Update on uranium availability; current and forecast mine production and the resources issue

摘要

During the past three years, uranium prices followed a very fast rise to unprecedented levels when expressed in current US dollar value (A more than 1000percent increase from early 2001). As this trend is continuing (figure 1), some are raising the argument that this is a forerunning signal of future shortages of uranium, arguing that "what is expensive is necessarily scarce", and to be certain of the validity of their argument, they add that "inexpensive uranium is even more scarce". At a moment when many new nuclear reactors built are contemplated, it is necessary to comment on the root-causes of current price spike, even before commenting on uranium resources availability for the long run.