World Uranium Mining Production

World Uranium Mining Production

World Nuclear Association
Updated July 2022
  • About two-thirds of the world’s production of uranium from mines is from Kazakhstan, Canada and Australia.
  • An increasing amount of uranium, now over 60%, is produced by in situ leaching.

In 2021 Kazakhstan produced the largest share of uranium from mines (45% of world supply), followed by Namibia (12%) and Canada (10%).

Production from mines (tonnes U)

Country2012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Kazakhstan21,31722,45123,12723,60724,68923,32121,70522,80819,47721,819
Australia6991635050015654631558826517661362034192
Namibia4495432332552993365442245525547654135753
Canada89999331913413,32514,03913,1167001693838854693
Uzbekistan (est.)2400240024002385332534003450350035003500
Niger4667451840574116347934492911298329912248
Russia2872313529903055300429172904291128462635
China (est.)1500150015001616161616921885188518851885
Ukraine9609229261200808707790800744455
India (est.)385385385385385421423308400615
South Africa (est.)465531573393490308346346250385
Iran (est.)0003804071717171
Pakistan (est.)45454545454545454545
Brazil3261925540440001529
USA159617921919125611259405825868
Czech Republic22821519315513800000
Romania907777775000000
France3532000000
Germany5027330000000
Malawi110111323690000000
Total world58,49359,33156,04160,30463,20760,51454,15454,74247,73148,332
tonnes U3O868,97469,96666,08771,11374,35771,36163,86164,55456,28756,995
% of world demand94%91%85%98%96%93%80%81%74%77%

* Data from the World Nuclear Association. NB: the figures in this table are liable to change as new data becomes available. Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Mining methods have been changing. In 1990, 55% of world production came from underground mines, but this shrunk dramatically to 1999, with 33% then. From 2000 the new Canadian mines increased it again. In situ leach (ISL, also called in situ recovery, ISR) mining has been steadily increasing its share of the total, mainly due to Kazakhstan, and in 2021 accounted for over 60% of production:

Methodtonnes U%
In situ leach (ISL)32,08866%
Underground & open pit (except Olympic Dam)13,93729%
By-product23075%

Conventional mines have a mill where the ore is crushed, ground and then leached with sulfuric acid to dissolve the uranium oxides. At the mill of a conventional mine, or the treatment plant of an ISL operation, the uranium then separated by ion exchange before being dried and packed, usually as U3O8. Some mills and ISL operations (especially in the USA) use carbonate leaching instead of sulfuric acid, depending on the orebody. Where uranium is recovered as a by-product, e.g. of copper or phosphate, the treatment process is likely to be more complex.

During the 1990s the uranium production industry was consolidated by takeovers, mergers and closures, but this has diversified again with Kazakhstan’s multinational ownership structure. Over half of uranium mine production is from state-owned mining companies, some of which prioritise secure supply over market considerations. In 2021, the top 10 companies by production contributed about 90% of the world’s uranium production:

Companytonnes U% of world
total
Kazatomprom11,85825
Orano45419
Uranium One45149
Cameco43979
CGN41129
Navoi Mining35007
CNNC35627
ARMZ26355
General Atomics/Quasar22415
BHP19224
Energy Asia9002
Sopamin8092
VostGok4551
Other28866
Total48,332100

The largest-producing uranium mines in 2021

MineCountryMain ownerTypeProduction (tonnes U)% of world
Cigar LakeCanadaCameco/Oranounderground469310
Inkai 1-3KazakhstanKazaktomprom/CamecoISL34497
HusabNamibiaSwakop Uranium (CGN)open pit33097
Karatau (Budenovskoye 2)KazakhstanUranium One/KazatompromISL25615
RössingNamibiaCNNCopen pit24445
Four MileAustraliaQuasarISL22415
SOMAIRNigerOranoopen pit19964
Olympic DamAustraliaBHP Billitonby-product/underground19224
Central MynkudukKazakhstanOrtalykISL15793
Kharasan 1KazakhstanKazatomprom/Uranium OneISL15793
Top 10 total 25,77353%

Note 1: SMCC, a joint venture between Kazatomprom and Uranium One, reported combined production of 2321 tU in 2021 at its two mines, South Inkai 4 and Akdala.
Note 2: KATCO, a joint venture between Kazatomprom and Orano, reported combined production of 2840 tU in 2021 across its two mines, Moinkum and Tortkuduk.

World uranium production and reactor requirements (tonnes U)

uranium production and demand by country between 1945 and 2020

Sources: OECD-NEA/IAEA, World Nuclear Association

Uranium resources by country in 2019

 tonnes Upercentage of world
Australia1,692,70028%
Kazakhstan906,80015%
Canada564,9009%
Russia486,0008%
Namibia448,3007%
South Africa320,9005%
Brazil276,8005%
Niger276,4004%
China248,9004%
Mongolia143,5002%
Uzbekistan132,3002%
Ukraine108,7002%
Botswana87,2001%
Tanzania58,2001%
Jordan52,5001%
USA47,9001%
Other295,8005%
World total6,147,800

Identified resources recoverable (reasonably assured resources plus inferred resources), to $130/kg U, 1/1/19, from OECD NEA & IAEA, Uranium 2020: Resources, Production and Demand (‘Red Book’). The total recoverable identified resources to $260/kg U is 8.070 million tonnes U. 

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