What Is a Uranium Deposit?
A uranium deposit is a deposit of uranium ores or minerals which contain uranium. Uranium is actually a very abundant element, found widely throughout the world, but deposits in concentrations high enough to be useful are relatively rare. Thus, viable uranium deposits can be quite valuable to national governments and the people who control the mineral rights at the site. The world’s leading producers of uranium are Canada, Kazakhstan, and Australia, together accounting for around two thirds of the world’s uranium. A common uranium ore is uraninite, sometimes known as pitchblende, although a uranium deposit can contain other ores as well. Because a deposit may not be very rich in uranium, mining companies often use open pit mining to extract the uranium, with the goal of accessing as much as possible.
