Cameco Annual Report 2011

Rabbit Lake

Rabbit Lake

The Rabbit Lake operation, which opened in 1975, is the longest operating uranium production facility in North America, and the second largest uranium mill in the world.

Location Saskatchewan, Canada
Ownership 100%
End product uranium concentrates
ISO certification ISO 14001 certified
Mine type underground
Estimated reserves 24.0 million pounds (proven and probable)
average grade U3O8: 0.73%
Estimated resources
4.3 million pounds (indicated)
average grade U3O8: 0.53%
10.4 million pounds (inferred)
average grade U3O8: 1.42%
Mining method vertical blasthole stoping
Licensed capacity mill: maximum 16.9 million pounds per year; currently 11 million
Total production 1975 to 2011 186.3 million pounds
2011 production 3.8 million pounds
2012 forecast production 3.7 million pounds
Estimated decommissioning cost $105.2 million

2011 update

Production

Production this year was about 6% higher than our plan and the same as it was in 2010.

Mill upgrades

During our scheduled mill maintenance shutdown in the third quarter, we completed the second phase of upgrades at the acid plant, successfully replacing the acid plant final towers.

We signed an agreement with our joint venture partners which changes the milling arrangements for the ore from Cigar Lake. See Uranium – development project Cigar Lake for more information.

We received regulatory approval to begin exploration-related development and drilling on the Powell Zone, and completed a portion of the development work. We plan to complete the development work in 2012 and carry out drilling to further evaluate this zone.

Planning for the future

Production

We expect to produce 3.7 million pounds in 2012.

Tailings Capacity

We expect to have sufficient tailings capacity to support milling of Eagle Point ore until approximately mid-2016.

We are planning to expand the existing tailings management facility by mid-2016, to increase the tailings capacity so that it can support the extension of Rabbit Lake's mine life and provide additional tailings capacity to process ore from other potential sources. The regulators will need to approve an environmental assessment before we can proceed.

Exploration

We have extended our underground drilling reserve replacement program into 2012. We plan to test and evaluate areas east and northeast of the mine where we have had good results, and to the north and south. This drilling will largely be from surface.

Reclamation

As part of our multi-year site-wide reclamation plan, we expect to spend over $2 million in 2012 to reclaim facilities that are no longer in use.

Managing our risks

We manage the risks listed here.