1/19) #Uranium - a Tutorial👨🏫 walking U thru the #Nuclear fuel cycle, what it is, the stages & issues involved, so U can understand the term that has every Uranium investor smacking their lips today: Overfeeding!😋 Here's a thread that I hope gives U some key insights.🌞⚛️⛏️🧵👇2
2) #Uranium is a very different fuel than #coal & #gas that are burned "as is" in #electricity power plants.🏭⚡️ #Nuclear reactor fuel needs to be specially processed & then loaded into fuel rods that are then loaded into reactors to generate #CarbonFree electricity.🌞⚛️⚡️👇3
3) Mined #Uranium⛏️ is processed into drums of Yellow Cake #U3O8🛢️ that in the west are shipped🚢🚛 to plants in Canada, US & France for "Conversion" into a new form called #UF6 which is then shipped in cylinders🚛 to plants in US & Europe for "Enrichment" into reactor fuel.⚛️👇4
4) Enriched #Uranium (EUP) is then shipped🚛 to a fuel fabrication plant🏭 where it is processed into solid "Pellets" that are loaded into reactor fuel rods bundled into "fuel assemblies" ready to be shipped🚛 to #Nuclear power plants for loading into reactors⚛️⚡️🌞🧵👇5
5) These #Uranium stages of processing are together called the "#Nuclear Fuel Cycle".⚛️ Operators of reactors have to sign contracts🧾 with companies providing Mining, Conversion, Enrichment, Fuel Fabrication, and as well must arrange shipments between each facility. 🌎🚢🚛🚂👇6
6) With #Uranium having to be shipped to plants in various locations worldwide for each of the #Nuclear fuel cycle stages, as fuel buyers compete for contracts to get their reactor fuel processed, it can take 2+ years to go from mined #U3O8⛏️ to delivered fuel assemblies.⚛️🦥👇7
7) So #Nuclear reactor fuel must be ordered/contracted at least 2 years before it is scheduled for loading into reactors.😯 That lead time can be cut in half✂️ if reactor operators buy already converted #UF6 held by a supplier, bypassing #Uranium#mining & conversion stages.🐎👇8
8) Which brings us to "underfeeding."🍼 Without getting too technical👶 after Fukushima in 2011, demand for enriched #Uranium fell⤵️ but for technical reasons enrichment devices have to be kept spinning at full throttle.🌀 Enrichers switched gears⚙️ to operate differently🧵👇9
9) Enrichers can spin the #UF6 feed for longer periods to achieve the desired #Uranium enrichment % while using less UF6.😯 A contract might call for 6 x UF6 cylinders, but enricher would only use 5 then sell the extra UF6 back into the market.💰 That is "underfeeding"🍼🧵👇10
10) Underfeeding led to an excess of #UF6 in the market, known as "secondary supply", that #Nuclear utilities could buy instead of signing contracts for Conversion.🧾✖️ Demand & prices for Conversion & mined #U3O8 plummeted.⤵️ Honeywell shut down only US Conversion plant!🇺🇸😯👇11
11) Demand for mined #U3O8 plummeted⤵️⛏️ due to oversupply, many mines were idled to cut supply✂️ & mine development projects delayed or cancelled.✖️ Investment in exploration & development fell off a cliff💰↘️ as did #Uranium prices😟.. but that's all changed now!😃⚛️🏗️⤴️🐂👇12
12) Today #Nuclear power capacity & #Uranium demand is greater now than it was before Fukushima.⚛️⤴️🤠🐂 Demand is surging in a global decarbonization drive to fight #ClimateChange & achieve #NetZero🌞in midst of an #EnergyCrisis.⚡️ A 'Nuclear Renaissance' is now underway.🏗️👇13
13) Even before #Russia invaded #Ukraine to create geopolitical chaos🪖💣 #Nuclear fuel demand was circa 200 Million lbs of #Uranium this year, but mined supply at only 135 Million lbs.🤯 'Underfeeding' by enrichers was providing about 20M lbs/year to reduce that deficit.🍼👇14
14) #Russia has been supplying 39% of global enriched #Uranium, 27% of Conversion & 14% of mined U supply.⚛️⛏️ #Nuclear utilities in US & Europe are now pivoting away from Russian supply🇷🇺⛏️⛔️ with shipping also disrupted🚢🚛🚂impacting ~20% of US & #EU#Nuclear fuel supply✂️👇15
15) Demand for Western enriched #Uranium has surged⤴️⚛️ spiking prices for Enrichment(SWU) like never seen before⏫as #Nuclear utilities scramble to find alternative supply.🛒 There's not enough capacity in US & Europe to meet demand so enrichers are switching gears again⚙️🏎️👇16
16) Western 'underfeeding' is over✖️ as enrichers are switching to 'overfeeding'🍼🍼 so they can produce enriched #Uranium at a faster pace.🏇 By feeding extra UF6 they can shorten enrichment time to try to keep up with demand, but must buy the extra #UF6 feed in the market🛒👇17
17) But #Nuclear fuel consultants are saying that supply of #UF6 is running out.🏜️ More Conversion of mined #U3O8 is needed ASAP in order to produce more #UF6.⏫ Cost of Conversion has risen to an all-time high.🌋 Luckily, Honeywell is restarting their US conversion plant🏭🇺🇸👇18
18) As Conversion ramps back up,⤴️ #Nuclear utilities must purchase more mined #U3O8🛒⛏️ to be converted to #UF6🏭 so enrichers can "overfeed"🍼🍼 to produce more enriched #Uranium to replace lost Russian supply.🇷🇺⛔️ This is the "knock-on effect" that has yet to hit #U3O8🌊⛏️👇19
19) 'Underfeeding' created 'Secondary Supply' which now flips to 'Secondary Demand'🙃 due to 'overfeeding'🍼🍼 which will drive up #Uranium demand,⏫ deepen the massive supply deficit⏬ & send #U3O8 prices & U #mining#stocks skyward🚀 in the months & years ahead.🤠🐂 Got it?😉
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📝Dear fellow #Uranium & #Nuclear #energy enthusiasts,🤠
Six weeks ago I explained to U that I will be taking a sabbatical from TwiXtter to focus on pressing family issues👨👩👧👧 and personal needs.👴 However, after a very strong show of your support,🥰 I agreed to a compromise of tweeting out on weekends and chiming in when there was major sector news to cover.⚡️🔔😲 I wasn't expecting that to set off a non-stop stream of huge news items with major implications for Uranium #mining #stocks investors!📰🎆🤠🐂 Who opened the floodgates?🌊 Was that U?🫵😆 I've been putting my sabbatical on hold while trying to keep up!🏃♂️ It's been an amazing journey these past 6 weeks!🧑🚀🚀
😔However, at the moment I'm dealing with a serious health situation for a family member who is in the midst of a protracted period of treatment & recovery that will likely continue into next year.🩻🩺🧑⚕️🏥 I've been juggling my time to try to cover the many competing demands for my attention.🤹♂️ It's been impossible to step away from the incredible tsunami of bullish Nuclear & Uranium action of late😩 but I do need to cut way back on my TwiXtter time🐦💻✂️ and I will be absent altogether from time to time.🧳
To prepare U for my reduced TwiXtter news coverage and unavoidable absences, I gifted U a list of folks U should follow 🎁👾 and websites that U might want to visit for your research.📚🧐 Here they are again.🗒️👇 Turn on Notifications if U want to be notified by TwiXtter when your favourite follows are posting.🔔☑️😀
📝 These are some of the X accounts that I have turned on Notifications for that U might want to follow too.🔔👇 (Please don't take offense if you're not currently on my notification list.🙏)
1)If U are a newbie👶 unfamiliar with #Uranium, a commodity unlike any other with its own unique concepts & terminology such as #U3O8, Conversion, #UF6 & enrichment SWU😖then this Tutorial thread👨🏫 on the #Nuclear fuel cycle♻️⚛️⛏️ may help U to ride the bull wave!🌊🏄🤠🐂🧵👇../2
2) #Uranium is very different from fuels like #coal & #gas that are burned "as is" in #electricity power plants.🏭⚡️ #Nuclear fuel needs to be specially processed and then packaged into fuel rods that are then loaded into reactors to generate #CarbonFree electricity.🌞⚛️⚡️👇../3
3)Mined #Uranium⛏️ is processed into drums of Yellow Cake #U3O8🛢️ that in the West are shipped to plants in Canada, US & France for "Conversion" into a gas form called #UF6, which is then shipped in cylinders to plants in US & Europe for "Enrichment" into #Nuclear fuel⚛️🏭👇.../4
1) U may feel gut-punched🥊 or prayers answered😇 by a #Uranium #mining #stocks pullback📉🎭 but every day now we see surging #Nuclear demand⏫⚛️🏗️ while a new US ban on Russian U🇷🇺🚢⛔️🇺🇸 adds even more need for Western #U3O8 in a deep supply deficit.🗜️⏬⛏️ Here's a thread 4U🧵👇
2)#Uranium is a commodity like no other🧬 with unique terminology such as #U3O8, Conversion, #UF6 & enrichment SWU😖 in a #Nuclear fuel cycle♻️⚛️⛏️ where price signals are now indicating huge incoming bull market waves🌊 that perhaps I can help U prepare to ride !🏄💰🤠🐂🧵👇../3
3) #Uranium is very different from fuels like #coal & #gas that are burned "as is" in #electricity power plants.🏭⚡️ #Nuclear fuel needs to be specially processed and packaged into fuel rods that are then loaded into reactors to generate #CarbonFree electricity.🌞⚛️⚡️🧵👇../4
If U are a newbie👶 unfamiliar with #Uranium, a commodity unlike any other with its own unique concepts & terminology such as #U3O8, Conversion, #UF6 & enrichment SWU😖 then this Tutorial thread👨🏫 on the #Nuclear fuel cycle♻️⚛️⛏️ may help U to ride the bull wave!🌊🏄🤠🐂🧵👇../2
2) #Uranium is a very different fuel unlike #coal & #gas that are burned "as is" in #electricity power plants.🏭⚡️ #Nuclear fuel needs to be specially processed and then packaged into fuel rods that are then loaded into reactors to generate #CarbonFree electricity.🌞⚛️⚡️👇../3
3)Mined #Uranium⛏️is processed into drums of Yellow Cake #U3O8🛢️that in the West are shipped🚢🚛 to plants in Canada, US & France for "Conversion" into a gas form called #UF6 which is then shipped in cylinders🚛 to plants in US & Europe for "Enrichment" into #Nuclear fuel⚛️👇../4
1) With #Uranium Explorers mobilizing for winter drilling in #Canada's #AthabascaBasin⛏️ it's time⏳ for a thread on how to interpret drill data🗒️ coming soon in news releases.📰 Misunderstanding data can lead to missed opportunities.💰😟 Maybe I can help U get ready!👨🏫🧵👇.../2
2) #Uranium explorers drill rock core samples looking for signs of #U3O8 bearing ore.🧐 Rarely do they hit high-grade on first few attempts.😟 Geologists first look for visual signs in the core samples. Here's a description from pre-discovery 2013 drilling at $NXE's Arrow👇.../3
3) Visual inspection of core samples is just 1 of many steps taken to see if #uranium is found. Presence of radioactivity is best indicator☢️ so all cores are scanned with an instrument called a Hand-held Scintillometer to produce "Scint" CPS tables for each core interval.🗒️.../4
If you've heard about #Uranium soaring past $100 to 16-year highs💯🎇🦻🐦 amidst a global #Nuclear #energy resurgence⤴️⚛️bringing unprecedented U demand⛏️🛒 and wonder how U can invest💵🤔 in U #mining #stocks famous for spectacular gains🎆💰😃 here's a🧵on ways U can play.🤠🐂👇
If you're just beginning to invest in #Uranium #mining #stocks👶 then a great starter🥣 is #investing in a 100% Pure-Play Uranium ETF: $URNM 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺 or Horizons Global Uranium Index ETF $HURA 🇨🇦 giving U broad #U3O8 sector exposure⛏️😃 while U do your research📚🧐👇#Nuclear⚛️🤠🐂
The world's largest and most liquid #Uranium ETF with $2.8 Billion AUM💰 is offered by Global X but is weighted at only 70% U #stocks⚠️ with the other 30% for #Nuclear component makers⚛️🏭 & generic miners⛏️at ticker $URA 🇺🇸 also offered as $URNU 🇬🇧 and $ATOM 🇦🇺 🤠🐂