Researchers have identified a potential source of uranium in a long-explored mining district in the southern Philippines, as Manila moves to establish nuclear power and expand its critical minerals industry. The discovery, which could provide uranium for the nuclear fuel cycle if further exploration confirms its viability, was made in the Larap-Paracale mining district in Camarines Norte province, where exploration began in the 1950s. Researchers from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), the University of the Philippines Diliman and Akita University in Japan confirmed that surface deposits collected from the area contained uraninite as the main uranium-bearing mineral, and that the material could be processed into a product with higher uranium content. "The findings are vital as uranium may become important in the country's foray into nuclear energy," PNRI said in a statement on Friday.