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U.S. Uranium Reserves Estimates

Data for: 2008   |   Release Date: July 2010   |  Next Release Date: Discontinued

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has updated its estimates of uranium reserves for year-end 2008. This represents the first revision of the estimates since 2004. The update is based on analysis of company annual reports, any additional information reported by companies at conferences and in news releases, personal contacts, and expert judgment.

Table 1. U.S. Forward-Cost Uranium Reserves by State, Year-End 2008
State $50/lb $100/lb
Ore
(million tons)		 Gradea (%) U3O8
(million lbs)		 Ore
(million tons)		 Gradea
(%)		 U3O8
(million lbs)
Wyoming 145 0.076% 220 398 0.056% 446
New Mexico 64 0.140% 179 186 0.105% 390
Arizona, Colorado, Utah 22 0.145% 63 117 0.084% 198
Texas 15 0.089% 27 32 0.062% 40
Otherb 28 0.090% 50 95 0.081% 154
Total 275 0.098% 539 828 0.074% 1,227
   a Average percent U3O8 per ton of ore.
   b Includes Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Virginia and Washington.
   Notes: Uranium reserves that could be recovered as a byproduct of phosphate and copper mining are not included in this table. Reserves values in forward-cost categories are cumulative; that is, the quantity at $100 per pound U3O8 includes all reserves available up to and including that cost. Totals may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding.See EIA Glossary for definition of reserves."Reserves," as reported here, do not necessarily imply compliance with U.S. or Canadian government definitions for purposes of investment disclosure.
   Sources: Estimated by Energy Information Administration, Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels, based on company reports, industry conferences, and U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction Office, files.

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