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Is 2013 a Catalyst Year for the Uranium Market?

By: The Energy Report and Rob Chang



-- Posted Thursday, January 31 2013 | Digg This ArticleDigg It! |

Source: Zig Lambo of The Energy Report

 

After scraping along what appears to be the market bottom, uranium prices are poised for significant moves this year as the in-place demand exceeds visible supply for the foreseeable future. So says Rob Chang, Equity Analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald Canada in this interview with The Energy Report. Investors stand to make some exciting returns.

 

The Energy Report: During your last interview with us in May, spot uranium was around $51 per pound ($51/lb), with some apparent stability at that level. Now spot is ~$42.50/lb. What's the source of the downward pressure?

 

Rob Chang: The excess inventory that was available for sale, most notably from Japan, has been going back into the market, depressing spot prices. Plus, the general market malaise surrounding the commodity contributed as well. But that has notably changed in recent months.

 

TER: Could a major short-term catalyst move uranium prices higher in the near future, or do you expect a gradual increase over time?

 

RC: This is the year the well-publicized U.S.-Russian HEU (highly enriched uranium) agreement, or Megatons to Megawatts program, is due to expire. Those 24 million pounds (Mlb) that were available to the market will effectively disappear. The question remains as to what the Russians will do with the remaining material. Our sources and thinking suggest the Russians are probably going to stockpile this material. It's not very cost-effective for them to downblend it, given the low uranium price environment. On top of that, it's a security-of-supply issue. We're forecasting a supply deficit up to 2025, and believe the Russians see the same thing. So it makes sense for the country to keep it in its inventory, rather than to downblend it now. There are no substitutes for uranium in nuclear plants, so to continue operating, it's really important to have a supply of uranium.

 

This isn't to say the U.S. will be left with nothing. Last year, a state-owned Russian company signed a deal that replaced the HEU agreement utilizing separative work units (SWU) instead of low-enriched uranium. The "Transitional Supply Contract" allows the company to purchase SWU through 2022. SWU is a unit of work required to enrich uranium to a level that can be used by reactors. While the SWU agreement is not an apples-to-apples exchange relative to the expiring HEU agreement, it does allow the U.S. to maintain access to fuel for its reactors, which was the point of the HEU agreement.

 

Japan and its newly elected leadership is another possible catalyst. The country's recent election marked a return of the old leadership that was instrumental in the development of its existing nuclear program. It will likely turn more plants back on than the previous government was willing to. The prime minister has gone on record saying that it didn't make economic sense for the country to keep those plants closed. Sometime in the middle of this year, Japan will probably announce between 10 and 15 reactor restarts, which would certainly be a positive catalyst.

 

And, of course, China will continue its major building program, which will be a continuous source of positive news. It seems like every month it's putting a new reactor into operation.

 

TER: So, possible midyear news from Japan might cause a good bump, in addition to gradual price increases from other global demand. Will that be enough to move past that $40/lb price level?

 

RC: If anything, we see the $40 spot price as the marginal cost point and effective bottom. I fully expect to see a gradual increase, with perhaps some intermittent, news-related jumps. Instead of the classic $0.25–0.75 move, jumps as much as a few dollars may take place every so often. Uranium has been priced for the worst possible news lately, and some good, strong, positive catalysts could make it move higher in greater increments. Long-term, uranium really needs to be around $70/lb, at minimum, to spur new mine development and ensure an adequate new supply to match demand. These deposits are getting deeper and harder to mine and were not easy to find to begin with.

 

TER: What have been the most significant developments in the uranium business since last spring?

 

RC: In the producer and developer space, many major companies have announced either a delay or an outright cancellation of new mines or mine expansion. Other delays, production slowdowns or cancellations are likely to come down the pipeline due to cost escalations.

 

There are only a few spots showing significant new supply. Kazakhstan just announced that it has increased production up to 20.9 thousand tons in 2012, and it's reasonable to expect that it can maintain that progress going forward.

 

TER: Germany says it's going to eliminate nuclear power use by 2022, yet other countries in Europe are proceeding with their developments. How will that affect European uranium and energy markets?

 

RC: Germany seems like it is continuing along that path. Whether it sticks with it long term remains to be seen. It is importing power from nuclear sources outside the country. That's an expensive proposition. But I'm impressed with the country's tenacity in doing so.

 

TER: Could you summarize your uranium outlook for this year and your investment advice in this sector?

 

RC: We believe that 2013 is a catalyst year for the uranium market. This is the turning point, in our opinion, and we're seeing a lot more interest from our clients who are seeing the same thing. The activity has certainly picked up. Our supply and demand forecast shows we are in a period of supply deficit now, through to 2025. On average, it takes 7-10 years for a uranium mine to be discovered and then put into production. Prices have to rise to support new mine developments, exploration and production. We believe that the uranium price needs to be somewhere in the $70 range, and that's actually a low estimate relative to others on the Street who are seeing something like $75–85. We believe that uranium is the place to be and will be starting to move this year.

 

When you look at it from the number of publicly traded producers that are uranium-focused in the world, there are only four to five. That's a limited number. After that, you're looking at developers and explorers. We believe this is a very good place to be for investors right now.

 

The key thing to remember is demand. Once it's there, it stays because there is no substitute for uranium in a nuclear reactor. Once you build one, it needs uranium. Otherwise, it's useless. And that's a lot of money to commit to something that ends up being useless.

 

TER: We appreciate your time and input today, Rob. It looks like lots of exciting things are going on in the industry.

 

RC: I agree, and thanks for having me.

 

Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Metals and Mining Analyst Rob Chang has covered the metals and mining space for over eight years for the sell side and the buy side. Prior to Cantor, Chang served on the equity research teams at Versant Partners, Octagon Capital and BMO Capital Markets. His buy-side experience includes managing $3 billion in assets as a director of research/portfolio manager at Middlefield Capital, where his primary resource portfolio outperformed its direct peer and benchmark by over 28% and 18%, respectively. He was also on a five-person multi-strategy hedge fund team, where he specialized in equity and derivative investments. He completed his Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

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-- Posted Thursday, January 31 2013 | Digg This ArticleDigg It! |



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