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New Mexico
347
Wyoming
250
Utah
130
Arizona
35
Washington
8
Colorado
5.30
Idaho
4.40
Nebraska
4.40
Alaska
1.30
Nevada
0.21
Uranium Production by State 2023
- In some cases, original data was given in tons/short tons (2,000 lbs), tonnes/long tons (2,240 lbs), or metric tons (2,204 lbs). To avoid confusion, all values have been converted to pounds.
- Data on mining yields is not always shared and may be considered proprietary corporate information, which can make cumulative data sets difficult to compile. As such, totals for many states are not displayed and those totals which are displayed should be viewed as estimates rather than precise data.
- Data on mining yields is not always shared and may be considered proprietary corporate information, which can make cumulative data sets difficult to compile. As such, totals for many states are not displayed and those totals which are displayed should be viewed as estimates rather than precise data.
State | Total Uranium Production to Date (million lbs) | Prominent Mines | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 347 | Grants mineral belt | New Mexico is known to possess some of the largest uranium reserves in the US. - Despite the state's ample uranium reserves, active mining of uranium in New Mexico ceased in 1998 and uranium recovery operations ceased in 2002. - Trace amounts of uranium were recovered from mines in the White Signal district as early as 1920. - The Grants mineral belt is the major source of uranium in the state and includes the Ambrosia Lake, Chuska, Gallup, and Laguna mining districts. - Radioaction from out-of-service uranium mines and improperly handled mining waste is an ongoing health concern in New Mexico, most notoriously in the towns of Murray Acres and Broadview Acres, as well as in dozens of indigenous Native American communities. |
| Wyoming | 250 | Smith Ranch-Highland | - Sources differ on Wyoming's total cumulative uranium production, ranging from a low of 185 million pounds to the Wyoming Geological Survey's value of 250 million pounds. - Wyoming has the largest uranium ore reserves in the United States. While uranium mining was once quite prolific in Wyoming, as of 2020, only the Smith Ranch-Highland leach mine in the Powder River Basin remained active. - In addition to the Powder River Basin, uranium mining districts in Wyoming include the Northern Black Hills, Gas Hills, Little Mountain, Shirley Basin, and Crooks Gap districts. |
| Utah | 130 | The White Mesa Mill | - White Mesa is the only fully-licensed and operating conventional uranium mill in the US and has a licensed capacity of 8+ million pounds of uranium per year. The mill produced 162,000 pounds of U₃O₈ in 2022. - Uranium has been mined in Utah since at least the 1900s. - The Lisbon Valley region produced 49 million pounds of U₃O₈, primarily between 1952-1965. - The Rio Algom Uranium Mill was operational from 1972 to 1988. - Utah's White Canyon district yielded 49 million pounds (22 kt) of U₃O₈ by 1965. An additional mine operated there 2009-2012, the first new mine in Utah since the 1980s. - The Bingham County Copper mine recovered 120,000-150,000 lbs of uranium oxide as byproduct each year from 1978-1989. |
| Arizona | 35 | Arizona breccia pipes (pending) | There are currently no operational uranium mines in Arizona, but the state's hundreds of "breccia pipe" geological formations are expected to become a major uranium source in the future. - The Carrizo mountains were mined 1918-1921, then again 1941 to 1966. The latter period produced 360,000 pounds (160 metric tons) of uranium oxide (U₃O₈). - Monument Valley was mined from 1948 to 1969 and produced 8.7 million pounds (3900 metric tons) of uranium oxide. - The Lukachukai Mountains of Apache County were mined from 1950 to 1968 and produced 3.5 million pounds (1600 metric tons) of U₃O₈. - The Cameron district was mined f rom 1950 to 1963, and yielded 1.2 million pounds (540 metric tons) of U₃O₈. - The Sierra Ancha district was mined starting in 1953. Yield amounts are not widely available. - The Date Creek basin was mined from 1955 to 1959. Yield amounts are not widely available. - The Twin Buttes copper mine started recovering uranium as a by-product starting in 1980. Yield amounts are not widely available. |
| Washington | 8 | Midnite Mine | - Uranium was mined at the Midnite Mine in Stevens County from 1956-1962 and 1969-1982. As of 1975, the mine had yielded 8 million pounds of U₃O₈. - Additional uranium-producing mines in Washington include the nearby Sherwood mine and the Daybreak mine, known for producing high-quality specimens of the uranium-containing minerals autunite and meta-autunite. |
| Colorado | 5.30 | Maybell mines | Uranium was mined intermittently in Colorado from 1898-2009, and operations resumed in 2021. |
| Idaho | 4.40 | Stanley district in Custer County | - Uranium was mined in the Idaho Batholith from 1955-1960 and yielded 365,000 pounds (165 metric tons) of U₃O₈. - Uranium was mined in Custer county's Stanley district 1957-1962 and yielded less than 170,000 pounds (78 metric tons) of U₃O₈. |
| Nebraska | 4.40 | Crow Butte mine | The Crow Butte mine is the only currently operational uranium mine in Nebraska and opened in 1991. |
| Alaska | 1.30 | Ross-Adams | Alaska's only uranium mine, the Ross-Adams, yielded a total of 1.3 million pounds of uranium oxide (U₃O₈) at a grade of 0.76% between 1957 and 1971. |
| Nevada | 0.21 | Apex mine | The Apex mine operated from 1954-1966 and yielded approximately 106,000 pounds of U₃O₈, considered to be half of Nevada's historic uranium output. |
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- GoogleBooks
- Alaska Public Media
- Uranium Producers of America
- Wikipedia
- Colorado Geological Survey
- Wyoming State Geological Survey
- University of Nebraska
- Oregon Department of Energy
- How Is Uranium Mined in Texas
- Domestic Uranium Production Report - Annual
- Uranium Mining in the United States - Wiki
- White Mesa Mill
- Breccia pipe uranium mineralization - Wiki
- Energy Fuels 2022 Annual Report
- Apex Uranium Mine
- Uranium Resources in New Mexico - New Mexico Tech
- USA Today