[ RadSafe ] Uranium mine at McArthur River

[Franta, Jaroslav]

Digging deep: Uranium mine at McArthur River presents challenges like few
others
The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) Fri 29 Sep 2006
Byline: Murray Lyons

MCARTHUR RIVER MINE -- In the underground workings of the world's 
highest-grade uranium mine there are few signs that a huge influx of water 
put the place out of commission for three months in the spring of 2003.

<SNIP>

The remotely-mined uranium ore at McArthur River averages 24 per cent pure 
uranium, with hot spots that can soar as high as 80 per cent. If the mine is

going through a section of ore that is ultra high grade,
operators have to add scoops of waste rock to the SAG mill to blend down the

product, Rheault says. Uranium is one of the heaviest elements on the 
periodic table and it would not be possible for the
uranium to be pumped as a slurry to the surface at such high grades if it
wasn't blended.

No one can explain with certainty why McArthur River's geology has such high

grades. However, Haywood explains the mine's ore grade is 100 times greater 
than the average uranium mine. Some rock below two per cent uranium, which
would be considered high grade anywhere else in the world, is considered
waste rock at McArthur River and is used 
only for blending purposes, he says.

All told, McArthur River is one of the trickiest ore bodies in Canada, 
managing safely with both the water issues and the radiation issues raised 
by such high grade ore. Haywood is anxious to point out the
remote mining methods and high volume of air pushed through the workings 
means workers are exposed to only about one extra millisievert of radiation 
annually. Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulations allow a worker to 
be exposed to an annual level 50 times that, a company presentation says.

With 24 per cent uranium content ore, the mine can hit its licensed capacity

of 18.7 million pounds of uranium each year by mining an average of 150 tons
of ore a day.

"That's the beauty of having high grade ore," Haywood says. "At the world 
average uranium grade, more than five million tons of ore would have to be 
mined each year, whereas we only mine about 50,000 pounds of ore."

















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