McLemore reported in 2020 that during a period of nearly three decades (1951-1980), the Grants uranium district in northwestern New Mexico (Figs. 1, 2, 3) yielded more uranium than any other district in the United States (Table 1; also see spreadsheet, McLemore, 1989, table 1). Although there are no producing operations in the Grants district today, numerous companies have acquired uranium properties and plan to explore and develop deposits in the district in the future. The Grants district is a large area in the San Juan Basin, extending from east of Laguna to west of Gallup, and includes eight subdistricts (Fig. 2; McLemore and Chenoweth, 1989; McLemore et al., 2013).
The Grants district is probably 7th in total world production behind East Germany, Athabasca Basin in Canada, Australia, South Africa, Russia, and Kazakhstan (Tom Pool, General Atomics, Denver, Colorado, written communication, August 16, 2011). Most of the uranium production in New Mexico has come from the Jurassic Morrison Formation in the Grants district in McKinley and Cibola (formerly Valencia) Counties, mainly from the Westwater Canyon Member in the San Juan Basin (Tables 2, 3; McLemore, 1983). Other areas outside of the Grants district in New Mexico have been examined for uranium potential and some of these areas yielded minor production (Fig. 1; McLemore, 1983; McLemore and Chenoweth, 1989).
A few of these areas are being examined again today for their economic potential. Major uranium deposits in New Mexico are shown in McLemore et al. (2013) and in a spreadsheet in an associated data repository and table.
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