This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
Does Russia Really Own 20% Of The US' Uranium Reserves?
Submitted by Colin Chilcoat via OilPrice.com,
Yes, well, sort of – and they have for some time now. It’s relatively old news, but a recent Times report and an upcoming book from the Hoover Institute’s Peter Schweizer have refocused attention on a 2008 blockbuster uranium deal involving Russia, the United States, and a Canadian company Uranium One. Pushing connections and presidential candidacies aside – the Clintons’ complicity is still very much speculation at this point – lets return to the deal and take a look at the US nuclear industry and, globally, the rise of Rosatom.
The saga begins in 2009 when, after roughly a year of negotiations, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, acting though its subsidiary and Mining Division platform ARMZ, purchased a nearly 20 percent stake in Toronto-based Uranium One. The following year, ARMZ increased its stake to more than 51 percent – a deal that required Kazakh and Canadian regulatory approvals in addition to clearance by the US Committee on Foreign Investment. In 2013, ARMZ paid roughly $2.8 billion for the remaining 48 percent and full control of Uranium One. Finally, in that same year, Rosatom assumed direct ownership of the company, reorganizing it under Uranium One Holding (U1H) and delisting it from the Toronto stock exchange.
Among U1H’s assets are a handful of US projects and exploration tracts. The most advanced among them are Jab and Antelope, Moore Ranch, and Willow Creek – all of which are in Wyoming, developed under the auspices of Uranium One USA and Uranium One Americas. The Willow Creek project is their only currently active operation.
So, to further answer the lead question: Russia, via Rosatom and U1H, owns roughly 20 percent of US uranium production capacity. The share of US reserves is much less clear as economic constraints significantly muddy the picture. Looking at actual production, U1H, via Willow Creek, produced an estimated 210 tons of uranium, or 11 percent of the 1887.5 tons extracted in the US in 2014.
Still, it’s somewhat disingenuous to say this uranium is now Russia’s, to do with what it pleases, or to suggest that any amount of the uranium will end up in Iran. The current licenses – held by the US-based subsidiaries and approved by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission – do not allow exports from any U1H US facility.
The truth is, the US uranium industry as its currently built isn’t all that American. In fact, it’s mostly Canadian. Qualms over perceived threats to national security are misplaced, though not entirely dismissible. The deal further illustrates an already pronounced trend of the decline of US nuclear capabilities and influence at all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle.
Post-Fukushima – and post-shale gas revolution – US nuclear employment has fallen more than 34 percent and exploration and development drilling is down over 80 percent. Relatively low-grade uranium and low global prices stunt the value of US mines in the short- to medium-term. Further out, stricter regulation and a heavier reliance on the private sector, limit the industry’s potential abroad relative to its competitors.
Perhaps more importantly, the deal speaks to Rosatom’s aggressive new growth. Already the world’s most comprehensive nuclear services vendor, Rosatom is now one of the top three producers of uranium by volume worldwide. For the most part, the prize was Kazakhstan and not the United States, which is a symbolic victory at best. U1H’s Kazakh production now accounts for approximately 56 percent of Rosatom’s total production, both domestic and abroad. At 4,269 tons it’s also more than 20 percent of Kazakhstan’s total uranium production.
Rosatom’s downstream movements are just as well-defined. The company’s overseas order portfolio was up 9 percent to $73 billion in 2013, after 23 percent growth in 2012. Long a fixture in developing markets, Rosatom is turning its capable sights to the western world.
- 11658 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -


"What difference does it make?"
Do you mean between Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush? None whatsoever. The Banksters will still screw us and USSA foreign policy will be the same.
Nice analysis. Possession in 9/10's ownership.
Canada is the true Uranium refining hub.
The some 500 tons of Iraq partially enriched "yellow cake" uranium was moved to Canada - not the US
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/07/iraq.uranium/
Exactly, the good news is that the "spent fuel" we store away under lock and key has only been used to 5% of it's productive capacity. Scientists discovered back in the Carter administration ways to reuse and burn all the fuel rods completely so that there would be no need to store this hazardous waste. Our chief executive at the time decided that it would be better to store the waste like some psychopathic squirrel nuts in a tree for a nuclear winter. Other countries who use the fuel more efficiently have asked to buy our "waste" but we refuse on the grounds of non-proliferation. One has to wonder if keeping all this dangerous material around is just another means of extorting our public officials with a nuclear threat. http://www.jimstonefreelance.com/busted.html
Yep, and with new design reactors that are inherently failsafe, we could supply our energy needs for a very long time. Unfortunately people of extremely limited mental ability and very large mouths are going to make sure the word 'nuclear' is never used, any time or any place....
Yes, America, land of complete idiots. While I was doing a brief stint as the "senior electronics technician" (read that as the only electronics technician) at a pool water reactor at one of the universities that still has both a reactor on site and a nuclear engineering program, I spoke with some length on why the US does not recycle it's spent fuel rods with a professor who actually knew what the fuck he was talking about.
He came back and stated that our politicians are indeed complete idiots who lack a rudimentary understanding of science.
This is when he went into great deal about France and how they deal with it. They recycle the spent fuel rods. Plain and simple.
The really nasty shit is then stored. The total storage are of this really nasty shit is the size of half a basketball court stacked four feet high.
Compare that to the U.S. - all the proof you need to know we are not exceptional, just exceptionally stupid...
http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/faqs.html
According to the Congressional Research Service (using NEI data), there were 62,683 metric tons of commercial spent fuel accumulated in the United States as of the end of 2009.
There is very little that can't be used, but our idiot government won't even allow major development of any alternatives.....
Can't blame the gooberment entirely, too many backdoor insider deals offered up by cronies.
It's like laying out crack rocks on the table - in front of a crack fiend.
Folks like Buffet and his Ilk are the crack dealers. His choo-choo trains are the silk road to oil riches. How else is he supposed to squeeze out his meager living? The same goes for those retarded wind mills.
Then there's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITER - but that's too far away, and will probably be cockblocked by "special interests" if it ever becomes viable.
Your making an assumption, the market does not license a power plant the government does. There are reactor designs out there right now that meet every little rule and regulation the any government agency requires but try getting a license, no matter how safe, political correctness will stop you dead in your tracks.....
Damn Canadians always trying to take over the world
Part of master plan to replace fútbol with hockey by entrancing youth with pucks that glow.
Actually, Zionist Gary Bettman is doing his best to destroy the NHL
Who better to run the league than a zionist lawyer that can't skate.
Larry Silverstein? At least the last game would go out in a blaze of glory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=bOR38552MJA
There's a reason why the Russians have a Canadian Uranium company...
If you study the Uranium ore deposits By Country, you'll discover that the highest concentrations are in... Canada. This matter in terms of EROEI1, and thus on ROI.
The more interesting question, Colin Chilcoat, therefore is: How much of Canada's Uranium ore do the Ruskies and Chinese own?
[1] EROEI -- Energy Returned On Energy Invested. It's simple physics and math (Excel simulations).
http://www.abqjournal.com/580107/news/dea-agents-seize-16000-from-aspiri...
If you don't know how to "Stash that Cash" by now -- $9,999 per person -- you deserve what you get. IOW...
"A Fool and his Cash are soon parted"
Total currency per travelling party must be < USD 10,000.
Don't stuff another $9,000 in her bra, or she will deserve the groping you won't be giving her.
http://www.irmep.org/ILA/krytons/
http://mondoweiss.net/2012/07/netanyahu-implicated-in-nuclear-smuggling-...
http://www.mintpressnews.com/fbi-documents-show-israeli-pm-worked-in-nuc...
Still waiting for Israel, I mean Iran, to set off a dirty bomb or low yield nuke.
Prolly using material stolen from the US by them, and/or given to them by some nice sayan in .gov.
or Hollyweird.
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2012/07/21/fbi-documents-confirm-invol...
The nations that have been #1 world powers have been those that have rescources and use them wisely. The US was number 1 in nuclear power (electrical generation) and chose to force it into decline to favor special interest groups. No nation can maintain a high standard of living and let political corruption rule the day. Our waste, misuse and refusal to use what we have to better ourselves will probably not amount to much in the historty books because that history will be written by a different culture.
victory day tomorrow ! May the 9th be with you .
Tis not tomorrow my solid friend, tis on Saturday. My calendar has also been playing up recently :-)
I believe Russia is moving to make nuclear reactors smaller, cheaper and safer with closed loop technology (and other tech like thorium). They will need radioactive isotopes for this and Uranium is a popular choice. It is likely, in my opinion, that the volume of nuclear products will increase over the next 10 years and Russia will corner the market in affordable nuclear, and so will need radioactive materials, possibly will even start asking for nuclear waste to fuel these closed loop gizmos.
Nah, it's all ball bearings these days...
No kidding...my mechanic just replaced my muffler bearings, and my car runs great!!
"The deal further illustrates an already pronounced trend of the decline of US nuclear capabilities and influence at all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle."
AND a rise of Russian influence at all stages of the US nuclear fuel cycle.
The answer to that question has been deleted from the Clinton Foundation server.
Russia does not concern me as much as the Chinese. Russia is Putin - plain and simple. He will eventually go away and be replaced by a 'nobody'. China has more of a politburo like setup, with more players of a common mindset. When they agree on a strategy, it never dies with one individual.
The Chinese also worry me more, because they have a lot more economic power than Russia ever will. They can collapse the US through 'legal' means -- essentially manipulating any market in the world by buying up all the resources, or by selling trillions into that market. They also have been very good at buying all or parts of companies -- legally -- using the Western laws. How do you retaliate against China, if they own the companies in your own country, and hire the workers in your own country?
As I pointed out yesterday, the only country that has profited from the combination of (a) Russian Sanctions, (b) PM beatings, and (c) Oil price wars from Saudi Arabia, is... CHINA and INDIA (Chindia). Their West Coast holdings (in US and Canada) just keep growing.
This is an Inconvenient Truth, that most ZHers keep ignoring. I think they are FAR deeper in our system than people realize, and our Elite are enjoying the Benefits far more than they can admit.
US has been steadily selling off it's technology, property, and assets to China since the 1990s I believe.
But They got Most Favored Nation Status with a short break after Tianamon Square Massacre. Then they got full UN Membership and Trade Status.
Last week we heard Chinese are the Number one Legal Migrants to the USA.
Here all the Japanese Restaurants are owned by Chinese. And that big Hotel in New York City was a sales Record. We know they bought Smithfield ham. They also bought land in the Midwest in Pork Ranch and Farm Country.
Chinese are great engineers apparently all over the world. They operate Ports and build Highways.
They must operate some of those West Coast Ports. Trade Treaties now allow foreigners to start businesses and import Labor from back home like 100% (Must use Negotiators from the US Big Three Auto Makers). Chinese may not have that permission till TPP goes through the US Congress.
----------------------------------------------------
- Selling Out your Country for Greed is Treason -
----------------------------------------------------
** I might be too young to continue to live in the USA with all the Felonious Changes to our Infrastructure and Cost of Living **
* I heard Swap land was very cheap in Costa Rica. Just have to figure out how to live with the Flies and Mosquitoes. *
Putin will not go away and be replaced by a nobody. Actually, it has been stated from Moscow that hardline nationalists wait in the wings that make Putin look like a cub scout. People in the West will yearn for the good ole days of Putin. Second, Russia is pivoting its economy eastward. They don't have an enormous debt issue like we do and they now have their own Swift system ready and they, as well as China are working hard to de-dollarize the world.
It has been said quietly that China may own close to 500 trillion dollars worth of US Treasuries. So yes they could do us a lot of harm if they created a plan to sell US Treasuries and buy BRICS Treasuries. Even if this took a decade to unwind it would not be a good thing.
Russia will not go away and be silent after Putin.
an succinct delineation of facts, it would seem. but conspiracy theorists are always thinking of new conspiracies. so i'll help them even though i strive to keep myself from going too far down that path - could there not be an internal and highly secretive smuggling op to export uranium out of U.S.? or for that matter and maybe more plausible and easier to accomplish - kazakh uranium being smuggled to Iran. obviously Iran is getting it's uranium from somewhere. lah-dee-dah-dah-dah fun fun conspiracy theories jajajajaja trololololo
Breaking News from 2008...that's why I read ZH. How about you?
The truth about the conflict with Russia >> http://wp.me/p4OZ4v-1Gm