TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – None of Cameco's uranium operations in the Athabasca basin have, so far, been directly impacted by forest fires raging out of control across vast swathes of the Saskatchewan prairies, Canada’s largest uranium producer reported on Thursday.
However, TSX- and NYSE-listed Cameco noted that despite activities at its McArthur River, Key Lake, Cigar Lake and Rabbit Lake uranium operations continuing as normal, the company had implemented additional measures to protect the health and safety of people and the environment at its facilities, and was assisting northern communities in fighting the fires and supporting evacuees.
Although, the fires were concentrated in north central Saskatchewan and did not directly threaten any of Cameco’s operations, the company had voluntarily suspended shipments of packaged uranium from its milling facilities.
This would keep nonessential traffic off the two hard-surface roads that connected its operations with southern Saskatchewan, which had been periodically closed owing to poor visibility related to smoke and proximity to the fire.
Road closures and flight restrictions at northern airstrips were creating logistical challenges to keep the operations supplied with essential materials and staff, the company reported.
However, about half of the workforce at Cameco’s Saskatchewan operations were residents of northern Saskatchewan and evacuations of workers and their families were creating additional challenges.
Cameco said product was being safely stored and would be shipped once the fire situation had improved.
The company expected to meet its 2015 output target of between 25.3-million pounds and 26.3-million pounds and its sales target of 31-million pounds to 33-million pounds.