The United States nearly doubled its uranium production last year from its 2024 total as the country’s renewed interest in nuclear power continues to materialize.
In the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Domestic Uranium Production Report, published June 23, the U.S. uranium mines produced 1.38 million pounds of triuranium octoxide (U3O8) in 2025. This was a significant increase from 2024 when the country produced 677,000 pounds of U3O8.
The domestic production completed last year was predominantly done by nine operating mines, with seven of the nine being in-situ recovery mines. This was the first time that U.S. mines produced over one million pounds of U3O8 since 2017, when 1.15 million pounds were produced, according to the report. It is also the highest amount produced since 2016 when 2.54 million pounds were produced.
Though domestic mine production took a big step in the last few years, with the report noting the 2024 mine production of 677,000 pounds of U3O8 was a massive jump from the 50,000 pounds produced in 2023, the U.S. still lags behind production levels seen more than a decade ago. In 2014, the country’s uranium mines produced a little over 4.9 million pounds of U3O8.
Exploration drilling also increased during 2025, with 1,824 holes drilled with a total footage of 1.01 million feet, which is an increase from the 1,324 holes with 613,000 feet drilled in 2024. Exploration drilling is an early part of the process where small holes are drilled into the ground to locate, confirm and evaluate underground uranium deposits.
For development drilling in 2025, 3,708 holes with 1.3 million feet were drilled, which is up from the development drilling of 2,462 holes and 1.26 million feet in 2024. Development drilling is conducted to map out the grade and structure of the uranium ore deposit.
According to the report, exploration and development drilling in 2025 were both at their highest levels since 2013 for number of holes drilled and for total footage drilled.
EIA reported that by the end of 2025, Energy Fuels’ White Mesa Mill in Utah was the only uranium conversion site in operations. Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill in Utah and the Sweetwater Uranium Project in Wyoming are on standby while the Sheep Mountain heap leach facility reached a partial permitting and licensing stage.
For in-situ recovery facilities, EIA said the Alta Mesa Project, Lost Creek Project, the Smith Ranch-Highland Operation, Ross Central Processing Project, and Willow Creek Project were in operation by the end of the year, producing 13.3 million pounds of U3O8 per year. This is down from the in-situ recovery industry capacity of 14.1 million pounds in 2024.
EIA reported that five in-situ recovery plants were on standby by the end of 2025 and that seven facilities across three states, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, were planned.