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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 Under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of July, 2007
Cameco Corporation
(Commission file No. 1-14228)
2121 11th Street West
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7M 1J3
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover
Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form
is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
If Yes is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with
Rule 12g3-2(b):
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Exhibit Index
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Exhibit No. |
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Description |
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Page No. |
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1.
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Press Release dated
July 11, 2007
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3-6 |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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Date: July 12, 2007 |
Cameco Corporation
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By: |
Gary M.S. Chad
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Gary M.S. Chad, Q.C. |
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Senior Vice-President, Governance,
Legal and Regulatory Affairs, and
Corporate Secretary |
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Share |
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Listed |
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web site address: |
TSX
NYSE
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CCO
CCJ
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www.cameco.com |
2121 11th Street West, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7M 1J3 Canada
Tel: (306) 956-6200 Fax: (306) 956-6201
Cameco Updates Progress on Cigar Lake Remediation
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, July 11, 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cameco Corporation continues to make progress on its phased plan to restore the Cigar Lake project
after a water inflow on October 23, 2006 flooded the underground development.
The first phase of the remediation plan involves drilling holes down to the source of the inflow
and to a nearby tunnel where reinforcement is needed, pumping concrete through the drill holes,
sealing off the inflow with grout and drilling dewatering holes. Subsequent phases for remediation
include dewatering the mine, ground freezing in the area of the inflow, restoring underground areas
and resumption of mine development. Regulatory approval is required for each phase of the
remediation plan.
Reinforcement of the adjacent tunnel is now complete, and all of the holes required for pouring
concrete to seal off the inflow have been drilled. Drilling of four larger-diameter holes required
for dewatering is 90% complete.
Regulatory agencies have approved plans to flush sand and fine material away from the inflow area
and to pour the concrete plug. The concrete mixture is designed to harden under water and will be
poured in successive layers. If the concrete solidifies as planned, it should prevent or reduce
water inflows sufficiently to enable mine dewatering. The effectiveness of the plug will not be
known until dewatering is under way.
The second phase of remediation includes dewatering the underground development, verifying that the
water inflow has been sufficiently sealed, and installing the surface freezing piping.
Cameco is now working to provide regulators with the information needed to secure approval for
installation of dewatering pumps and infrastructure, and ongoing operation of water treatment
facilities required for dewatering.
Submissions are being prepared for regulatory approval to dewater the underground development,
initiate the installation of the surface freezing infrastructure, and any additional remedial work
identified in phases two and three, such as determining if additional reinforcement is required in
higher risk areas. We are also preparing to submit an application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety
Commission for extension of the Cigar Lake construction licence which expires at the end of 2007.
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Completion of the second phase had been expected by the end of the third quarter of 2007. Cameco
now expects it will require a number of additional months to seal the inflow and dewater the mine.
In addition, in order to ensure a more conservative approach, we and our partners are examining
whether an alternative route out of the mine is required prior to beginning excavation in areas at
elevated risk of water inflow, and whether the second shaft needs to be completed to provide
additional underground ventilation. Completing the second shaft as a priority item and the delay in
completing phase two, as noted above, would set back the planned production startup date from late
2010 to 2011. We anticipate that by year end we will make a decision on the second shaft. A revised
production forecast will be provided after the decision is made on the second shaft, the mine has
been dewatered and the condition of the underground development has been assessed.
In response to the third-party investigations into the water inflow events at Cigar Lake, the
regulators have made it clear that we need to demonstrate improvements in our quality culture. We
agree and are taking concrete steps to address the underlying issues, said Tim Gitzel, Camecos
chief operating officer. The remediation work at Cigar Lake is technically challenging and our
approach has been cautious and prudent. However, we are making steady progress in moving this
valuable project toward production.
There are about 285 people on site working on remediation and construction of surface facilities
including the access road, piping infrastructure, load-out building and water treatment facilities.
Cameco will next update progress at Cigar Lake in the companys second quarter report to be issued
on July 30, 2007.
The Cigar Lake project is a joint venture owned by Cameco Corporation (50%), AREVA Resources Canada
Inc. (37%), Idemitsu Canada Resources Ltd. (8%) and TEPCO Resources Inc. (5%). The project is
located in northern Saskatchewan.
The scientific and technical information in this news release was prepared under the supervision of
C. Scott Bishop, a professional engineer employed by Cameco as the chief mine engineer of the Cigar
Lake project and a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101.
Risk Factors
Cigar Lake is a challenging deposit to develop and mine. These challenges include control of
groundwater, weak ground formations, and radiation protection. The sandstone overlying the basement
rocks contains significant water at hydrostatic pressure. Freezing the ground is expected to result
in several enhancements to the ground conditions, including: (1) minimizing the risk of water
inflows from saturated rock above the unconformity; (2) reducing radiation exposure from radon
dissolved in the ground water; and (3) increasing rock stability. However, freezing will only
reduce, not eliminate, these challenges. There is also the possibility of a water inflow during the
drilling of holes to freeze the ground. Therefore, the risk of water inflows at Cigar Lake remains.
The consequences of another water inflow will depend upon the magnitude, location and timing of any
such event, but could include a significant delay in Cigar Lakes remediation, development or
production, a material increase in costs, a loss of mineral reserves or require Cameco to give
notice to many of its customers that it is declaring an interruption in
planned uranium supply. Such consequences could have a material adverse impact on Cameco. Water
inflows are generally not insurable.
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Cigar Lakes remediation and production schedules are based upon certain assumptions regarding the
condition of the underground infrastructure at the mine. The condition of this underground
infrastructure, however, will not be known until the mine is dewatered. If the underground
infrastructure has been impaired, this could adversely impact our schedules and cost estimates.
The outcome of each phase of remediation will impact the schedule of each subsequent phase of
remediation and the planned commencement of production in 2010 or 2011. For example, if the plug is
not successful in securing the inflow area, then ground freezing, already incorporated in aspects
of the remediation plan, will also be utilized to secure the inflow area. If this situation occurs,
there could be a delay in the remediation schedule and the commencement of production.
Remediation and production schedules will be impacted by regulatory approvals. We have not yet
received regulatory approval to dewater the underground development and initiate the installation
of surface freezing infrastructure during the second and third phases of the remediation plan. This
approval is required to move forward with our planned strategy to move the project to production.
Working with the regulatory authorities to receive approvals for additional corrective actions
which may result from current inflow investigations may impact our remediation and production
schedules.
Cameco, with its head office in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is the worlds largest uranium producer.
The companys uranium products are used to generate electricity in nuclear energy plants around the
world, providing one of the cleanest sources of energy available today. Camecos shares trade on
the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.
Statements contained in this news release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking
statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that
could cause such differences, without limiting the generality of the following, include: the impact
of the sales volume of fuel fabrication services, uranium, conversion services, electricity
generated and gold; volatility and sensitivity to market prices for uranium, conversion services,
electricity in Ontario and gold; competition; the impact of change in foreign currency exchange
rates and interest rates; imprecision in decommissioning, reclamation, reserve and tax estimates;
environmental and safety risks including increased regulatory burdens and long-term waste disposal;
unexpected geological or hydrological conditions; adverse mining conditions; political risks
arising from operating in certain developing countries; terrorism; sabotage; a possible
deterioration in political support for nuclear energy; changes in government regulations and
policies, including tax and trade laws and policies; demand for nuclear power; replacement of
production; failure to obtain or maintain necessary permits and approvals from government
authorities; legislative and regulatory initiatives regarding deregulation, regulation or
restructuring of the electric utility industry in Ontario; Ontario electricity rate regulations;
natural phenomena including inclement weather conditions, fire, flood, underground floods,
earthquakes, pit wall failure and cave-ins; ability to maintain and further improve positive labour
relations; strikes or lockouts; operating performance, disruption in the operation of, and life of
the companys and customers facilities; decrease in electrical production due to planned outages
extending beyond their scheduled periods or unplanned outages; success of planned development
projects; and other development and operating risks.
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Although Cameco believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are
reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the
date of this report. Cameco disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
- End -
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Investor and media inquiries:
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Alice Wong
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(306) 956-6337 |
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Media inquiries:
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Lyle Krahn
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(306) 956-6316 |