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Forget Potassium: Kazakhstan Is Now America's Top Supplier Of Uranium
Submitted by Dave Forest via OilPrice.com,
There's one thing resource downturns are good for: seeing which projects and regions are the strongest in industry.
And we got another big indication this week that there's one global leader when it comes to uranium mining.
Kazakhstan.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released a study on American nuclear supply on Tuesday. Finding that -- for the first time -- Kazakstan's uranium miners have become the number one supplier to U.S. nuclear reactors.
As the chart below shows, purchases of Kazakh uranium by U.S. operators jumped by 50 percent during 2014. To a total of 12 million pounds -- the highest level ever.
(Click to enlarge)
That supply growth was enough to put Kazakhstan on top in terms of uranium supply to American users. Beating other go-to uranium producers like Australia (10.5 million pounds) and Canada (9.8 million pounds). Overall, Kazakhstan supplied 23 percent of total U.S. uranium demand for the year.
Looking at purchase prices, it's easy to see why Kazakh supply has become a favorite: Sale prices for uranium from Kazakhstan averaged $44.47 per pound in 2014 -- well below other major suppliers, as the chart below shows.
At these prices, Kazakh uranium is out-competing Australian supply by over $3.50 per pound. Or almost 7.5 percent. A meaningful difference for a utility that's purchasing large volumes of yellowcake.
That likely means supply from higher-cost locations like Australia into the U.S. will continue to shrink. Being replaced by lower-cost production from places like Kazakhstan and Canada (which saw its uranium exports to the U.S. jump by over 25 percent in 2014).
One of the big losers here is domestic U.S. production. Which was running at world-high costs of $48.11 per pound in 2014 -- the big reason that purchases dropped a notable 65 percent on the year.
All of which shows there are a couple of uranium locales separating from the pack right now. A good note for developers looking at where the world's best projects come from -- in good markets or bad.
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I can't believe there is ANY uranium mined in the US. Can you imagine the permits required and the EPA up your ass with inspections and fines every time somebody sneezes?
we have a lot of uranium in Texas
We have a lot of coal in Pennsylvania. See my point? This is Federal-level issues.
There is still plenty of uranium mined in the United States... unfortunately thanks to Hillary Clinton's lust for tax free donations half of US uranium is now owned by a Russian Oligarch.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/05/13/devastating-timeline-...
This yellow cake is about to be worth as much as oil and copper and silver and gold. You preach global depression and surley that means less power usage. I mean look at the technical correlations. It also means cheaper power and energy costs which can be good for business with those willing to invest on the ground.
Cheaper power? On what planet?
The game is all about creating fascist MONOPOLIES and cartels that increase the price of otherwise abundant commodities. Failing that the UN will be happy to keep energy prices high with it's carbon schemes...
I think the fascist monopolies you talk about aka crony capitalists are about to come to face with a new world order. One that is determined by price. It's a big world full of lots of commodities and factions and governments and to be honest as much as the 'world' seems to preach and want it ahem you too zerohedge...world war three is nothing. What's happening is a new world order of pure capitalism, one where price reflects demand all the way down to the end consumer. I'm not preaching gold either, paper/electronic money is alot more fluid and we need pace in our lives and the world. The cabals as you say are falling around right around you, can you not see oil. There is no collosion anymore. The end consumer will see cheaper prices because demand is actually caving. Real price discovery will always take time. Everything drops to equilibrium. "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." - Buddha
The Bankers and their Fascist monopolies ARE the NWO.
After all... who cares about silly things like prices when you can print money out of thin air? It's CONTROL over all resources and all governments that you want.
cheaper power ? (me too questioning;) check out:
http://thoughtmaybe.com/topic/uranium/
loooots of films about uranium, choose yourself.
But that's not the USA, is it?
Maybe we should invade. Rain some freedom bombs on their asses and liberate those Texans.
they can wish they weren't, but both states are lol
If you are a state, in a FEDERAL government (ie a federation of STATES), why aren't you allowed to leave the federation? If the over-arching government is conducting bad policies, why can't you leave, like countries in Europe plan to?
Stuff that makes you say 'Hmmm.'
Depends on who is doing the mining, eh? Permits inspections and fines are only used to maintain monopoly for insiders.
When I sneeze, the whole world catches a cold.
Yellow cake anyone?
Only if it comes with a side of cancer and a Dr. visit.
I think a US-led invasion of Niger may be imminent.
dat is very niiiice!
Niger, please!
Don't be disrespectin' a Niger! I've heard that's a good way to get yourself shot.
Yeah, but does anybody know where I can get some yellowcake?
You're teeing it up for me, aren't you?
Yep.
I know a man in Germany, his name is Hines, Duncan Hines
Sounds like a real shady dude.
That's Nice!
Guess which country we will invade next ..
There might be something to this.
On the one hand, the US has been dumping money into Kazakhstan bio-research labs.
http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/why-the-us-is-building-a-high-tech-plag...
And Kazakhstan seems to be building all kinds of new infrastructure.
https://aftermathnews.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/pope-pyramid-nazarbaye...
http://paulbeaudry.com/genesis/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/stp62767-pyram...
And Kazakhstan has just made a move to monopolize world fissile material.
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/iaea-and-kazakhstan-sign-agreement-...
On the other hand, the Kazakh president, in his speech at the UN said this:
- Global currency (move away from dollars)
- Fold IMF into the UN (out of US control)
- Move UN headquarters to Asia (out of New York)
https://atokenmanblog.wordpress.com/2015/09/28/while-you-werent-listening/
(An upcoming and up-dated article will soon follow.)
This could be very bad, indeed.
Khazakstan is also onto the US regime change scam.
http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/01/30/2967
They also have some serious sword fighters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2bac-uRb7w
Dont forget to pay for your bus ride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1L4DPCjUPk
Update here:
https://atokenmanblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/09/astana-mean-time/
Hey, the Clintons got a nice batch of speaking fees for this.
I heard Hunter Biden is a mining genius
Just crawl into the Hole with this Geiger counter, when it starts squealing dig as fast as you can
Yeah, Obummer said urainium is bad for the environment. The Green people want to get rid of the stuff.
"One of the big losers here is domestic U.S. production. "
Noooooooooooo,,, tell me it ain't so!
Our government would never allow itself to be dependent on someone else's production and make ameriKans penniless... and a member of the CIS too!
My country tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,..
Kazakhstan, you very nice place
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIV-QdPEx-Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woQLVZ7ZCFU
So how does a pound of this uranium (I assume, not refined into a fuel rod) translate to a set amount of nuclear power?
Throw that dirty Borat down the well!
Seriously though...
Not all Uranium ore minerals are the same. Some have much higher concentration than others, and some deposits are much bigger than others. You have to crunch some numbers, to get the true price and its value per ton.
Read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium_ore, to learn more.
Cigar Lake up North is finally producing, only took a couple floods, 10 years and about a bazillion dollars to make it work.
True story. Sometimes I am a professional energy economist. I go to tonferences, etc.
About two years ago, i went to one where the uranium fuel cycle was discussed.
Get ready.
The US no longer has end to end fuel cycle manufacturing on its soil. Yes we can mine, refine.....chemically process, and make fuel rods. butthat stuff in the middle...that would be enrichment aka isotopic separation....we no longer do here. We used to do it at the Paducah and portsmough gaseous diffusion plants. They both went private and failed as commercial entities.
Some foreign firms - French i think - are building separation facilities here in new Mexico. They aren't running yet, and when/if they are, they will be foreign owned.
So...like...if we want to make a couple of new bmbs...we wouldlike to...ummm...like subcontract that part of the work out to....like...ummm....Iran.
No wonder Putin took an accurate measure of Obama and decided to do whatever the f*&k he wanted in the Middle East. Where is that boy this afternoon. Back in the rear of the choom wagon i suspect. What was that...on the links? I should have known.
Why the fuck would any country sell this to any other country is beyond me.
The ultimate proof of what Marx said "A capitalist will sell me the rope I will hang him with"
In this case - "The nation will sell us the uranium we will nuke them with"