The 10 Largest Uranium Mines in the World

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Exploration, Mining, Marketing, & Acquisitions

Date posted: 03/14/16

Terence Bell reports that the 10 largest producing uranium mines in the world accounted for 29,337 tonnes of uranium (tU), or 55% of global production in 2010. Statistics provided by the World Nuclear Association would update these figures. 1. McArthur River (Canada) - Areva/Cameco MacArthur River is the largest high-grade uranium mine, producing 7654 tonnes of uranium (tU), or 14% of global production, in 2010. Ore grades at the underground mine average more than 10% uranium content, making them one hundred times the global average for uranium mines. Cameco operates the mine and controls 70% ownership, while Areva owns 30%. 2. Ranger (Australia) - Energy Resources of Australia Ltd. Energy Resources of Australia Ltd. (ERA) has operated the Ranger mine, situated 260 kilometers east of Darwin, Australia, since 1980. The open-pit mine produced 3,216 tU, approximately 6% of the world total, in 2010. ERA is operated and 68% owned by Rio Tinto. 3. Rossing (Namibia) - Rio Tinto Started in 1976, the Rossing mine in the Namibian Namib Desert is the longest running open-pit uranium mine in the world. Rio Tinto owns 69% of the mine, which extracted 3,077 tU in 2010. 4. Kraznokamensk (Russia) - ARMZ The town of Kraznokamensk was founded around the Priargunsky uranium mine over 40 years ago. Cumulative uranium production from the underground mine since that time has exceeded 117,000 tonnes. In 2010, production was 2920 tU. Further development of new areas and capital modernization programs are currently being put in place at the mine to keep production volumes up despite declining ore quality. 5. Arlit (Niger) - Somair The Somair open-pit mine is situated 7 kilometers northwest of Arlit in Niger. Uranium is extracted from the sedimentary deposit at depths of 50 to 70 meters and heap leached on site, at the open-pit mine. Production at the mine, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AREVA, is expected to reach 3,000tU by 2012 and, at current production rates. Read on.