Second Shaft Breaks Through at Cigar Lake


Pictured above are the headframe structure and surface facilities at Cameco’s Cigar Lake uranium mine.
The compa-ny has been dewatering and remediating the mine since a massive water inflow event in 2008
resulted in mine closure.
Cameco reported in early January 2012 that the second shaft at the Cigar Lake uranium mining project in northern Saskatchewan had broken through to the main mine workings. The second shaft will provide for increased ventilation of the underground workings as well as an additional means of entering and exiting the mine.

Cameco President and CEO Tim Gitzel said, “We expect to resume full mine development and construction activities in 2012 and remain on track to start ore min-ing by mid-2013.”

During 2011, Cameco restored under-ground mine systems, infrastructure, and development areas at Cigar Lake; secured regulatory approval for and started con-struction of systems to increase discharge capacity for treated water; initiated ore-body freezing from surface; and developed and secured regulatory approval for a revised mine plan

. The Cigar Lake project is 50%-owned and operated by Cameco. The other Cigar Lake joint venture partners are AREVA Resources Canada (37%), Idemitsu Re-sources Canada (8%) and Tepco Re-sources Inc. (5%).

As featured in Womp 2012 Vol 02 - www.womp-int.com