and a tailings pond are visible. There is a pile of ore nearby. This could be a uranium ore concentration plant, consistent with multiple source reports of uranium mining in this general area. The mine itself has not been found.

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Figure 2. A small ore concentration plant is visible at the location of Thabeikkyin given by the latest source.


STW visited Thabeikkyin on two occasions, in 2006 and 2007 and reported on the following points. The first and most important is that the mission is to build a nuclear reactor and to enrich uranium for a nuclear bomb. There is considerable research work at the site devoted to this end. It is not clear that either the reactor or enrichment plant would actually be built, possibly only designed here.

He did not visit the ore plant but he did visit laboratories in small buildings for a demonstration to General Mg Aye. He saw two demonstrations of technology. The first was a powerful laser, reportedly a carbon-monoxide (CO) laser that was used to burn a hole in a stick. The beam was a small red spot. One of his colleagues later confided to him that CO laser beams are invisible so the spot was not from that laser, but maybe a guide or pointing laser. The audience of military offices was very impressed.

The top general in the country, Than Shwe attended a second demonstration on a subsequent visit: a “control rod drive.” This consisted of a microprocessor moving a control element up and down in a laboratory. This sounds like an extremely simple task and not very impressive but again the military officers were pleased. Sai, without prompting gave a technically credible explanation of how a control rod affects the criticality of a reactor by absorbing neutrons. Otherwise we would not be so sure that the demonstration he saw had any nuclear application.

STW told us that Dr. Ni Lar Tin was the scientist who explained to the group how a control rod works. A Dr. Daw Nilar Tin is active and visible in the DAE and MOST.

STW can give the names of a few researchers at Thabeikkyin. Details of the technology are in a later section of this analysis.

The Factories

The Nuclear Battalion controls two important factories. These factories are dedicated to making prototypes and special components for the missile and nuclear programs.

Number (1) Science and Technological Material Production Workshop will be abbreviated as “Factory 1” in this report. It is located east of Pyin Oo Lwin (also known as Maymyo.) It was purposely built for the military research programs. Factory 1 has been more closely associated with the nuclear program than the missile program but has worked for both. It is also known by the name Naung Laing.

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Figure 3. Factory 1 is east of Pyin Oo Lwin

Factory 1 has been the subject of internet discussion in such forums as the Arms Control Wonk, where it was the subject of intense speculation as a reactor.(11) DVB has many pictures of Factory 2 under construction that can be correlated to satellite imagery, as well as the exterior of Factory 1 after completion. It is a certainty that this is a machine tool factory and not a reactor.

Number (2) Science and Technological Material Production Workshop, “Factory 2,” is located near Myaing in the western part of Burma. This factory is supposedly almost identical to Factory 1 but it is more tied to the Burmese missile program. That program is allegedly planning to make prototype parts for SCUD liquid fueled missiles. Burma has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DPRK on producing SCUDs so it is not unreasonable to consider there is a link between Factory 2 and the DPRK MOU.

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Figure 4. Factory 2 near Myaing

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Figure 5. Factory 2 under construction in a photo provided by STW

The western world and DVB know a great deal about the equipment and capability inside these two buildings. A great deal of the equipment in the buildings is large scale, precision, Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine tools. These tools are largely of German and Swiss origin, along with some measuring equipment from Japan.

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Figure 6. Layout of Machine Tools in Factory 1 from a visitors’ orientation display

The companies which sold this equipment to Burma presumed it was being sold for educational or civilian purposes. The customer for the purchase was the DTVE. There was no derogatory information about DTVE at the time so the sale was allowed. Nevertheless, the companies did not sell the latest and best 4 and 5 axis machine tools. Instead they removed some of these capabilities. To verify the end-use of the equipment, the German government sent an expert in machine tools along with diplomatic representatives to the factories. The expert examined the tools and made a number of observations, most of which were incompatible with the claim that the factories were just university training centers:

• • The factories are far from any universities or students
  
• • There were no females working or studying
  
• • The equipment was extremely large for normal machinist training
  
• • No military personnel were observed(13)
  

There are multiple correlations between satellite imagery, end-user verification, and photos of equipment being installed by German technicians, and even photos of the expert and the diplomat during end-user verification inspections. STW served one and one half years as an army major and deputy director in Factory 2 and then a few months in Factory 1 in the same capacity.

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Figure 7. Shipping crate for machine tool delivered to Factory 1 in the name of DTVE

He indicated that many of the German tools were unusable due to damage and poor maintenance. Photos of equipment show rust, rat droppings and damaged hydraulic and electrical lines.

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Figure 8. Electrical discharge machine tool display for VIP visit

Training in Russia

STW has an interesting background, according to his interviews with us and with the DVB. He received an engineering degree from the DSTA. He joined the military and later was chosen to go to Moscow for additional training in missile technology in 2001. He was in the first group of students going to Russia, a fact which has been widely reported in other sources. Sai describes how he had to appear to be a civilian for this Russian training, and so he was given a false graduation certificate from Yangon University to show to the Russians. He still has both Burmese certificates as well as a Russian certificate from the N. E. Bauman Institute, Moscow State Technical University (MSTU).

This is a respected Russian university where he studied many aspects of missile technology. Upon return to Burma he was assigned to the Headquarters of DDSSTRC for a year. He then was assigned to Factory 2, while it was under construction and worked primarily on missiles. An example is that he programmed the CNC machines to make a prototype impeller designed at DDSSTRC; however, the impeller quality was unacceptable due to the limitations of the machine tool.

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Figure 9. The missile impeller as manufactured at Factory 2

Sai was part of a group which received missile training. Another group, where he also had friends, was sent to Russia at the same time, circa 2001, for training in nuclear technology. Many were trained at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute known by its Russian acronym, MIFI. This university specializes in the nuclear side of technology, such as mathematics, physics, computer codes and theory. At one time it was the primary training school for the Soviet nuclear weapons experts. Other Burmese students went to the Mendeleev Moscow Chemical Engineering Institute.
This university trained the Burmese in chemical technologies related to activities such as the production of uranium compounds to be used in the nuclear fuel cycle.

After all of the students returned from Russia, STW lost direct contact with them, but he knew that the mechanical engineers with nuclear training went to Factory 1 and the ones with more specific nuclear training went to the Nuclear Battalion at Thabeikkyin. There are still Burmese military students in Russia today.

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

All of the new information brought out in photographs pertains to chemical processing. There are no pictures of nuclear bombs or reactors and only a tiny bit allegedly on Laser Isotope Separation (LIS). The information is all related to the chemical side of the nuclear fuel cycle. The technologies of interest are the following.

Step		Activity
1		Uranium Mining
2		Uranium Ore Concentration
3		Yellowcake Production
4		Uranium Oxides Production
5		Uranium Tetrafluoride Production (UF4)
6		Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6)
7		Enrichment
	Gas Centrifuges	Or	Molecular Laser Isotope Separation
8		Reduction of UF6 to UF4
9		Bomb reduction of UF4 with magnesium to uranium metal

Equipment Built at Factory 1 for the Nuclear Battalion

(Step numbers refer to the fuel cycle diagram above.)

Bomb Reactor (Step 9)

The bomb reactor is easy to recognize from its properties and from the fact that STW supplied a letter from the Nuclear Battalion to Factory 1 requesting a “bomb reactor.” The bomb reactor was to be used by the “special substance production research department.” This group is located at Technological workshop (5), whose location we do not know.

“Bomb Reactor” is an unfortunate pair of words in the nuclear context. The object is not a “nuclear bomb” and it is not a “nuclear reactor.” It is simply a very strong vessel to contain a violent chemical reaction. Hence it is a bomb in its strength and shape, and a reactor for containing the reaction of UF4 and magnesium (or calcium) metal inside. The term bomb reactor is synonymous with “bomb reduction vessel” or even “reduction vessel.” This terminology is much less emotive.

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Figure 10. Original letter from the Nuclear Battalion directing Factory 1 to build a “Bomb Reactor”

Secret

[Stamp of No (1) Science and Technology Regiment

Ministry of Defence]

No (1) Science and Technology Regiment

Thabeikkyin

Letter no. 1003/99/research/ Oo 3

Date, 2010 February 4

To

Army Science and Technological Research Department

Subject: Requesting the continuation of supply for materials needed for research

1. 1. Request No (1) Science and Technological material production workshop to make Bomb Reactor needed for research material for the use of special substance production research department at technological workshop (5).
   
2. 2. Send and report the formation/prototype data of Bomb Reactor needed to be made, as in Appendix (A)
   

Lt-Col Win Ko

• - (Please) carry it out.
  
• - Calculate necessity
  

(Signed)

Chief of HQs (On behalf of)

(Signature)

Secret

Figure 11. Translation of the Letter

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Figure 12. Sketch for building the bomb reactor

One thing that will jump out at the experienced reader is that there are no tolerances or materials listed on this sketch. The source himself noted that the drawings from the Nuclear Battalion were very unprofessional. This factors into our assessment that the Burmese nuclear program is quite primitive.

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Figure 13. Two bomb reactors, one used and one new

The finished bomb reactors are pictured side by side in this image from Factory 1. One of the reactors has obviously been subjected to great heat and is discolored and paint has burned off as it would be if it had been used to reduce metal. The other is new. There is an image of the two vessels in a packing crate being received from the Nuclear Battalion, so for some reason an unused vessel is being returned with an older one. STW did not see these vessels, only the photo, so he was not aware of any health and safety precautions. There are no safety precautions such as contamination control in any image of the factories that we have seen.

There is no information about ceramic crucibles, boosters, igniters or such things. The factory simply built the items and shipped them elsewhere for use. A rough estimate of the amount of metal that could be produced in this reactor is about 20 – 25 kg. That would be criticality safe and could be used for natural or enriched metal.

Bomb reduction is done in other industries besides nuclear but it is relatively rare. The technology was widely developed during the Manhattan project to make uranium metal for reactor fuel and for weapons in ton quantities. A bomb reactor built by a special factory, subordinate to the Army Nuclear Battalion is a very good indicator of a nuclear program in the context of many other things.

Inert Atmosphere Glove Box (Step 9)

STW described the construction of a simple vacuum glove box produced at Factory 1. The box was used to mix two materials together when one of them was highly susceptible to oxidation. He describes evacuating the box and backfilling it with inert argon for the mixing to take place. Our interpretation for this glove box is that it is used for mixing UF4 with magnesium metal for the bomb reduction to uranium metal.

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Figure 14. Inert Atmosphere glove box. Vacuum pump is behind the man on the right.

Vacuum glove boxes are not an everyday item in industry. This one is quite crude but STW’s description of it being used to mix readily oxidizing chemicals is certainly credible. He also noted it would be cheaper to buy a glove box like this than it would be to make it. Possibly this was because the project was classified.

Inconel Tube Fluoride Bed Reactor (Step 6)

Factory 1 put a lot of effort into building a “fluoride bed reactor”. It is shown in the next figures. STW did not know the materials that were used, but the photo was found on a CD in a file marked “Inconel.”

Inconel © is a nickel based alloy used in nuclear industry applications where fluorine or hydrogen fluoride (HF) is used in the process. Fluorine is highly corrosive and destroys steels at high temperatures, such as in furnaces. Inconel is also used in a variety of other applications ranging from the natural gas industry, to turbine blades and even Formula One racing car exhausts. So the use of Inconel is not a unique signature of nuclear fuel cycle use.

The terminology used by this source, “fluoride bed reactor” does offer more clues. It would seem that fluorine is involved and fluorine is a component of the nuclear fuel cycle and a very corrosive one. UF6 can be produced by placing UF4 powder in a fluidized bed reactor and agitating it in a high temperature section by a stream of fluorine gas. It is likely that the assembly shown in the figure is the entire fluidized bed reactor. The can at the bottom collects solids that are not fluorinated and are not wanted in the product. The size of this reactor suggests a prototype or pilot plant size.

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Figure 15. The “fluoride bed reactor” assembly. Note the Trumabend V-130 machine on the right and the Trumatic L 3030 laser cutting machine in the background and compare to Figure 6, the shop layout of Factory 1.

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Figure 16. Internal components of the “Fluoride Bed Reactor”