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Key Uranium Data 

 

¨World Uranium Mining (Production from mines in tonnes U) <= Click link for full information from World Nuclear Assoc.

  • Over half of the world's production of uranium from mines is from Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan.
  • An increasing proportion is produced by in situ leaching.
  • After a decade of falling mine production to 1993, output has generally risen since then and now comprises 61% of demand for power generation. 

Canada produces the largest share of uranium from mines (25% of world supply from mines), followed by Australia (19%) and Kazakhstan (13%). Australian and Canadian production was depressed in 2006 due to particular problems.

Production from mines (tonnes U)

Country
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Canada
11604
10457
11597
11628
9862
Australia
6854
7572
8982
9516
7593
Kazakhstan
2800
3300
3719
4357
5279
Niger
3075
3143
3282
3093
3434
Russia (est)
2900
3150
3200
3431
3262
Namibia
2333
2036
3038
3147
3067
Uzbekistan
1860
1598
2016
2300
2260
USA
919
779
878
1039
1672
Ukraine (est)
800
800
800
800
800
China (est)
730
750
750
750
750
South Africa
824
758
755
674
534
Czech Repub.
465
452
412
408
359
India (est)
230
230
230
230
177
Brazil
270
310
300
110
190
Romania (est)
90
90
90
90
90
Germany
212
150
150
77
50
Pakistan (est)
38
45
45
45
45
France
20
0
7
7
5
Total world
36 063
35 613
40 251
41 702
39 429
tonnes U3O8
42 529
41 998
47 468
49 179
46 499
WNA Market Report data

Mining methods have been changing. In 1990, 55% of world production came from underground mines, but this shrunk dramatically to 1999, with 33% then. From 2000 the new Canadian mines increase it again, and with Olympic Dam it is now 50%.

In 2006 production was as follows:

underground 41%
open pit 24%
in situ leach (ISL) 26%
by-product 9%

(considering Olympic Dam as by-product rather than in underground category)

In the 1990s the uranium production industry was consolidated by takeovers, mergers and closures. In 2006, the eight companies marketing most of the world's uranium mine production were:

Company tonnes U %
Cameco
8249
20.9
Rio Tinto
7094
18.0
Areva
5272
13.4
KazAtomProm
3699
9.4
TVEL
3262
8.3
BHP Billiton
2868
7.3
Navoi
2260
5.7
Uranium One
1000
2.5
Total top 8
33,704
85.5%

The largest-producing uranium mines in 2006 were:

Mine Country Main owner Type Production (tU) % of world
McArthur River
Canada
Cameco
underground
7200
18.3
Ranger
Australia
ERA (Rio Tinto 68%)
open pit
4026
10.2
Rossing
Namibia
Rio Tinto (69%)
open pit
3067
7.8
Krazbokamensk
Russia
TVEL
underground
2900
7.4
Olympic Dam
Australia
BHP Billiton
by-product/
underground
2868
7.3
Rabbit Lake
Canada
Cameco
underground
1972
5.0
Akouta
Niger
Areva/Onarem
underground
1869
4.7
Arlit
Niger
Areva/Onarem
open pit
1565
4.0
Akdala
Kazakhstan
Uranium One
ISL
1000
2.5
Highland - Smith Ranch
USA
Cameco
ISL
786
2.0
Beverley
Australia
Heathgate
ISL
699
1.7
McClean Lake
Canada
Cogema
open pit
690
1.7
Top 12 total
28,642
72.6%

New Mines

Canada has two major mines which came into production in 1999: Cameco's McArthur River deposit has enormous high-grade reserves and supplies ore from its underground mine to the Key Lake mill, to produce some 7200 tU/yr. Areva's McClean Lake mine can produce over 2000 tU/yr.

Cameco's Cigar Lake underground mine is being developed for 2010 or 2011 start-up. It will truck ore for treatment at McClean Lake and Rabbit Lake mills, 70 km away, to produce 7000 tU/yr. Areva's Midwest mine is ready to develop, with ore milled at McClean Lake nearby, to produce 2200 tU/yr.

With all these operating, Canadian output could be substantially be concentrated at two mills: McClean Lake producing about 7800 tU and Key Lake 10,700 tU per year, with about 2300 t/yr coming from Rabbit Lake. All this will be about half of projected world mine production. (See also Information Paper on Canada).

In Australia there are plans to triple the uranium output of Olympic Dam, to about 12,700 tonnes U per year. Meanwhile the three Australian mines produce some 8000 tonnes U per year, bout 20% of world mine production. (See also Information Paper on Australia).

 

¨Uranium Markets <= Click link for full information from World Nuclear Assoc.

 

¨Geology of Uranium Deposits <= Click link for full information from World Nuclear Assoc.

 

¨Table of World Nuclear Reactors 2003-2007 & Uranium Requirements <= Click link for full information from World Nuclear Assoc.

NOTICE TO READER... The figures below are generated from WNA data however the information is displayed differently to include Taiwan as a recognized country and have the tables add up. 

 

439 Active Reactors (as of Q1 08)

Table of World Nuclear Reactors 2006-2008 & Uranium Requirements <= Source; World Nuclear Assoc.

 

NUCLEAR ELECTRICITY GENERATION 2006

REACTORS OPERABLE January 2008

REACTORS UNDER CONSTRUCTION January 2008

REACTORS PLANNED January 2008

REACTORS PROPOSED January 2008

URANIUM REQUIRED 2008

billion kWh 

% e 

No. 

MWe 

No. 

MWe 

No.

MWe 

No. 

MWe 

tonnes U

Argentina

7.2

6.9

2

935

1

692

1

740

1

740

123

Armenia

2.4

42

1

376

0

0

0

0

1

1000

51

Bangladesh

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

2000

0

Belarus

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

2000

0

0

0

Belgium

44.3

54

7

5728

0

0

0

0

0

0

1011

Brazil

13

3.3

2

1901

0

0

1

1245

4

4000

303

Bulgaria 

18.1

44

2

1906

0

0

2

1900

0

0

261

Canada* 

92.4

16

18

12652

2

1500

4

4000

2

2200

1665

China 

51.8

1.9

11

8587

5

4540

30

32000

86

68000

1396

Czech Republic 

24.5

31

6

3472

0

0

0

0

2

1900

619

Egypt 

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1000

0

Finland 

22

28

4

2696

1

1600

0

0

1

1000

1051

France 

428.7

78

59

63473

1

1630

0

0

1

1600

10527

Germany 

158.7

32

17

20339

0

0

0

0

0

0

3332

Hungary 

12.5

38

4

1826

0

0

0

0

2

2000

271

India 

15.6

2.6

17

3779

6

2976

10

8560

9

4800

978

Indonesia 

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

2000

0

0

0

Iran 

0

0

0

0

1