The only meaningful measure of long-term security of supply is the known reserves in the ground capable of being mined.Īn orebody is, by definition, an occurrence of mineralisation from which the metal is economically recoverable. Total world resources of uranium, as with any other mineral or metal, are not known exactly. This means that it needs to be in a mineral form that can easily be dissolved by sulfuric acid or sodium carbonate leaching. * Where uranium is at low levels in rock or sands (certainly less than 1000 ppm) it needs to be in a form which is easily separated for those concentrations to be called 'ore' – that is, implying that the uranium can be recovered economically.
Table 1: Typical natural uranium concentrations Very high-grade ore (Canada) – 20% U
It is a metal approximately as common as tin or zinc, and it is a constituent of most rocks and even of the sea. Uranium is a relatively common element in the crust of the Earth (very much more than in the mantle). The world's known uranium resources increased by at least one-quarter in the last decade due to increased mineral exploration.Quantities of mineral resources are greater than commonly perceived, and are relative to both market prices and cost of extraction.Economic concentrations of it are not uncommon. Uranium is a relatively common metal, found in rocks and seawater.
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