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Methods of Mining Uranium
David Lawrence
Introduction
• Educated at Yale University with a focus on
geology and geophysics, David Lawrence is a
former executive vice president at Royal Dutch
Shell and Shell Upstream Americas. While at
Shell, David Lawrence was involved with
acquisitions and divestments and sought new
opportunities in the oil, gas and wind energy
sectors. Mr. Lawrence also spent time as a
geology instructor, coal, uranium and research
geologist before he became the chief geologist at
Shell in the mid-1990s.
Mining Uranium
• Uranium can be mined in three ways. Strip mining, also
called open pit mining, removes rock and surface soils
to reach uranium ore below. While strip mining
operations are less expensive than underground
mining, strip mining leaves a giant footprint.
In-situ recovery, also called solution mining, is a
method that extracts uranium from the ground by
pumping water mixed with gaseous oxygen and other
elements into a deposit to dissolve the uranium into
the solution. The solution is then pumped back to the
surface. This is regarded as one of the most
environmentally friendly ways to mine uranium.

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Methods of Mining Uranium

  • 1. Methods of Mining Uranium David Lawrence
  • 2. Introduction • Educated at Yale University with a focus on geology and geophysics, David Lawrence is a former executive vice president at Royal Dutch Shell and Shell Upstream Americas. While at Shell, David Lawrence was involved with acquisitions and divestments and sought new opportunities in the oil, gas and wind energy sectors. Mr. Lawrence also spent time as a geology instructor, coal, uranium and research geologist before he became the chief geologist at Shell in the mid-1990s.
  • 3. Mining Uranium • Uranium can be mined in three ways. Strip mining, also called open pit mining, removes rock and surface soils to reach uranium ore below. While strip mining operations are less expensive than underground mining, strip mining leaves a giant footprint. In-situ recovery, also called solution mining, is a method that extracts uranium from the ground by pumping water mixed with gaseous oxygen and other elements into a deposit to dissolve the uranium into the solution. The solution is then pumped back to the surface. This is regarded as one of the most environmentally friendly ways to mine uranium.