AREVA Set To Proceed On Midwest Project

AREVA Set To Proceed On Midwest Project

Monday, December 03, 2007 at 15:48

AREVA Resources has formally announced its intentions to develop the long-awaited Midwest uranium mine project.

The 45-hectare open-pit mine will be located 15 kilometers west of AREVA’s McClean Lake operation, with a dedicated haul road linking the two mines.

The ore mined at Midwest will be trucked to McClean Lake for processing.

The Midwest mine is estimated to produce 36 million pounds of uranium over an expected life of two years.

It will cost $400 million to build, which includes a $100-million expansion at the McClean Lake mill for processing purposes.

Spokesman Alun Richards says site construction — including the water treatment plant, haul road and other facilities — should begin by mid-2009, with ore removal set from mid-2011 through to 2013.

However, Richards cautions that several regulatory hurdles remain to be cleared, including an environmental impact assessment.