Uranium: new projects anticipate coming demand

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1976 · Eng. Min. J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7361868

Gordon, E

Uranium exploration and mine-mill development activities accelerated in 1975. Small and large U.S. companies, joint ventures, and foreign companies explored for uranium. Mill expansion, new mills, and new production techniques were also seen. Additionally, ERDA's National Uranium Resources Evaluation program and other Federal government programs sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey have expanded markedly. While much of the industry's exploration was centered in or near areas where uranium has already been produced, considerable effort was also expanded in many other areas of the U.S. Surface drilling in 1975 was reported to have totaled 26 million ft, an increase of 4.4 million ft (20 percent) from the 21.6 million ft drilled in 1974. (Industry had reported to ERDA on plans to drill 27.8 million ft.) Some 47 percent of the total footage was drilled in Wyoming (12 million ft), followed by New Mexico (6 million), Texas (3 million), Utah (2 million), and Colorado (1 million); drilling in other states totaled 2 million ft. Ore production in 1975 was slightly less than 1974's 12,600 tons of U/sub 3/O/sub 8/. Details are given of U.S. industry developments, U.S. market, orders for nuclear power plants, U.S. uranium demand, and U.S. uranium supply. An evaluation of the free world demand outside the U.S. indicates that production capability will be short by the mid-1980s unless the rate of expansion is greatly increased. Mining and production data, policy analysis, and economic data are summarized for Australia, Canada, France, South Africa, and South America. (MCW)

• OSTI ID: 7361868
• Journal Information: Eng. Min. J.; (United States), Vol. 177:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
AUSTRALIA
URANIUM RESERVES
CANADA
FRANCE
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH AMERICA
URANIUM ORES
DEMAND FACTORS
URANIUM OXIDES U3O8
USA
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SUPPLIES
EXPLORATION
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PRODUCTION
URANIUM MINES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
AFRICA
AUSTRALASIA
CHALCOGENIDES
EUROPE
INDUSTRY
MINES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ORES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
RESERVES
RESOURCES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
290600* - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy
051000 - Nuclear Fuels- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects