INTERVIEW-UPDATE 1-Areva in uranium drive to tap nuclear boom

* Areva looking at mining acquisitions of all sizes

* Sees durably high uranium prices

* Seeks new projects on geographical, maturity bases

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By Marie Maitre

PARIS, July 14 (Reuters) - Areva (CEPFi.PA) will forge ahead with the development of its uranium mining activities to meet growing global demand for the basic fuel for nuclear power, an official at the French state-owned nuclear reactor maker said.

New acquisitions and exploration efforts will help the world's second-biggest uranium producer double its ore output by 2012, and benefit from uranium prices that should rise further and stay high, Areva's mining chief Sebastien de Montessus said.

"Mining is one of Areva's key areas of development as part of our integrated (product) offer," Montessus told Reuters in an interview at Areva tower in Paris' La Defense business district.

"Areva's model is Nespresso," he said, referring to the coffee-capsule and machine maker. "We supply the machines, the reactors, and the capsules, the fuel," he said, citing as an example the record 8 billion euro ($12.6 billion) deal won by Areva last year to supply China with two new-generation EPR nuclear reactors, and 30,000 tonnes of uranium until 2025.