Uranium mining: future of a beleaguered industry within a glutted market

Uranium has a single civil use, fueling the nuclear power plants; hence its needs and consumption are fully governed by electricity generation nuclear programs which are presently slowed down. Past uranium production is by far not completely burnt. Hence, past stocks are partly a burden for present and future market in the form of excess inventories in the form of a huge potential of fissile materials contained in nuclear weapons and recycled fissile materials from spent fuel reprocessing. These resources combined with newly discovered ore-bodies have developed a long term security of supply feeling on the consumers side, reinforced by depressed prices. However, a fresh uranium production is needed to ensure and secure the nuclear power plants operations, which represents a problem considering the low market prices of uranium. 7 figs., 1 tab., 8 refs