Uranium Mining and Enrichment

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by Jonathan O’Donnell — last modified Apr 10, 2010 12:14 PM

As the first two phases of the nuclear fuel cycle, uranium mining and enrichment play a vital role in nuclear energy production. The documents in this collection explore the technical aspects of uranium mining & enrichment, from both pro and con perspectives.

Mining

  • Analysis of Uranium Supply to 2050, International Atomic Energy Agency, 2001. This report contains the first IAEA projection of uranium supply and demand to 2050 and provides the an understanding of how some alternative uranium supply scenarios could evolve over this period. The analysis is based on the then-current knowledge of uranium resources and production facilities, and takes into account the premise that they can operate with minimal environmental impact and employ the best practices in planning, operations, decommissioning and closure.
  • Uranium — Fuel for Nuclear Energy 2002, Warren I. Finch, U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2179-A, 2003. This report examines the state of the uranium market in the United States and globally, and posits future developments in the industry.
  • Uranium Industry Annual 2002, Energy Information Administration, May 2003. This report provides statistical data on the U.S. uranium industry’s activities relating to uranium raw materials and uranium marketing. The 2002 edition contains data from 1993 through 2012 as collected on the Form EIA-858, “Uranium Industry Annual Survey.” Data collected on the survey provide a statistical portrait of the industry’s activities for the survey year and also include information about the industry’s plans and commitments for the near-term future.
  • U.S. Uranium Reserves Estimate, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Dept. of Energy, June 2004. The U.S. uranium ore reserves reported annually by the EIA for specific maximum forward-cost (MFC) categories represent the sums of quantities estimated to occur in known deposits on properties where data about the ore grade, configuration, and depth indicate that the quantities estimated could be recovered at or less than the stated costs given current mining and milling technology and regulations.
  • Uranium: Global market developments and prospects for Australian exports, William S. Mollard, Chris Rumley, Kate Penney and Robert Curtotti, Abare, November 2006. This report analyzes trends in the global supply and demand for uranium through 2030 and identifies the opportunities and challenges for Australia to increase its uranium exports. It emphasizes that an expansion of mining is needed in the short-term for Australia to maintain its share of the global market through 2015.
  • Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy — Opportunities for Australia? Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, December 2006. On 6 June 2006, the Prime Minister announced the appointment of a taskforce to undertake an objective, scientific and comprehensive review of uranium mining, value-added processing and the contribution of nuclear energy in Australia in the longer term. Although the priority for Australia will continue to be to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal and gas, the Review sees nuclear power as a practical option for part of Australia’s electricity production.
  • Demand for Uranium, Brian Lloyd, Northern Territory Library, 2006. This paper looks at the characteristic arguments about future uranium demand by both proponents and opponents of Australian nuclear power, and assesses their strengths, shortcomings, and implications.

Enrichment