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FINANCIAL REPORTING

Uranium Price Sensitivity

Long-term Price Sensitivity Analysis: Uranium

The table below is not a forecast of prices we expect to receive. The prices we actually realize will be different from the prices shown in the table.

The table is designed to indicate how the portfolio of long-term contracts we had in place on December 31, 2009 would respond to different spot prices. In other words, we would realize these prices only if the contract portfolio remained the same as it was on December 31, 2009, and none of the assumptions we list below change.

Expected Realized Uranium Price Sensitivity Under Various Spot Price Assumptions

(rounded to the nearest $1.00)

$US/lb U3O8
Spot Price  $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 $120 $140
               
2010 33 39 47 53 60 67 74
2011 33 38 47 54 63 71 79
2012 36 39 49 58 68 77 86
2013 43 45 55 65 75 85 94
2014 42 46 56 66 76 87 96
               

In the table, our average realized price increases over time under all spot price scenarios. This illustrates the mix of long-term contracts in our December 31, 2009 portfolio, and is consistent with our contracting strategy.

Our contracts usually include a mix of fixed-price and market-price components, which we target at a 40:60 ratio. We signed many of our current contracts in 2003 to 2005, when market prices were low ($11 to $31 (US)). Those that are fixed at lower prices or have low ceilings will yield prices that are lower than current market prices. These older contracts are beginning to expire, and we are starting to deliver into contracts signed since 2004 (when market prices began to increase).

 

Our portfolio is affected by more than just the spot price. We made the following assumptions to create the table:

Sales

  • sales volume of 32 million pounds in 2010 (the mid-point of our outlook for the year)
  • sales volume of 30 million pounds for 2011 and every year following

Deliveries

  • customers take the maximum quantity allowed under each contract (unless they have already provided a delivery notice indicating they will take less)
  • we defer a portion of deliveries under existing contracts for 2010, 2011 and 2012

Prices

  • the average long-term price indicator is the same as the average spot price for the entire year (a simplified approach for this purpose only)
  • we deliver all volumes that we don't have contracts for at the spot price for each scenario

Inflation

  • is 2.0% per year
Last Reviewed: February 24, 2010