science

Uranium mining by country

Uranium mining by country is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Uranium mining by country rather than just read about it. In short: The world's largest producer of uranium is Kazakhstan, which in 2019 produced 43% of the world's mining output. Canada was the next largest producer with a 13% share, followed by Australia with 12%.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

The world's largest producer of uranium is Kazakhstan, which in 2019 produced 43% of the world's mining output. Canada was the next largest producer with a 13% share, followed by Australia with 12%. Uranium has been mined in every continent except Antarctica.

Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Uranium mining in the DRC ceased in 2004 with the closure of the Shinkolobwe mine. Uranium for the Manhattan Project nuclear bombs that were used in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War came from Shinkolobwe, in the mineral rich province of Katanga, at that time in the Belgian Congo. In 2009 the French conglomerate Areva executed an agreement with the Congolese Minister of Mines on uranium prospecting and mining. Work would start with a detailed inventory of mining sites and an update of all databases. In 2011 Areva disclosed that it was unlikely to develop a uranium mine in the DRC until the country became more politically stable.

Gabon In Gabon, mining used to occur in Oklo, but the deposits are reported to be exhausted. In 1972, remains of a natural nuclear fission reactor were found at the Oklo deposits.

Malawi Uranium is produced at Kayelekera mine near Karonga. The mine is owned and operated by Australian company, Paladin Energy. As of 2014, the mine is under 'care and maintenance' due to weak uranium prices.

Namibia

Namibia produces uranium from three of the world's largest open pit uranium mines. The China National Nuclear Corporation-owned Rössing mine produced 2,478 tonnes (5,463,000 lb) of U3O8 in 2018. The China General Nuclear Power Group-owned Husab Mine produced 3,571 tonnes (7,873,000 lb) of U3O8 in 2018. The Langer Heinrich calcrete uranium deposit was discovered in 1973 and an open pit mine officially opened in 2007, producing until 2018, when the Paladin Energy-China National Nuclear Corporation joint venture was placed on care and maintenance, due to a sustained low uranium price. Production in 2017 was 1,882 tonnes (4,149,000 lb) of U3O8.

Niger

Niger was Africa's leading uranium-producing nation until 2016, when it was overtaken by Namibia. In 2019 it was the world's fifth largest producer, with 6% of production. Uranium is produced from the Somair mine at Arlit, 63.4% owned by Orano Cycle and 36.66% by Niger state mining assets company Société du patrimoine des mines du Niger, known as SOPAMIN, and has produced nearly 68,000 tonnes (149,900,000 pounds) of uranium since operations began in 1971; and the Akouta mine at Akokan, owned by Orano Cycle (34%), SOPAMIN (31%), Overseas Uranium Resources Development Co of Japan (25%) and Enusa Industrias Avanzadas SA of Spain (10%), and has produced more than 70,000 tonnes (154,300,000 pounds) of uranium since the start of operations in 1978.

South Africa South Africa produces uranium from deposits in Archean quartz-pebble conglomerates of the Witwatersrand Basin, at Brakpan and Krugersdorp, Gauteng. The Karoo contains several sandstone-hosted Permian uranium deposits around Beaufort West in the Western Cape.

Asia

China China mined in 2007 636 tonnes of U3O8, a decrease of 17% of its production in 2006.

India In Nalgonda District, the Rajiv Gandhi Tiger Reserve (the only tiger project in Telangana ) has been forced to surrender over 3,000 sq. kilometres to uranium mining, following a directive from the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests. In 2007, India was able to extract 229 tonnes of U3O8 from its soil. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) recently discovered that the upcoming mine in Tumalapalli has close to 49,000 tonnes of uranium reserves. This could just be a shot in the arm for India's nuclear power aspirations as it is three times the original estimate of the area's deposits.

Jordan Jordan is estimated to have inferred mineral resources of 62,000 tonnes of uranium, including 33,300 tonnes in central Jordan, and 28,700 tonnes in the Hasa-Qatrana area, plus a further 100,000 tonnes in phosphate deposits. No uranium has been mined from the country.

Commonwealth of Independent States

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan is the world's largest uranium producer, with some 19,477 tonnes of U3O8 (43 million pounds) in 2020, 41% of the world's supply. In 2019 five of Kazatomprom's ISR mining groups were among the world's ten largest uranium mines.

Russia The World Nuclear Association states that Russia has known uranium deposits of 500,000 tonnes and planned to mine 11,000 to 12,000 tonnes per year from deposits in the South Urals, Western Siberia, and Siberia east of Lake Baikal, by 2010. The Russian nuclear industry underwent an overall restructuring process in 2007. The production was high as almost 4,000 tons of tU3O8 (8.8 million pounds) from three operating mines in 2007. Atomredmetzoloto reported that the Priargunsky mine yielded 3,538 tonnes (7.8 million pounds) in 2007, a slight decline from the 3,719 tonnes (8.2 million pounds) reported by TVEL in 2006. At the Dalur (Dolmatovskoye) and Khiagda ISR mines, production of 412 tonnes (910,000 pounds) and 30 tonnes (68,000 pounds), respectively, was reached in 2007. Both ISR projects are expected to increase production steadily through 2015.

Uzbekistan In Uzbekistan, the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company reportedly produced 2,721 tonnes of U3O8 or tU3O8 (6 million pounds) from its Nurabad, Uchkuduk and Zafarabad in-situ recovery facilities.

Mongolia Mongolia has reserves of uranium approximating 41,521 tonnes in total. A single mine at Mardai was operated between 1989 and 1995, producing 2,400 tonnes of uranium per year. No uranium mining is being undertaken in Mongolia in 2021, though mines are being planned.

Australia

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Uranium mining by country: A drum of yellowcake — A drum of yellowcake

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Uranium mining by country

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Uranium mining by country claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Uranium mining by country before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Uranium mining by country ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Uranium mining by country

In research: Uranium mining by country appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Uranium mining by country in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Uranium mining by country is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Uranium mining, Uranium mining by country, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Uranium mining by country outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Uranium mining by country in simple terms?

The world's largest producer of uranium is Kazakhstan, which in 2019 produced 43% of the world's mining output. Canada was the next largest producer with a 13% share, followed by Australia with 12%.

Why does Uranium mining by country matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Uranium mining by country?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Uranium mining by country.