• Project Summary
  • Royalty Description
  • Recent Updates
  • Project History

The Cigar Lake/Waterbury project includes the fully developed Cigar Lake mine, currently In Production as an underground mining operation, located near Waterbury Lake in northern Saskatchewan, Canada approximately 660 km north of Saskatoon. Cameco has reported that the project is currently owned by a joint venture of three companies, being Cameco (54.547%), Orano Canada Inc. (40.453%), and TEPCO Resources Inc. (5%).

Cameco disclosed in its MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, updated NI 43-101 ore reserves for the Cigar Lake mine, with proven reserves of 135.0 million pounds of U3O8 (338.1 thousand tonnes at an average grade of 18.11% U3O8) and probable reserves of 73.7 million pounds of U3O8 (217.5 thousand tonnes at an average grade of 15.36% U3O8). The updated ore reserve was estimated by Cameco using a metal price assumption of US$54/lb U3O8 and are based on an exchange rate of US$1.00 to $1.26. Ore reserves are reported on a 100% ownership basis.

Cameco also states an updated mineral resource estimate for the Cigar Lake operation with measured resources of 10.1 million pounds of U3O8 (86.3 thousand tonnes at an average grade of 5.32% U3O8) and indicated resources of 16.9 million pounds of U3O8 (143.6 thousand tonnes at an average grade of 5.33% U3O8). The measured and indicated U3O8 mineral resources disclosed by Cameco do not include those mineral resources modified to produce the ore reserves (as reported above) and are reported on a 100% ownership basis.

Cameco disclosed in its MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, total packaged production from Cigar Lake in 2023 was 15.1 million pounds U3O8 compared to 18.0 Mlbs of U3O8 in 2022, lower productivity attributable to development and commissioning activities required by first production from a new mining area. Additionally, Cameco disclosed that it planned to produce 18.0 million pounds U3O8 in 2024 on a 100% basis. Cameco further disclosed that the Cigar Lake mine produced 138.4 Mlbs of U3O8 from 2014 through 2023. Totaling historical production and all current reserves and resources, it has an attributable endowment of 394.1 Mlbs of U3O8.

In Cameco’s MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, it outlined updated plans for the extension of production at Cigar Lake, with conversion of 73.4 Mlbs U3O8 (100% basis) of indicated resources in the Cigar Lake Extension (previously Phase 2) orebody to probable reserves. This is anticipated to extend the mine life of the project to 2036.  Based on Cameco’s analysis, it estimates the up-front capital cost to complete the mine development and other capacity replacement projects necessary to access these reserves to be between $458 million and $550 million on a 100% basis. Cameco expects the average life of mine unit cash operating costs for Cigar Lake production to increase to between $19/lb and $20/lbs (previously $18.13/lb). This would place Cigar Lake amongst the lowest cost uranium projects in the world.

The Cigar Lake deposit is a high-grade, unconformity-related uranium deposit with an average stated grade of 17.04% U3O8 for the above-estimated reserves. The mineralization occurs between 410 to 450 metres below surface with a strike length of approximately 1,950 m.

Ore is mined at Cigar Lake utilizing unique ground freezing from surface to mitigate risks of high-pressure ground water and increase geotechnical stability and vertical jet boring technology from underground. The ore is ground, thickened and blended into a slurry which is then shipped 69 km north to the McClean Lake mill for processing and production of calcined uranium ore concentrate.

Mineral Reserves – As of December 31, 2023 (100% Basis)
Proven Probable  
Tonnes
(‘000’s)
Grade
(% U3O8)
Content
(MLbs. U3O8)
Tonnes
(‘000’s)
Grade
(% U3O8)
Content
(MLbs. U3O8)
Metallurgical
Recovery (%)
338.1 18.11 135.0 217.5 15.36 73.7 98.7

Note that the estimates in the above table:

  • use a constant dollar average uranium price of approximately $54 (US) per pound U3O8
  • are based on exchange rates of $1.00 US=$1.26 Cdn
 
Mineral Resources – As of December 31, 2023 (100% Basis)
Measured Indicated Inferred
Tonnes
(‘000’s)
Grade
(% U3O8)
Content
(MLbs. U3O8)
Tonnes
(‘000’s)
Grade
(% U3O8)
Content
(MLbs. U3O8)
Tonnes
(‘000’s)
Grade
(% U3O8)
Content
(MLbs. U3O8)
86.3 5.32 10.1 143.6 5.33 16.9 163.4 5.55 20.0

Note that mineral resources:

  • do not include amounts that have been identified as mineral reserves
  • do not have demonstrated economic viability
  • totals may not add due to rounding

Note on Technical Disclosure

Unless otherwise indicated, the scientific and technical information herein regarding Waterbury Lake / Cigar Lake has been derived from the technical report titled "Cigar Lake Operation, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report", with an effective date of December 31, 2015 (the "Cigar Lake Technical Report"), prepared for Cameco, Cameco’s MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, and Cameco's other public disclosures, copies of which are available under Cameco's profile on SEDAR+. Historical uranium deposit information is outlined in the Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index (SMDI).

The Cigar Lake Royalty is a sliding scale 10% to 20% NPI on a 3.75% share of overall uranium production, derived from Orano’s current 40.453% production interest in the Waterbury Lake / Cigar Lake project lands. The royalty payor is Orano.

The Cigar Lake Royalty does not apply to the entirety of the project lands. However, the Company believes that the Cigar Lake Royalty applies to substantially all areas of the project underlying the existing mine and areas underlying estimates of mineral reserve and mineral resource.

The sliding scale royalty percentage for the Cigar Lake Royalty is based upon historical production and recoverable reserves of the combined Waterbury Lake / Cigar Lake and Dawn Lake Project lands, with the royalty rate having already achieved the maximum of 20% as the Cigar Lake mine has achieved such production and reserve threshold. The royalty rate adjusts to 10% in the future upon production of 200 Mlbs from the combined royalty lands of the Waterbury Lake / Cigar Lake Project and the Dawn Lake Project Cameco has reported a total of 138.4 Mlbs packaged production as at December 31, 2023, from the Cigar Lake mine. As a profit-based NPI interest, this royalty is calculated based upon generated revenue, with deductions for certain expenses and costs, which include cumulative expense accounts, including development costs. As such and given the significant amount of expenditures made in developing the existing operations at the Cigar Lake mine, the Cigar Lake Royalty will only generate revenue to the Company after these significant cumulative expenses are exhausted and the Company is treating the Cigar Lake Royalty as a potential medium to long-term revenue generation opportunity.

Cameco disclosed in its MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, total packaged production from Cigar Lake in 2023 was 15.1 million pounds U3O8 compared to 18.0 million pounds U3O8 in 2022. Cameco stated that productivity was impacted due to development and commissioning activities in the first quarter required by first production from a new mining area. Cameco had expected to recover from the delays in the second half of the year, but maintenance work was required on one of the underground circuits, which had not been planned.

Cameco disclosed in a news release dated September 3, 2023, that production at the Cigar Lake mine was expected to be reduced from 18 million pounds U3O8 (on a 100% basis) to 16.3 million pounds U3O8 (on a 100% basis) in calendar year 2023.

Note on Technical Disclosure

Unless otherwise indicated, the scientific and technical information herein regarding Waterbury Lake / Cigar Lake has been derived from the technical report titled "Cigar Lake Operation, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report", with an effective date of December 31, 2015 (the "Cigar Lake Technical Report"), prepared for Cameco, Cameco’s MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, and Cameco's other public disclosures, copies of which are available under Cameco's profile on SEDAR. Historical uranium deposit information is outlined in the Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index (SMDI).

The original joint venture established over the Waterbury/Cigar Lake area in 1976 was the Keefe-Henday joint venture between Canadian Kelvin Resources Ltd. and Asamera Oil Corporation Ltd. The Keefe Lake Joint Venture was later divided into three separate project areas, the Dawn Lake, McArthur River, and Waterbury Lake project areas. The Cigar Lake uranium deposit was discovered in 1981 by surface exploration drilling. The deposit was subsequently delineated by surface drilling during the period 1982 to 1986, followed by several small campaigns of drilling for geotechnical and infill holes to 2007. Cameco disclosed that test mining was carried out between 1987 and 1992 and that the development of the Cigar Lake underground mine began in 2005, but development was delayed due to water inflows.

Under the Cigar Lake Joint Venture Agreement and related agreements, made effective January 1, 2002, the Mineral Lease and Mineral Claims were divided into the Cigar Lake lands, consisting of ML-5521 and claim S-106558, and the Waterbury Lake lands, consisting of the remaining 38 claims. Cameco has been the operator for the Cigar Lake lands since 2002 and Orano is the operator of the Waterbury Lake lands and is also the contract exploration operator of the remaining Cigar Lake lands.

From 2006 through 2008, the Cigar Lake project suffered several setbacks as a result of three water inflow incidents. The first occurred in 2006, resulting in the flooding of the then partially completed Shaft No. 2. The two subsequent incidents involved inflows in the mine workings connected to Shaft No. 1 and resulted in flooding of the mine workings. Cameco disclosed that it executed recovery and remediation plans for all three inflows. Re-entry into the main mine workings was achieved in 2010 and work to secure the mine was completed in 2011.

In 2011, agreements were signed by the Cigar Lake and McClean Lake joint venture participants to mill all Cigar Lake ore at the McClean Lake mill. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (the “CNSC”) issued an eight-year operating licence for the operation in 2013 and that approval from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment (the "SMOE") was renewed in 2017 and expires in June 2023. In Cameco's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, Cameco disclosed that the CNSC granted it a renewal of the Cigar Lake operating licence in June of 2022, and that such renewed licence is valid until June 30, 2031. Cameco disclosed that the McClean Lake mill started receiving Cigar Lake ore in March 2014 and produced its first drum of Cigar Lake yellowcake in October 2014, with commercial production declared in May 2015. The construction of an expanded McLean Lake mill facility was completed in 2016 to process and package all Cigar Lake ore and additional minor upgrades related to throughput optimization were completed in 2020.

In December 2020, Cameco announced that it had suspended operations at Cigar Lake due to impacts from COVID-19 on the operations workforce and stakeholder communities. Cameco announced on May 7th, 2021, that production at the Cigar Lake mine had resumed, with the first shipment of ore sent to the McClean Lake mill at the end of April. Between May 13th and May 18th, 2021, Cameco made a series of announcements of positive COVID tests at the Cigar Lake operation, citing that a total of five workers had tested positive at the site. Site-wide testing was announced on May 24th, identifying a total of nine individual that tested positive out of 294 tests. On May 28th, Cameco announced that a vaccination program had been initiated at site, and that a further three positive tests had been returned during routine testing. Cameco did not announce any impact to production at the site as a result of the outbreak, indicating that the site continued to operate safely.

Cameco announced on July 1, 2021, that the Cigar Lake site was evacuating all non-essential personnel due to an uncontrolled wildfire nearby. They further announced on July 2 that the fire had passed by without serious impact to the site facilities and on July 4 announced that personnel were returning to the site with regular operations of the site set to resume over the following days.

In Cameco's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2021, Cameco stated a total of 12.2 million pounds (100% basis) of production from the Cigar Lake operation in 2021. Unplanned disruptions at the mine as a precaution due to COVID-19 resulted in production for the year being about 6 million pounds below annual licensed capacity.

In Cameco's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, Cameco stated total packaged production from Cigar Lake in 2022 was 18 million pounds U3O8 compared to 12.2 million pounds U3O8 in 2021.

Cameco disclosed in a news release dated May 19, 2022 that Cameco and Orano had closed a deal to increase their stake in the Cigar Lake Joint Venture by acquiring Idemitsu Canada Resources Ltd’s (Idemitsu) 7.875% participating interest. This increased Cameco’s ownership stake to 54.547% and Orano’s ownership stake to 40.453%. TEPCO Resource Inc. retains the remaining 5% interest in the property. This change in Orano's equity does not affect the Company's current royalty value on the Waterbury Lake / Cigar Lake Project.

In addition to the resources outlined above, the historical Tibia Lake showing has been outlined approximately 800 meters north of the Cigar Lake mine, though the deposit does not have any resources attributed to it as disclosed by Orano.