著者

神山 貞二

出版者

The Society of Resource Geology

雑誌

鉱山地質 (ISSN:00265209)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.19, no.93, pp.43-60, 1969-03-18 (Released:2009-12-14)

参考文献数

10

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The Atomic Fuel Corporation (AFC) was resolved and was newly incorporated as a new governmental corporation, the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) in October, 1968. The main purpose of PNC is to develop within ten years the prototype reactors of the Advanced Thermal Reactor (ATR) and the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) suitable for Japan. These reactors are expected to solve the energy problem of Japan in around 2000. The uranium is not fully used in the light water reactors now being built in Japan. The uranium will be fully used as fuel resources only when we succeed in building, for our electricity generating system, the ATR with greater. conversion ratio of Pu and the FBR to be operated with plutonium. In other words the development of the ATR and the FBR is the solution of the problem of uranium resources.If we build only the light water reactors, we need 500, 000t of uranium by 2000. But if the FBR can be introduced in and after 1980, 300, 000t of uranium would be enough.The result of prospecting carried out by AFC for last ten years proved the uranium deposits of only 6, 000t (U3O8) which is not able to meet the domestic demand for power plants. Therefore, most of the uranium must be procured from abroad. Under these circumstance, it is very important to study the world situation of uranium and make a plan not only for the purchase of uranium but also for the prospecting and development of uranium mines abroad.1. History of Uranium Resources DevelopmentAfter World War II, many countries have promoted the development of uranium resources as the strategic materials under the government subsidies. The uranium resources in Australia and South Africa have been rapidly developed with the propping-up from the United Kingdom and U.S.A. through Combined Devlopment Agency (CDA). As a result, the uranium production of the Free World reached 43, 000t (U3O8) in 1959. Thereafter, the uranium mining activities have been slowed down with the mitigation of cold war and the unexpected slow development of civil uses of nuclear power. However, the uranium prospecting activities have been activatéd again since the economic prospect of nuclear power was proved at the Third International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy held in Geneva in 1964.2. Classification of Uranium DepositThe uranium deposit will be classified in the following manners by genesis and mode of occurrences_a) Sedimentary typeThis type includes most of the uranium resources now under development such as the Elliot Lake area in Canada and Witwatersrand in South Africa which of the Proterozoic and Colorado Plateau, Wyoming and Texas which belong to the Mesozic and the Tertiary. The uranium occurs in some cases in black shale such as Chattanooga shale (Tennessee) and Alum shale (South Sweden) and also sometimes in phosphorite rocks as in Florida.b) Vein typeThe uranium occurs in the veins as a main ore mineral in fractured zone in Beaverlodge (Canada), South Alligator (Australia), La Crouzille (France). It is associated with Ni, Co, Au, Ag, Cu in Shinkolobwe (Congo) and Jachymov (Czeckoslovakia).