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Sample of uranium ore. Uranium ore deposits are economically recoverable concentrations of uranium within Earth's crust. Uranium is one of the most common elements in Earth's crust, being 40 times more common than silver and 500 times more common than gold. [1] It can be found almost everywhere in rock, soil, rivers, and oceans. [2]
2021 uranium mining by nation [1] Schematic diagram of stages from uranium mining to energy production. Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. Over 50,000 tons of uranium were produced in 2019.
World uranium reserves in 2010. Uranium reserves are reserves of recoverable uranium, regardless of isotope, based on a set market price. The list given here is based on Uranium 2020: Resources, Production and Demand, a joint report by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency. [1] Figures are given in metric ...
Uranium is more plentiful than antimony, tin, cadmium, mercury, or silver, and it is about as abundant as arsenic or molybdenum. [12] [22] Uranium is found in hundreds of minerals, including uraninite (the most common uranium ore), carnotite, autunite, uranophane, torbernite, and coffinite. [12]
The search for uranium ore intensified during the Cold War. In East Germany an extensive uranium mining industry was established. Uranium was mined from 1947 to 1990 from mines in Saxony and Thuringia by the SDAG Wismut. It was mostly used by the Soviet Union to build nuclear fission weapons, and also as fuel for nuclear power plants.
Uranium is the fuel that burns in 104 nuclear reactors across 31 states. While we might think we could do without, these plants have generated about 20% of Americans' electricity each year since 1990.
[13] [14] The states with the largest known uranium ore reserves (not counting byproduct uranium from phosphate) are (in order) Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado. [15] The radiation hazards of uranium mining and milling were not appreciated in the early years, resulting in workers being exposed to high levels of radiation.
Ten drums totaling 2.5 tons of natural uranium have gone missing from Libya. The natural uranium can be enriched to turn into weapons-grade uranium.