South Australia is a major exporter of uranium oxide to the world and currently attracts many companies (including global majors) exploring, developing and mining uranium in the state.
The South Australian Government has made it clear that it openly and actively supports exploration for uranium as it forms a significant part of South Australia’s mineral resource. Despite having 23% of the world’s uranium resources, South Australia only produces around 10% of the world’s uranium, indicating that there is significant potential for long term production, expansion and demonstrated geology with high potential for further discoveries.
South Australia has demonstrated experience with technologies for processing uranium ore, developed from the state’s uranium mines using different ore beneficiation processes. The state government’s royalty rates are competitively low (2% for new mines, and 5% after the first 5 years), and the state boasts over 30 years of proven safe uranium handling and transportation through the Australian approved uranium export facility of Port Adelaide. There have been over 10,000 shipments of uranium from South Australia to date, with no effects to the public or the environment.
Internationally viewed as a supply destination of choice, South Australia exports to the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium and potentially India and the United Arab Emirates.
