Production
Now that nearly all of the 21 uranium-producing countries
provide official reports of annual production, it
is possible to have a better understanding of worldwide
uranium production (China, India and Pakistan do not
provide official reports). In 1999 over 90% of world
production came from the 10 major producing countries
(Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Niger, the
Russian Federation, South Africa, Ukraine, USA and
Uzbekistan), each of which produced over 1000 tU.
Canada continued to be the largest producer, with
a 1999 output of 8 214 tU, or 25.2% of the world total;
Australia retained second place, with production of
5 984 tU and a share of 18.4%, while the third largest
producer was Niger, with 2 918 tU (9.0%).
The NIS have a long history of uranium production
and they continue as major suppliers. Following an
ongoing production decline from 1988 (15 000 tU) to
1996 (6 274 tU), aggregate annual output from these
countries stabilised over the next few years, subsequently
regaining an upward path to reach nearly 7 300 tU
in 1999, equivalent to about 22 % of world production.
There are ongoing projects to develop new uranium
mines in the four NIS, using in-situ leach (ISL) technology.
Nearly 50% of the production in 1997 was from open-pit
mining, versus 32% from underground. About 13% was
produced using ISL technology. The balance was produced
by other methods. The distribution by mine-type remained
about the same in 1998. The increasing importance
of open-pit mining as compared with 1996 was caused
by closure of underground mines and increased output
from existing large open-pit mines.
Several significant changes have occurred at production
facilities worldwide. The changes include the closure
of smaller centres with higher production costs. This
decrease in production capacity is being offset by
the expansion of the facilities of some low-cost producers,
and the opening of new mines that produce from high-grade
ore bodies. As a result, the world uranium production
capability of existing and committed centres increased
about 7% from 1997 to 1999. In Canada all production
has been coming from three high-grade ore bodies located
in northern Saskatchewan. For three additional new
mining projects the process of regulatory and environmental
approval made progress in 1998. For example, authorisation
was received to use the Key Lake processing facility
to process ore from the new McArthur River mine. Construction
and licensing activities continued on the new McClean
mine-mill project. In 1999 both the McArthur River
and McClean Lake mines received their production authorisation
from regulatory authorities. Both mines then started
production.
In Australia the milling capacity at Ranger was expanded
to 4 240 tU/year by mid-1997, while construction was
under way to increase the milling capacity at Olympic
Dam by more than 200% to 3 900 tU/year. This project
was completed in 1999. In early 1998 the operator
of the Beverley in-situ leach project commenced field
testing for a new operation planned to produce 850
tU/year starting by 2000. In the USA, production decreased
from 2 432 tU in 1996 to 1 810 tU in 1998. In 1998
the Uncle Sam phosphate by-product operation closed,
while the new Smith Ranch ISL operation started production.
No additional new projects in the US are expected
to come on-stream unless market conditions become
more favourable.
In other countries in 1997, mines were closed in Brazil,
France, Hungary and South Africa. In 1998 the small
phosphate uranium by-product plant in Belgium was
closed. In 1999 Gabon closed its only mine ending
a long history of production. No other new mines were
brought into production in either 1997 or 1998. Brazil
started its new Lagoa Real facility in 1999. Increased
production in Namibia and Niger was the result of
improved capacity utilisation in existing mines and
mills. South Africa experienced a cut in production,
because uranium is recovered primarily as a by-product
of gold mining, and is thus dependent on the gold
market price. Increased production costs at deep underground
mines in South Africa have forced unprofitable projects
to close.
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