Production has started at Cameco’s North Butte in situ uranium mine in Wyoming, USA.
The facility, a satellite to Cameco’s Smith Ranch-Highland in-situ mine also in Wyoming, is expected to contribute approximately 300,000 pounds of uranium concentrate in 2013, Cameco said. It aims to ramp up to a target annual production rate of over 700,000 pounds per year by 2015.
The project represents a "significant milestone" for the continued growth of Cameco’s US operations, the Canadian firm said in a statement.
In addition to North Butte and Smith Ranch-Highland, Cameco owns the Crow Butte in situ uranium mine and central processing plant near Crawford, Nebraska. It has five other satellite sites in various stages of development and regulatory approval in Wyoming and Nebraska.
