The world's biggest uranium miner, Cameco, will start pumping water out of its Cigar Lake project, in Saskatchewan, Canada, this week, after receiving approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the relevant provincial ministries.

Once the dewatering is completed, the company will be able to assess the state of the mine, development of which was suspended after a rock fall caused an underground flood in October 2006, delaying construction.

Cameco has also applied for permission for additional remediation activities, including the completion of the second shaft at the mine, and the CNSC has scheduled a public hearing for September 18 to formally consider the application, the company said.

The water will be pumped out of Cigar Lake over several months, which will allow Cameco to equip the mine shaft with a ladderway, ventilation ducting, power and communication cables, water pipes and other necessary equipment as the water level goes down.

“We continue to anticipate production startup in 2011 at the earliest...we will be able to provide a firmer production date after the water has been pumped out of the mine, the condition of the underground development has been assessed, and the findings incorporated in the new mine development and production plans,” the firm said in a statement.

The company successfully tested an underground seal at the mine in February, and has since conducted an assessment and decided that no further precautionary measures are needed ahead of dewatering.

The giant Cigar Lake mine, which has proven and probable reserves of more than 226,3-million pounds of uranium, was to have begun production as early as this year before the accident halted development.

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