Key Lake

Key Lake is the site of the largest uranium mill in the world. It was initially developed as the site of open pit uranium mining at two sites: the Gaertner deposit and the Deilmann deposit. Production of original ore ceased in the late 1990s, and the Key Lake mill is now currently processing uranium ore from the McArthur River mine and from stockpiles on site. High-grade ore from McArthur river is blended with local rock before being passed through the mill. The mill has an annual production capacity of 18 million pounds of U3O8. In addition, ammonium sulfate fertilizer is produced as a byproduct from used reagents. Local deposits have been mined out and the pits are being used as mill tailings management facilities. The mill and mines are owned primarily by Cameco, with Areva owning a small share.

Key Lake is located 570 kilometres north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan by air on the southern rim of the uranium-rich Athabasca Basin.The nearest village by road is Pinehouse, 220 kilometres south of Key Lake.

References

[http://www.cameco.com/operations/uranium/key_lake/ CAMECO - Key Lake Operation]