Imgortant new ore bodies have been discovered. in Caneda (at
Gunnar Lake, in the Athabeske area) and in southeestern Utah on the
Colorado Platean, Domestic uranium operationa (exploration, mining,
milling) are prosecding satiefactorily, During this six-menths period,
ore deliveries ant mill, outpet have continued to rise (seq charts on
po. 18 and 19). Boreover, the recovery of uranium as a by-product of
phosphete chemical production whieh began in 1952, has proceeded
suoothly at the first plent; unit coste have been below expectations.
Two nore plante will start up thia year, TIeportent research ant development are being directed toward matheods of recovering uranium from low
gerade watertal such ae the Florida phospiates end Plordide leached zone
matertal discerded in comercial phoaphate opsrations,
Pisstonshlie Materials (Part IT, pp. 2937)
Agtual end projected output of U 235 and plutonium are as follow,
bared on 1952 = 100 (eae charts on p. 26):
Calendar Year
Aetual
U 235
Plutoniun
=—-1. 946
15
2T
194B
22
23
LGhT
1gh9
950
3951
1992
Projected 1993
1934
1955
1956
1997
1958
1959
1960
22
25
aT
he
ay
#9
kg
69
200
Lah
216
2oh
166
128
166
270
3)
606
h2o
424
pou
516
516
395
424
423
The projected output of plutonium for 1957 end thereafter is 24
percent greater then indireeted in previous progrees reports, The in-
ebence is based upon confidence thet Benford and Savannah River reactors —
ean perform at higher power levels thacwere previously assumed.
fanford
tions, Guccessivaly bigher power levels are being
achieved
the Hanford
plies each quarter (seq Chart ITF, 9. 32). Lost
operating time caused by the fellure of wranium slugs in the plies fel
to 1.3 percent in the first quarter of 1953 compared with the peak of
8.4 percent in the third quarter of 1951. Thene factors and cutetanling
SE