Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation (SMDC) was a provincial crown corporation established in 1974 by the Government of Saskatchewan to manage the government's interests in exploration and mining in the province. It was active in the exploration for Uranium
, Gold
, and Diamonds
.
In 1988, the assets of SMDC were merged with those of Eldorado Nuclear Limited
, under the terms of The Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation Reorganization Act, to form Cameco Corporation
with its head office in Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
.
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
, Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, and Diamonds
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
.
In 1988, the assets of SMDC were merged with those of Eldorado Nuclear Limited
Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited
The Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited company was originally organized in 1927 as Eldorado Gold Mines Limited to develop a gold mine in Manitoba. Its president Gilbert LaBine later found radioactive deposits at Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories in 1930, which led to the development of the...
, under the terms of The Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation Reorganization Act, to form Cameco Corporation
Cameco
Cameco Corporation is the world's largest publicly traded uranium company, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In 2009, it was the world's second largest uranium producer, accounting for 16% of world production.-History:...
with its head office in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
.