Uranium exploration expenditures in 1979 and plans for 1980-1981

Technical Report · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5307356· OSTI ID:5307356

The Grand Junction Office has conducted annual surveys of actual and planned uranium exploration activities since 1971. This work is part of an overall program to evaluate future supplies of nuclear fuel. The annual surveys have covered: (1) land acquired for exploration and cost of acquisition (since 1966); (2) surface drilling footage and cost (since 1966); (3) all other exploration expenditures (since 1966); (4) estimates of exploration activities and costs for 1980-81; (5) exploration for non-sandstone deposits (since 1974); (6) exploration for non-established areas (since 1974); (7) foreign uranium exploration expenditures by US companies (since 1966); (8) foreign participation in exploration activities in the United States (since 1976); (9) aerial radiometric exploration activities (since 1977); and (10) solution mining production drilling (since 1976). This report presents a compilation of data from the replies of 164 companies. The results of this year's survey as compared with data from the previous 13-year period are summarized. Total surface drilling, as reported on questionnaires, was 41.1 million feet in 1979. This footage is 15% lower than the previous record high of 48.1 million feet reported for 1978. Total exploration expenditures for 1979 were $315.9 million, which included $44.5 million for land acquisition, $163.0 million for surface drilling, and $108.4 million for other related exploration activities. The total expenditures for 1979 are slightly higher than the previous record of $314.3 million reported for 1978. The industry's planned exploration expenditures are $277 million in 1980 and $271 million in 1981. These plans include 39.4 million feet of surface exploration and development drilling in 1980 and 35.5 million feet in 1981.

• Research Organization: Bendix Field Engineering Corp., Grand Junction, CO (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-13-1664
• OSTI ID: 5307356
• Report Number(s): GJO-103(80)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050200 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Exploration-- (-1987)
050300 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Mining-- (-1987)
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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
AERIAL MONITORING
CAPITAL
COOPERATION
COST
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DATA FORMS
DRILLING
EXPLORATION
FINANCIAL DATA
FORECASTING
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GRAPHS
INFORMATION
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
LAND USE
MINING
MONITORING
NUMERICAL DATA
RADIATION MONITORING
RESOURCES
SOLUTION MINING
TABLES
URANIUM DEPOSITS