The company estimates production of about 300,000 pounds of uranium concentrate from the mine in 2013. Also, it is seeking an increase in its annual production capacity to more than 700,000 pounds per year by 2015.
Cameco Resources president Paul Goranson stated that the opening of the North Butte mine is a milestone for the company in respect to its continued growth of US operations.
"We thank our employees, suppliers, contractors and others for the excellent job they’ve done with exploration, development, construction and final testing of process equipment to get us here," added Goranson.
North Butte is a satellite facility its Smith Ranch-Highland in situ mine in Converse County, Wyoming, and the company plans to transport uranium from North Buttee to an existing central processing plant at Smith Ranch-Highland for production of uranium concentrate.
