Abstract
In a Bureau of Mines supply evaluation, the known uranium resources in the United States are estimated to have a total recoverable uranium oxide (u3o8) content of 3,132,400 tons at prices up to $69.32 Per pound. Only those resources were evaluated for which sufficient quantity data are available and process technology exists for recovering uranium. A total of 160,800 tons of u3o8 is available at $8 per pound from ore deposits presently mined and an additional 244,700 tons is available at prices up to $30 per pound from similar but usually lower grade deposits. A total of 2,726,900 tons of u3o8 is available from four other resources: copper leach solutions, wet-process phosphoric acid, Florida phosphate rock leached zone, and chattanooga shale. These resources contain from 30,000 tons of recoverable u3o8 at a price of $7.52 Per pound as a byproduct of copper leach solutions to 2,557,300 tons at a price of $69.32 Per pound from chattanooga shale. (Out of print.)
