Production paused following equipment failure at McClean Lake
Cameco (NYSE:CCJ) has temporarily halted mining activities at its Cigar Lake uranium operation in northern Saskatchewan after an equipment failure at Orano’s McClean Lake processing facility interrupted ore treatment.
The disruption stems from a shutdown of the sulfuric acid plant at the McClean Lake mill, where uranium ore from Cigar Lake is processed. Repair work is currently underway, leaving the mill without the acid required to continue normal operations.
Limited storage forces temporary shutdown
Because storage capacity for mined ore at the Cigar Lake site is limited, Cameco has paused production until adequate sulfuric acid supplies become available again.
Orano is working to restart the acid plant as quickly as possible and is also evaluating alternative sources of sulfuric acid while replacement components are delivered.
Company maintains 2026 production guidance for now
Cameco expects operations at the McClean Lake mill to resume in approximately two weeks and currently believes the interruption will not affect its 2026 production forecast for Cigar Lake.
However, the company cautioned that a longer-than-expected repair timeline could result in an impact on its production outlook for next year.