Comparisons of Uranium Estimates Made by DOE and Uranium Companies

Gao ID: EMD-79-25 January 22, 1979

Under a program started in 1947 by the former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), uranium companies have voluntarily provided the Department of Energy (DOE) with raw source data (e.g., drilling logs and maps), generated during their uranium exploration and development activities. As part of a review of the issues relating to the availability of uranium for the Nation's nuclear power needs, GAO evaluated DOE's reserve estimation methodology. DOE has used the data provided to estimate uranium reserves and potential resources on a property-by-property basis and consolidated these estimates into its overall assignment of U.S. resources. The uranium producing companies interviewed agreed that DOE's estimating procedures are reasonable and some of the companies follow the same procedures. There was no evidence that companies withheld information from DOE about resources on their properties. GAO's analysis indicated that the DOE reserves estimate was a fair assignment of the current state of the Nation's uranium reserves.



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