The mining system and underground processing circuits are operational while the ore produced at the mine is being transported to the McClean Lake mill, located 70km northeast of the minesite, operated by AREVA Resources Canada.
Cameco president and CEO Tim Gitzel said, "Uranium from Cigar Lake is expected to fuel clean electricity production around the world for many years while providing quality employment and business opportunities for a generation of Saskatchewan people."
AREVA mining business group senior executive vice-president Olivier Wantz said that the AREVA’s industrial partners and Saskatchewan’s economy will benefit for many years to come from the project.
"Thanks to Cameco’s technology for the Cigar Lake mine and AREVA’s for processing this uranium ore, we are proud that production from this unique deposit has begun," Wantz added.
The processing of ore to uranium concentrate is scheduled to begin at McClean Lake mill by the end of the second quarter of 2014.
Likely to produce between 2 million and 3 million pounds of uranium concentrate in 2014, the mill can ramp up to its full production rate of 18 million pounds by 2018.
Representing a $2.6bn investment, the Cigar Lake project will employ more than 600 workers.
