Mining technology tests ingenuity. (Technology).

You dig a little hole to find it then you dig a big hole to get it out. Sounds uncomplicated enough. Yet mining continues to evolve into one of the most technologically advanced industries in the province.

For example, consider the ingenuity required in a planned strategy to extract uranium from a particular ore body at the Cigar Lake mine in northern Saskatchewan. The new jet boring procedure has never been used in mining from underground and is anything but simple.

"Essentially what happens is a shaft is developed down alongside the ore body and then tunnels are driven beneath the target area," explains Barry Schmitke, general manager for the Cameco -- Cigar Lake project. "Then a pipe is installed up into the ore body and high-pressure water is used to cut the rock and create a cavity. The ore flows down through the pipe in a slurry and is sent to the mill for processing."

The high-grade uranium deposit at Cigar Lake increases the degree of difficulty and requires remote mining. Ground conditions around the ore body are an unstable mix of clay and other water-bearing material, requiring the target area to be completely frozen before starting to mine ore.

"Another challenge for the jet boring method was to develop a set of eyes for the jet borer so we could determine what had been mined in the cavity and to communicate the information in a satisfactory way' Schmitke says. "An ultrasonic measurement instrument was developed for measuring the size of the cavity and the information was sent down the drill rods and displayed on a computer screen at the operator's work station,"

All this to produce less than 300 million pounds of uranium in the operation's first phase, a phase that is expected to start within five years and last about 19 years. Yet Schmitke anticipates the unprecedented feat of engineering will be well worth the effort.

"We're dealing with about 500,000 tonnes of ore, so in relative size it's not very big in the grand order of things' he says. "However, it's among the highest grades you'll find anywhere in the world. The ore grade is just over 22 per cent uranium."

Recent advancements have led to greater on-site processing capabilities and the distinction between mine and mill is being erased, says Henry Schnell, Manager, Process Development for Cogema Resources. The Cigar Lake ore will be processed underground in the mine by grinding it to a pulp and then it will be transported to McClean Lake for processing in the JEB mill.

Other developments in the uranium industry include ISO 14001 certification first for McClean Lake in 2000 followed by Key Lake and McArthur River operations in 2003.

Leading-edge technology not only contributes to mine productivity but also to enhanced safety levels and has applications in areas of environmental responsibility. In the last year advanced technology has opened the door for a major breakthrough in potash mine safety.

New ground-penetrating radar developed in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Potash Producers Association (SPPA) may provide an 'accurate and quantitative system for measuring the existence and extent of roof separations' and will be a grateful addition to the safety arsenal of any underground worker.

"If successful, the new separation-detection radar can be used to map the mine roof," says Rick Lacroix, PCS Potash Vice-President Technical Services. The technology could eventually replace highly subjective 'sounding' techniques now used to identify loose areas.

"The science has been proven and at this point the technology holds great promise," Lacroix says. A prototype portable instrument is being built by PCS, and a device designed to be mounted on a mining machine is being considered. Separation-detection radar tests were conducted at PCS, Agrium and 1MG mines last year.

The SPPA's mandate includes lobbying government and research efforts that don't compromise each company's competitiveness. When it comes to safety and the environment, says PCS Potash Director of Research and Development Graeme Strathdee, the industry prefers collaboration.

"Safety reflects on the entire mining industry and is everybody's business," Strathdee says, noting they are open to working with outside innovators on a wide range of initiatives. The radar project, for example, began with a worldwide review of all existing radar practices.

Crossover technologies throughout mining, from phosphate operations to coal mining, are making the industry safer and more efficient. Teamwork between the academic community and the industry on environmental issues is also on the rise.

"Researchers at the university's hydrology department, for example, have done model water flows and tell us water moves vertically from the surface at a rate of one metre in every 10,000 years," Strathdee says. "From that information we can determine the rate of any contaminant spread and take the appropriate action."

The Canadian Light Source and synchrotron research is also involved in mining. The Tailings Optimization Validation Program at the McClean Lake uranium mine studies the state of arsenic after treatment and is just one illustration of how the uranium industry makes use of consultants and outside expertise.

"We've done work with the University of Saskatchewan and the geology group in particular, but also with chemical engineers," Schnell says. "There aren't a lot of labs that can handle our level of research because of all the licensing issues, but the U of S is starting to co-operate more with mining and become more involved."

Lacroix believes advanced technologies will perform ever-greater roles in the mining industry. An automated boring machine is already being used in PCS's Rocanville mine, new waste management applications are being studied and improved backfill technology is being developed.

"Our energy requirements are growing and people are looking at Kyoto as another reason for systems to improve," Lacroix says. "Whether it's adapting existing technologies to suit our needs or developing new technologies, the advances will continue going on everywhere."