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Forward-Looking Information

Caution about forward-looking information

Our MD&A includes statements and information about our expectations for the future. When we discuss our strategy, plans, future financial and operating performance, or other things that have not yet taken place, we are making statements considered to be forward-looking information or forward-looking statements under Canadian and United States securities laws. We refer to them in this MD&A as forward-looking information.

Key things to understand about the forward-looking information in this MD&A:

  • It typically includes words and phrases about the future, such as: anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, plan, will, intend, goal, target, forecast, project, strategy and outlook (see examples below).
  • It represents our current views, and can change significantly.
  • It is based on a number of material assumptions, including those we have listed below, which may prove to be incorrect.
  • Actual results and events may be significantly different from what we currently expect, due to the risks associated with our business. We list a number of these material risks below. We recommend you also review our annual information form, which includes a discussion of other material risks that could cause actual results to differ significantly from our current expectations.
  • Forward-looking information is designed to help you understand management’s current views of our near and longer term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. We will not necessarily update this information unless we are required to by securities laws.

Examples of forward-looking information in this MD&A

  • our expectations about 2014 and future global uranium supply, consumption, demand, contracting volumes, number of operable reactors and nuclear generating capacity, including the discussion under the headings Key market facts, The nuclear energy industry today and The long-term view
  • the discussion under the heading Our strategy, including our expectation that market challenges will continue for the near to medium term
  • our 2014 objectives
  • our expectations for uranium deliveries in the first quarter and for the balance of 2014
  • the discussion of our expectations relating to our tax dispute with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) including our estimate of the amount and timing of expected cash taxes and transfer pricing penalties payable to CRA
  • future tax payments and rates
  • our consolidated outlook for the year and the outlook for our uranium, fuel services and NUKEM segments for 2014
  • our expectation that existing cash balances and operating cash flows will meet our anticipated 2014 capital requirements without the need for any significant additional funding
  • our expectations for 2014, 2015 and 2016 capital expenditures
  • our expectation that in 2014 we will continue to comply with all the covenants in our unsecured revolving credit facility
  • our uranium price sensitivity analysis
  • our future plans and expectations for each of our uranium operating properties, development project and projects under evaluation, and fuel services operating sites
  • our expectation that we will begin mining in the first quarter of 2014 at Cigar Lake with AREVA’s McClean Lake mill processing the first ore at the end of the second quarter of 2014
  • our mineral reserve and resource estimates

Material risks

  • actual sales volumes or market prices for any of our products or services are lower than we expect for any reason, including changes in market prices or loss of market share to a competitor
  • we are adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates or tax rates
  • our production costs are higher than planned, or necessary supplies are not available, or not available on commercially reasonable terms
  • our estimates of production, purchases, costs, decommissioning or reclamation expenses, or our tax expense estimates, prove to be inaccurate
  • we are unable to enforce our legal rights under our existing agreements, permits or licences
  • we are subject to litigation or arbitration that has an adverse outcome, including lack of success in our dispute with CRA
  • there are defects in, or challenges to, title to our properties
  • our mineral reserve and resource estimates are not reliable, or we face unexpected or challenging geological, hydrological or mining conditions
  • we are affected by environmental, safety and regulatory risks, including increased regulatory burdens or delays
  • we cannot obtain or maintain necessary permits or approvals from government authorities
  • we are affected by political risks in a developing country where we operate
  • we are affected by terrorism, sabotage, blockades, civil unrest, social or political activism, accident or a deterioration in political support for, or demand for, nuclear energy
  • we are impacted by changes in the regulation or public perception of the safety of nuclear power plants, which adversely affect the construction of new plants, the relicensing of existing plants and the demand for uranium
  • there are changes to government regulations or policies that adversely affect us, including tax and trade laws and policies
  • our uranium and conversion suppliers fail to fulfill delivery commitments
  • our Cigar Lake mining or production plans are delayed or do not succeed, including as a result of any difficulties with the jet boring mining method or freezing the deposit to meet production targets, any difficulties with the McClean Lake mill modifications or commissioning or milling of Cigar Lake ore, or our inability to acquire any of the required jet boring equipment
  • our McArthur River development, mining or production plans are delayed or do not succeed for any reason
  • we are affected by natural phenomena, including inclement weather, fire, flood and earthquakes
  • our operations are disrupted due to problems with our own or our customers’ facilities, the unavailability of reagents, equipment, operating parts and supplies critical to production, equipment failure, lack of tailings capacity, labour shortages, labour relations issues (including an inability to renew agreements with unionized employees at McArthur River and Key Lake), strikes or lockouts, underground floods, cave-ins, ground movements, tailings dam failures, transportation disruptions or accidents, or other development and operating risks

Material assumptions

  • our expectations regarding sales and purchase volumes and prices for uranium, fuel services and electricity
  • our expectations regarding the demand for uranium, the construction of new nuclear power plants and the relicensing of existing nuclear power plants not being more adversely affected than expected by changes in regulation or in the public perception of the safety of nuclear power plants
  • our expected production level and production costs
  • the assumptions regarding market conditions upon which we have based our capital expenditures expectations
  • our expectations regarding spot prices and realized prices for uranium, and other factors discussed on Price sensitivity analysis: uranium
  • our expectations regarding tax rates and payments, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates
  • our expectations about the outcome of the dispute with CRA
  • our decommissioning and reclamation expenses
  • our mineral reserve and resource estimates, and the assumptions upon which they are based, are reliable
  • the geological, hydrological and other conditions at our mines
  • our Cigar Lake mining and production plans succeed, including the additional jet boring system is acquired on schedule, the jet boring mining method works as anticipated, and the deposit freezes as planned
  • mill modifications and commissioning of the McClean Lake mill are completed as planned and the mill is able to process Cigar Lake ore as expected
  • our McArthur River development, mining and production plans succeed
  • our ability to continue to supply our products and services in the expected quantities and at the expected times
  • our ability to comply with current and future environmental, safety and other regulatory requirements, and to obtain and maintain required regulatory approvals
  • our operations are not significantly disrupted as a result of political instability, nationalization, terrorism, sabotage, blockades, civil unrest, breakdown, natural disasters, governmental or political actions, litigation or arbitration proceedings, the unavailability of reagents, equipment, operating parts and supplies critical to production, labour shortages, labour relations issues (including an inability to renew agreements with unionized employees at McArthur River and Key Lake), strikes or lockouts, underground floods, cave-ins, ground movements, tailings dam failure, lack of tailings capacity, transportation disruptions or accidents or other development or operating risks