Mining, production, shipments, and sales

U.S. uranium mines produced 21,000 pounds of of triuranium octoxide (U₃O₈), or uranium concentrate in 2021. Production data was withheld in 2020 but 2021 production was down 88% from 2019 production levels. The production of uranium concentrate is the first step in the nuclear fuel production process, preceding the conversion of U₃O₈ into UF₆ to enable uranium enrichment, then fuel pellet fabrication, and finally fuel assembly fabrication.

Facility status (mills, heap leach plants, and in-situ recovery plants)

At the end of 2021, Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill and White Mesa Mill in Utah and Sweetwater Uranium Project in Wyoming were on standby with a total capacity of 5,750 short tons of material per day. In Wyoming, one heap leach plant was in the planning stages (Sheep Mountain).

Regarding in-situ recovery facilities, at the end of 2021 the Lost Creek Project and the Smith Ranch-Highland Operation in Wyoming were operating with a combined capacity of 7.5 million pounds U₃O₈ per year. Nine in-situ recovery plants were on standby as of the end of 2021 with a combined annual production capacity of 13.8 million pounds U₃O₈. Ten in-situ recovery plants were planned for four states: New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming with a combined annual production capacity of 15 million pounds U₃O₈.

Employment and expenditures

Total employment in the U.S. uranium production industry was 207 full-time person-years (one person year is equal to full-time employment for one person) in 2021, a decrease of 8% from the 2020 total.

Total expenditures for land, exploration, drilling, production, and reclamation were $72.5 million in 2021, 17% lower than in 2020.