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Uranium

Uranium — Powering the Nuclear Renaissance Uranium U, atomic number 92 is the heaviest naturally occurring element and the fuel that powers nuclear reactors. As the world seeks low-carbon energy sources, nuclear power — and the uranium that fuels it — is experiencing renewed interest. Nuclear Fuel Cycle 1. Mining — Uranium ore is extracted from the ground. 2. Milling — Ore is processed into uranium oxide concentrate, known as yellowcake U₃O₈ . 3. Conversion — Yellowcake is converted to uranium hexafluoride UF₆ gas. 4. Enrichment — The proportion of fissile ²³⁵U is increased from the natural 0.7% to 3–5% for reactor fuel. 5. Fuel fabrication — Enriched UF₆ is converted to uranium dioxide UO₂ pellets and assembled into fuel rods. Deposit Types 1. Unconformity-related deposits The world's highest-grade uranium deposits occur along the unconformity between Proterozoic sandstones and Archean basement rocks in Canada's Athabasca Basin , Saskatchewan. Grades can exceed 20% U₃O₈ — compared to a global average of 0.1%. Key deposits include: - McArthur River — The world's largest high-grade uranium mine Cameco - Cigar Lake — Grades averaging 17% U₃O₈, among the richest ever found 2. Sandstone-hosted roll-front deposits Uranium precipitates at redox boundaries within permeable sandstone aquifers. Common in the western United States, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. These deposits are often mined by in-situ recovery ISR , which involves injecting oxygenated water to dissolve uranium and pump it to surface. 3. Intrusive and volcanic deposits Uranium associated with granites, pegmatites, and volcanic calderas. 4. IOCG deposits Iron oxide copper-gold deposits can contain significant uranium, as at Olympic Dam in South Australia — the world's largest uranium resource. Canada as a Uranium Superpower Canada has been one of the world's top uranium producers for decades. The Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan contains the highest-grade uranium deposits on Earth. Cameco Corporation, headquartered in Saskatoon, is one of the world's largest uranium producers. Saskatchewan alone holds approximately 10% of global uranium reserves, and Canada supplied roughly 15% of world production in 2023.

Verification resources

Cross-check terminology, classification, methods, and safety with these authoritative external resources.

  • Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy — Government of Canada. Canada's current critical-minerals policy, priorities, supply-chain context, and progress.
  • Mineral Resources Program — U.S. Geological Survey. Scientific information about mineral resources, supply, environmental effects, and deposit systems.
  • Canada's current list of 34 critical minerals — Government of Canada. The official Canadian list, its 2024 update, priority minerals, and critical-mineral value-chain context.
  • 2025 List of Critical Minerals — U.S. Geological Survey. The current U.S. list of 60 critical minerals and the official risk-based review methodology.
  • Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026 — International Energy Agency. Current demand, supply, investment, concentration, and resilience analysis for energy-related minerals.
  • Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — U.S. Geological Survey. The current annual government reference for world production, reserves, resources, events, and trends by commodity.
  • Uranium mines and mills — Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Current Canadian licensing, operating-facility, radiation-protection, and environmental oversight information for uranium mines and mills.
  • Nuclear Fuel Cycle Simulation System — International Atomic Energy Agency. Authoritative explanations of front-end and back-end nuclear-fuel-cycle stages, including reactor-specific processing routes.

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