Information Papers

World Uranium Mining

(July 2008)

Canada produces the largest share of uranium from mines (23% of world supply from mines), followed by Australia (21%) and Kazakhstan (16%). Australian and Canadian production was depressed in 2006 due to particular problems but Australia recovered in 2007.

Production from mines (tonnes U)

Country
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Canada
11604
10457
11597
11628
9862

9476

Australia
6854
7572
8982
9516
7593

8611

Kazakhstan
2800
3300
3719
4357
5279

6637

Russia (est)
2900
3150
3200
3431
3262

3413

 Niger

3075

3143

3282

3093

3434

3153

Namibia
2333
2036
3038
3147
3067

2879

Uzbekistan
1860
1598
2016
2300
2260

2320

USA
919
779
878
1039
1672

1654

Ukraine (est)
800
800
800
800
800

846

China (est)
730
750
750
750
750

712

South Africa
824
758
755
674
534

539

Czech Repub.
465
452
412
408
359

306

 Brazil

270

310

300

110

190

299

India (est)
230
230
230
230
177

270

Romania (est)
90
90
90
90
90

77

Pakistan (est)
38
45
45
45
45

45

 Germany

212

150

150

77

50

38

France
20
0
7
7
5

4

Total world
36 063
35 613
40 251
41 702
39 429
41 279
tonnes U3O8
42 529
41 998
47 468
49 179
46 499
48 680
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 around half.  In situ leach mining has been steadily increasing its hare of the total.

In 2007 production was as follows:

conventional underground & open pit 62%
in situ leach (ISL) 29%
by-product 10%

(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 2007, seven companies marketed 85% of the world's uranium mine production:

 

Company tonnes U %
Cameco
7770
19
Rio Tinto
7172
17
Areva
6046
15
KazAtomProm
4795
12
ARMZ
3413
8
BHP Billiton
3388
8
Navoi
2320
6
Uranium One
784
2
GA/ Heathgate

673

2

other

4919

12

Total
41,279
100%

The largest-producing uranium mines in 2007 were:

Mine Country Main owner Type Production (tU) % of world
McArthur River
Canada
Cameco
underground
7199
17
Ranger
Australia
ERA (Rio Tinto 68%)
open pit
4589
11
Olympic Dam
Australia
BHP Billiton
by-product/
underground
3388
8
Kraznokamensk
Russia
ARMZ
underground
3037
7
Rossing
Namibia
Rio Tinto (69%)
open pit
2583
6
 Arlit

Niger

Areva/Onarem

open pit

1750

4

Rabbit Lake
Canada
Cameco
underground
1544
4
Akouta
Niger
Areva/Onarem
underground
1403
3
Akdala
Kazakhstan
Uranium One
ISL
1000
2
Zafarabad
Uzbekistan
Navoi
ISL
(est) 900
2
 McClean Lake

Canada

Areva

open pit

734

2

Beverley
Australia
Heathgate
ISL
634
1.5
Top 12 total
28,760
70%

New Mines

Canada has two major mines likely to come into production in 2011:  Cameco's Cigar Lake underground mine is being developed for 2011 start-up.  It will truck ore for treatment at McClean Lake and Rabbit Lake mills, 70 km away, eventually to produce 7000 tU/yr.  Areva's Midwest mine is smaller, with ore being milled at McClean Lake nearby, to produce 2200 tU/yr.  With these operating, Canadian output could be substantially be concentrated at two mills:  McClean Lake producing about 7800 tU and Key Lake 7000 tU per year, with about 3300 t/yr coming from Rabbit Lake.  (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, and two smaller ISL mines are due to start production by about 2010.   (See also Information Paper on Australia).

In Kazakhstan a number of ISL mines are due to start over the next few years, taking Kazakh uranium production to about 15,000 tU per year by 2010.

With the recovery of uranium prices since about 2003, there is a lot of activity in preparing to open new mines in many countries.  The WNA reference scenario projects world uranium demand as about 74,000 tU in 2015, and most of this will need to come directly from mines (in 2007 36% came from secondary sources).

Western World Uranium Production and Demand 1945-2004

Source:World Nuclear Association

Sources:
World Nuclear Association