Campbell, et al., reported in 2007 that uranium is relatively abundant element in the crust of the Earth and occurs in economic concentrations in a variety of geological environments ranging from Precambrian (Proterozoic) in age to sediments of Tertiary age. Uranium occurs in geographic locations ranging from the cold of the high latitudes of Canada and Russia to the heat of the tropics of Australia, Africa and Brazil.
Cross Section of Fault-Related Uranium Mineralization in Live Oak County
(After Galloway, W. E., R. J. Finley, and C. D. Henry, 1979)
It also is available as by-products from nuclear devices, from processing phosphate deposits, and from other sources. Reserve estimates are based on geophysical logs and an estimate of the physical dimensions of the mineralization.
Reserve needs are based on industry estimates for new reactors and historical usage of older reactors, which depends on the reactor design. With the present expansion in the use of nuclear power expected to continue for the next 100 years, the dependence on overseas oil and gas will be reduced. This, along with reducing the use of coal over the next 30 years, will have a significant, positive impact on easing global warming and a marked impact on world political stability.
The authors assessed the potential problems inherent in predicting uranium reserves and in developing these reserves, both from a technical point of view and a societal perspective, which must be combined by any company engaged in uranium exploration and recovery. Environmental considerations involving groundwater sampling of area water wells prior to in situ recovery (ISR) are an integral part of every uranium-development project and depend on the geographical location of the deposit under consideration.
In some areas, uranium occurs naturally in aquifers and this is the reason for the need for comprehensive background groundwater studies before uranium recovery operations are undertaken. Socio-economic issues have become an important part of uranium recovery projects today. Non-political State and Federal interests must be balanced between the interests of national needs and security are also discussed.
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