Uranium production is carried out in about 13 countries around the world, in 2017 producing a cumulative total of 59,462 tonnes of uranium (tU). The international producers were Kazakhstan (39%), Canada (22%), Australia (10%), Namibia (7.1%), Niger (5.8%), Russian Federation (4.9%), Uzbekistan (4.0%), China (3.2%), United States (1.6%), Ukraine (0.9%), India (0.7%), South Africa (0.5%) and Pakistan (0.1%). Since 2009 the in-situ leach (ISL) mining operations in Kazakhstan have been producing the largest share of world uranium.
The largest conventional uranium mines are Cigar Lake and McArthur River (Canada); Ranger and Olympic Dam (Australia); Krasnokamensk (Russia) and Rossing (Namibia). The largest uranium producers are Cameco, Rio Tinto, Areva, KazAtomProm and ARMZ-TVEL.
The production methods employed are conventional underground and open cast (50%) and in-situ leaching (50%). About 50 uranium production centers are operational.
Viable projects
Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %UGrade %U: weight percentage of uranium Annual production (tOre)tOre: capacity - tonnes of ore Annual production (tU)tU: capacity - tonnes of uranium Type of mineUG - underground; OC - opencast; ISL - in-situ leachingDon OttoSalta Globe Uranium 1958 0.15 Presently shut downCachocira (Cactite) 1999 0.3 340 OCEngenlio (Cactite) 2006 OC (See Uranium mining in Australia) Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineFour MileSouth AustraliaGeneral Atomics200520140.372,064 (2019)ISL Olympic Dam South Australia BHP 1975 1988 0.05 9,100,000 4,356 UGRanger Northern TerritoryERA 1969 1980 0.2 2,000,000 5,544 OC, mining ceased, processing stockpiled oreBeverley South Australia, in the northern Flinders Ranges Heathgate Resources 1969 1999 0.18 N.A.Not Applicable for ISL mining 1064 ISL, production suspended in 2013 Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineCaetité Lagoa Real province, Bahia State Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil 1977 1999 0.25 400 OC Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineCigar Lake Saskatchewan Cameco 1981 2005 15.41 52,424 (2016)8,650UG McArthur River/Key Lake Saskatchewan Cameco 1988 1999 6.58 93,750 (2016) 9,000 UGMcClean Lake Saskatchewan Orano Canada 1979 1999 2.4 2490 OC Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mine 750 (est)Chenxian Hunan Province China National Nuclear Corporation 712 Uranium Mine Hunan Province Fuzhou Hangjian Fujian Province Tengchong Yunnan Province ISLYining Xinjiang Autonomous Region ISLChongyi Shaanxi Province Lantian Shaanxi Province Quinglong fieldLiaoning Province Benxi Liaoning Province 0.34 Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineDolní Rožínka Diamo 408 UG Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mine 2 (2015) byproduct of rare earth element production Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineKönigstein Königstein, SaxonyWismut1963 1967 77 closed, production from mine water treatment Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineJaduguda Jharkhand UCIL 1967 2300+ (est) UGBhatinJharkhand UCIL 1967 1230 UGNarwapaharJharkhand UCIL 1995 1050 UGTuramdih Jharkhand UCIL 2002 1730 UGTummalapalle Andhra Pradesh UCIL1989 (?) 0.05 UG Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineAkashat Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineTortkuduk Kazatomprom-Areva 2600 ISLStepnoye Kazatomprom 1570 ISLTsentralnoye Kazatomprom 1000 ISLWestern group Kazatomprom 900 ISL Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineKayelekera near KarongaLotus Resources 2009 0.08 1400 OC, Production Suspended 2014 Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineRössing Namib Desert Rio Tinto 1928 1976 0.03–0.05 12,030,000 1,569 OCLanger Heinrich Namib Desert Paladin Energy 1973 2007 0.06–0.07 1,903.5 OCHusab Namib Desert China General Nuclear Power Group and China-Africa Development Fund 2008 2015 0.039 OC Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineAkouta. Areva/Onarem 1967 1974 0.46 1778 UGArlit(Arlette) Areva/Onarem 1965 1971 0.3 1315 OC Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineDera Ghazi Khan PAEC +2200(est) Issa Khel / Kubul KelMiniawali District Tuman LeghariSouth Punjab Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mine Carpaţii Orientali (zona de nord) Compania Naţională a Uraniului 70(est) Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineKrasnokamensk Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai ARMZ1963 1968 0.38 3431(est) UG Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineVaal River gold operations AngloGold Ashanti 0.033 600 (2012)UG, byproduct of gold production Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineVatutininski and Ingulskyi VostGOK 800(est) UG (See Uranium mining in the United States) Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mineCrow Butte Nebraska Cameco 1980 1991 _ 363 ISLDanerosnear Fry Canyon, Utah Energy Fuels 1975 2009 0.26 37,90097.4 (2012) UG, on standby 2012Smith Ranch-Highland near Douglas, Wyoming Cameco 1972/1988* *ISL operations _ 590 ISLVasquezSouth Texas Westwater Resources 2004 _ 360 ISLAlta MesaTexas, Brooks County Mesteña Uranium 385* *annual capacity ISL Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Year commenced Grade %U Annual production (tOre) Annual production (tU) Type of mine Uchkuduk Navoi GMK1952 1961 2700 (2012) ISL
Potentially viable projects
Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Scheduled Commencement Grade %U Planned Annual production (tOre) Planned Annual production (tU) Type of mineSierra Pintada CNEA UGCerro Solo 0.3 Hataia 0.08 680 Co-product with phosphoric acid Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Scheduled Commencement Grade (%U) Planned Annual production (tOre) Planned Annual production (tU) Type of mineJabiluka Northern TerritoryERA 1971 0.43 2290 UGHoneymoon75 km NW of Broken Hill, New South WalesBoss Resources1972unknown0.07 ISR 1500ISL, production suspended in 2013 Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Scheduled Commencement Grade %U Planned Annual production (tOre) Planned Annual production (tU) Type of mineMidwest Uranium MineSaskatchewan Areva Resources Canada Inc. 1978 4.4 OCKiggavik Uranium ProjectNunavut Areva Resources Canada Inc. 0.41 UGMillennium Uranium DepositSaskatchewan Cameco 3.9 Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Scheduled Commencement Grade %U Planned Annual production (tOre) Planned Annual production (tU) Type of mineMohuldihJharkhand UCIL UGBaghjata UGBandugurang UGLambapur-Peddagattu UGKylleng-Pyndemsohiong-Mawthabah (formerly Domiasiat) Meghalaya OC Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Scheduled Commencement Grade %U Planned Annual production (tOre) Planned Annual production (tU) Type of mineSaghand 1 & 2Yazd province Bandar Abbas 0.2 Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Scheduled Commencement Grade %U Planned Annual production (tOre) Planned Annual production (tU) Type of mineSouthern mining group Kazatomprom ISLNorth Stepnoye group Kazatomprom ISLCentral Mynkuduk and South Inkai Kazatomprom ISLBudenovskoye Kazatomprom ISLWest Mynkuduk Kazatomprom ISLEast Mynkuduk Kazatomprom ISLAkdal Chu-Sarysu district Kazatomprom 0.06 ISLInkai Uranium Project Chu-Sarysu district Cameco 0.06 ISLSouth Inkai Project Chu-Sarysu district Uranium One 0.04 ISLBudenovskoyeChu-Sarysu district Kazatomprom ISLMunkuduk (Mynkuduk)Chu-Sarysu district Kazatomprom 0.04 ISLWest MynkudukChu-Sarysu district Kazatomprom ISLZarechnoye Syr-Darya district Kazatomprom 0.11 KorsanKyzyl-Orda district Kazatomprom ISL Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Scheduled Commencement Grade %U Planned Annual production (tOre) Planned Annual production (tU) Type of mineKhiagdaBuryatia TVEL UGPriargunChita region TVEL UG Mine Location Main owner Year discovered Scheduled Commencement Grade %U Planned Annual production (tOre) Planned Annual production (tU) Type of mineSweetwater Wyoming SXR Uranium One ISL
Non-viable projects