Dewatering Resumes At Flooded Uranium Mine

Dewatering Resumes At Flooded Uranium Mine

Friday, October 23, 2009 at 13:17

Cameco Corporation announced today that dewatering of the underground development of the Cigar Lake project has resumed.

The company says the inflow of water 420 metres below the surface that forced the suspension of the dewatering in August of last year has been remediated.

Flooding initially forced construction of the northern Saskatchewan mine to be halted in October 2006.

Cameco says the latest flooding was addressed by remotely placing an inflatable seal between the shaft and the source of the inflow, and subsequently backfilling and sealing the entire development behind the seal with concrete and grout.

The company also says the 420-metre level is no longer considered part of its future plans for the Cigar Lake mine.

Cameco says the dewatering and securing of the mine is expected to take six to 12 months, depending on what conditions are found in the shaft and the underground workings.

The company will provide an estimated production start date after the water has been pumped out of the mine and the condition of the underground development has been assessed.