Owners and operators of US civilian nuclear power reactors purchased a total of 57.4 million pounds U3O8 equivalent from US suppliers and foreign suppliers during 2013, a weighted-average price of $51.99 per pound U3O8e, according to new figures released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The quantity of uranium delivered fell slightly from 57.5 million pounds U3O8 in 2012. The weighted-average price also decreased by 5% from $54.99 per pound U3O8e in 2012.
Deliveries in 2013 comprised uranium concentrate (55%) natural UF6 (33%) and enriched UF6 (12%), EIA reports.
The majority of uranium delivered was from foreign suppliers, with just 17% of the 57 million pounds U3O8e delivered in 2013 originating in the United States. EIA reported that a total of 9.484 million pounds of US-origin U3O8e was delivered to US owner-operators in 2013, at a weighted-average price of $56.37 per pound.
Foreign-origin uranium accounted for 83% of deliveries to US civilian owner/operators in 2013, at weighted-average price of $51.13 per pound. Uranium originating in Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan accounted for 35% of total US deliveries in 2013. Australian-origin and Canadian-origin uranium together accounted for 32%. The remaining foreign-owned uranium delivered to US nuclear power plant owners in 2013 came from Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Malawi, Namibia, Niger, Portugal, and South Africa.
Deliveries from Russia increased year-on-year, with 10.58 million pounds U3O8e delivered in 2013, up from 7.643 million pounds in 2012. The amount of Canadian-origin uranium delivered to US owner-operators fell significantly from 13.584 million pounds in 2012 to 7.808 million pounds in 2013, according to EIA figures.
EIA said that during 2013, 20% of the uranium was purchased under spot contracts at a weighted-average price of $43.83 per pound, with the remaining 80% purchased under long-term contracts at a weighted-average price of $54.00 per pound.
EIA also reported that uranium in fuel assemblies loaded into US civilian nuclear power reactors during 2013 contained 43 million pounds U3O8e, compared with 49 million pounds U3O8e loaded during 2012. Eight percent of the uranium loaded during 2013 was US-origin uranium, and 92% was foreign-origin uranium, EIA said.
US inventories increase by 16%
Commercial uranium inventories owned by nuclear power plant owners/operators totalled 113 million pounds U3O8e at the end of 2013, an increase of 16% from year-end 2012, according to EIA.
Uranium inventories owned by US brokers and traders stood at 8 million pounds U3O8e, while US converter, enrichers, fabricators and producers owned 13 million pounds U3O8e of inventories at the end of 2013.
More details and statistics can be found in EIA’s 2013 Uranium Marketing Annual Report
Figure: Uranium purchased by owners and operators of US civilian nuclear power reactors by origin and delivery year, 2009-2013 (Source: EIA)
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