5 Nov (NucNet): The Cameco Corporation said yesterday that a “modest increase” of water was flowing into the McArthur River uranium mine in Canada but there was no impact on production.
Tim Gitzel, Cameco’s chief operating officer, said the company had reported the incident to “prevent rumours”. He added: “The inflow is only about 10 per cent of our total capacity to pump water out of the mine. We have prepared for just such events and it is being well managed.”
There were no injuries, the mine is safe and the environment was not impacted, the company said.
In September 2008, Cameco revised downwards its production forecast for 2008 from the combined operations of the McArthur River and Key Lake uranium mines. Uranium ore is mined at McArthur River and subsequently milled at Key Lake.
However, Cameco said this would not affect the 2009 production estimate for its share of the McArthur River/Key Lake operations, which is still 13.1 million pounds U3O8.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Cameco Updates Forecast For Canadian Uranium Operations (World Nuclear Review No. 36, 19 September 2008)
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