The first pounds of uranium ore from the McArthur River mine have been milled and packaged at the Key Lake mill, as the two facilities transition back into normal operations. Production was suspended back in January of 2018 due to weakness in the global uranium market.

President and CEO Tim Gitzel says last February, with notable improvement in the market, the decision was made to restart both operations in northern Saskatchewan. He considers this a significant milestone, because along with the restart, there were also critical automation upgrades, maintenance readiness checks, and restaffing, recruitment and training for key positions. There are now about 730 employee and long-term contractors working at the mine and mill, and more than half are Indigenous. Additional hiring is in the works.

The sites will continue with final commissioning activities to ensure target production rates can be met and normal operating conditions are achieved. This year, McArthur River/Key Lake are expected to produce up to 2-million pounds of uranium concentrate. In 2024, Cameco plans to produce 15-million pounds, which is still 40 per cent below their annual licensed capacity.