Uranium
Short descriptionUranium is one of the more commonly found heavy elements in the Earth's crust and is more abundant than gold and twice as common as tin. Naturally occurring traces of uranium can be found everywhere in rocks and soils, rivers and oceans, as well as in food and human tissue.
List of UsesLinks to three informational essays on uses of uranium, including smoke alarms, electricity production, and weapons.
From nuclear fuel and explosives to analytical chemistry to glasswork, a number of different uranium uses are outlined.
Mining InformationIn-situ mining is a noninvasive, environmentally friendly mining process involving minimal surface disturbance which extracts uranium from porous sandstone aquifers by reversing the natural processes which deposited the uranium. To be mined in situ, the uranium deposit must occur in permeable sandstone aquifers. To effectively extract uranium deposited from ground water, a company must first thoroughly define this plumbing system and then designs well fields that best fit the natural hydrogeological conditions.
South Australia is emerging as one of the world's most significant producers of fuel for nuclear electricity plants, operating the world's largest known uranium resource. The three major mines in South Australia, supporting about 6,000 direct and indirect jobs, are the Olympic Dam mine, the Beverley mine, and the Honeymoon mine (which has yet to begin operation). The combined output of the Olympic Dam and Beverley mines results in about $900 million a year in export income.
Refining InformationISO 14001 is one of the most internationally recognized standards for environmental management systems. ISO 14001 is an international standard through which a company can demonstrate its commitment to sound environmental performance in compliance, pollution prevention and continual improvement. It establishes a permanent framework to assist companies in reaching their environmental protection goals. This framework calls for annual independent audits and for re-certification every three years.
Includes data on the uranium mining industry in major countries of production, including a world map, statistics per country, major companies, the current market, and a full bibliography.
Major Countries of ProductionEssay covering major countries of uranium production as well as projections for future areas of market and production growth.
Includes a table of uranium production figures from 1995-2002 by country.
Sector ForecastA question and answer document explaining the current market and extrapolating future trends across the market for uranium in trading, production, usage, and demand.
A quarterly report on the uranium market that examines recent and prospective spot and long-term contract market activity, supply and demand trends, supplier developments, and the outlook for prices over the short and long term.
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