Cigar Lake

Canada-based Cameco is hoping to produce 16 million packaged pounds of uranium concentrate (U3O8) in 2016 from its Cigar Lake mine in Saskatchewan.

Areva Resources Canada-owned McClean Lake operation is responsible for milling and packaging ore produced at the Cigar Lake.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Areva aims to increase the McClean Lake mill’s operating licence from the current production limit of 13 million pounds per annum.

In this regard, the company plans to submit an application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Full achievement of the production outlook for Cigar Lake in 2016 is subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals, which is needed to increase mill production.

"Areva aims to increase the McClean Lake mill’s operating licence from the current production limit of 13 million pounds per annum."

Cameco operates the Cigar Lake mine with 50.025% interest. Other partners are Areva Resources Canada (37.1%), Idemitsu Canada Resources (7.875%) and Tepco Resources (5%).

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Cigar Lake Mine is located in the uranium rich Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, Canada.

The deposit was discovered in 1981 and is second in size of high-grade deposits only to the McArthur River mine.

The mine’s average grade is more than 20%. Full-scale construction began in 2005, with production originally planned for 2007.

Cameco developed a new jet-boring technique specifically for the deposit and began commercial production in May 2015.


Image: Cameco’s Cigar Lake mine in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Photo: courtesy of Cameco Corp.

Mining Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Mining Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact

Excellence in Action
Awarded the 2025 Mining Technology Excellence Innovation Award for Equipment Diagnostics, Razor Labs’ DataMind AI™ platform turns sensor data and imagery into actionable maintenance insights, avoiding hundreds of thousands of dollars in downtime. Find out how leading mines are using DataMind AI™ to keep critical assets running.

Discover the Impact