Weekly Reports |Feb 12 2019
With a Democrat majority in the House, US energy policy may up for greener scrutiny. But will nuclear be a part?
-US uranium production well down in 2018-Cameco production well down in 2018-US uranium market overwhelmed by red tape
By Greg Peel
The US produced 345,425lbs U3O8 equivalent in the December quarter 2018, down -35% on the September quarter and -45% on December 2017. Concentrate production was down -40% year on year and marks the lowest level since 1950, or if recycled material is not counted, the lowest level since the US Energy Information Administration began keeping records in 1949.
Canada's Cameco reported 2.4mlbs uranium production in the December quarter, down -65% year on year. The miner's total 2018 production of 9.2mlbs U3O8 equivalent was down -61% on 2017. Cameco nevertheless sold 35.1mlbs in 2018, up 4%, and achieved an average realised price of US$37.01/lb, up 2%.
Producer buying in the uranium spot market was a feature of 2018 and has continued into 2019. Outside of stockpiles, we can presume that given the spot uranium price rose all year and is currently at US$28.90/lb, and Cameco was selling at an average US$37.01/lb, Cameco was active in the spot market and the company's decision to suspend production at its key McArthur River mine was a sensible one.
That US$28.90 spot price was unchanged last week from the week before on industry consultant TradeTech's weekly price indicator. Last week volumes dropped back to 800,000lbs in five transactions. Lower volumes are likely a result of uranium buyers and sellers currently being mired in "red tape", TradeTech suggests.