<p>Given that the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigar_Lake_Mine" rel="noreferrer">Cigar Lake</a> <a href="https://miningdataonline.com/property/26/Cigar-Lake-Mine.aspx" rel="noreferrer">uranium deposit</a> is already buried beep, at 450 m below the surface, a &quot;sedimentary carbon&quot; deposit will not be deposited anywhere close to the uranium deposit. The age of the deposit is estimated to be 1.3 Ga (billion years).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Due to natural containment and lack of any traces of radioactive elements on the surface, the deposit is used as an example of an effective natural deep geological repository.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There are <a href="https://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/uranium/mines-and-mills/nuclear-facilities/cigar-lake/index.cfm" rel="noreferrer">no open pits</a> at <a href="https://www.geologyforinvestors.com/cigar-lake-mine-the-worlds-largest-uranium-producer/" rel="noreferrer">Cigar Lake</a>,</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kyYcw.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kyYcw.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Infrastructure at the site includes an underground mine; freezing plants and associated freeze pads; ore processing and load out; water treatment; mine rock storage pads; temporary waste storage; warehouses; worker camp; and office and administrative buildings.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Also, given the relatively flat topography of northern Saskatchewan, where Cigar Lake is located, carbon sediments are unlikely to be deposited at anywhere near the uranium deposit and mine.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-17T04:22:13.907Z
The carbon deposit posited in the question is a bit of a red herring. It was water rather than carbon that served as a moderator in the Oklo natural reactor.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-16T04:50:40.523Z
2022-02-16T04:50:40.523Z
Fred
<p>Small localized deposits of 60%wt Uranium were found in Cigar Lake, Canada during the ‘90’s. If an exposed rich deposit like this were covered by sedimentary carbon from eroding rock, layering graphite on the uranium, would a fission reactor form naturally? Could it generate power in the kilowatt range as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklo_Mine" rel="noreferrer">Oklo reactor</a> is thought to have done?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-16T23:02:55.520Z
Don't you think either a minxy little kilowatt output, or a single example in more than a billion years would rule out any idea of a fission reactor forming naturally being in any way meaningful, let alone useful?
Robbie Goodwin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-17T14:58:12.727Z
Well, no. Sixteen natural nuclear reactors were discovered in uranium mines at Oklo. An additional seventeenth natural nuclear reactor was also discovered at Bangombé, located about 30 km to the southeast of Oklo.
Vogon Poet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-18T01:03:42.367Z
Really? If you'd mentioned them before, wouldn't a kilowatt still be insignificant? Still, what differences d'you see between Cigar Lake and Oklo?
Robbie Goodwin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-18T01:05:19.617Z
Is this conversation doing anything at all? What is wrong with the question please?
Vogon Poet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-18T21:44:27.080Z
In my view, nothing here suggests a fission reactor naturally formed at Cigar Lake, or anywhere else, could matter any more than what's been achieved in umpty labs.

Based on circumstance and size, how could it help?
Robbie Goodwin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-18T22:16:19.520Z
Am I missing a requirement somewhere that demands we justify the “helpfulness” of our problem? It’s a real question, I don’t want to misuse the forum. Thanks.
Vogon Poet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-18T22:37:54.333Z
You are not missing a requirement to justify “helpfulness” and then what?

If the Answer is simply "Yes, it could" what might be gained?
Robbie Goodwin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-18T22:49:58.453Z
I think the SE policy prefers we don’t answer questions with “yes” or “no” because that’s not helpful; nor do we ask questions expecting “yes/no” answers. Am I wrong? But it seems that “why you want to know” is very important suddenly.
Vogon Poet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-19T00:47:22.187Z
Quite. The simplest Answer might well be "Yes…" but then, who would not respond "and so what?"
Robbie Goodwin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-19T01:02:36.423Z
Perhaps a user is testing theories in candidacy for natural reactors like Oklo? Does it matter why so much?
Vogon Poet
<radioactivity><uranium>
Could a natural fission reactor form in Cigar Lake?
Vogon Poet
# Could a natural fission reactor form in Cigar Lake?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-02-15)

Small localized deposits of 60%wt Uranium were found in Cigar Lake, Canada during the ‘90’s. If an exposed rich deposit like this were covered by sedimentary carbon from eroding rock, layering graphite on the uranium, would a fission reactor form naturally? Could it generate power in the kilowatt range as the [Oklo reactor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklo_Mine) is thought to have done?

**Tags:** radioactivity, uranium

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Don't you think either a minxy little kilowatt output, or a single example in more than a billion years would rule out any idea of a fission reactor forming naturally being in any way meaningful, let alone useful?  
> **username_0**: Well, no. Sixteen natural nuclear reactors were discovered in uranium mines at Oklo. An additional seventeenth natural nuclear reactor was also discovered at Bangombé, located about 30 km to the southeast of Oklo.  
> **username_1**: Really? If you'd mentioned them before, wouldn't a kilowatt still be insignificant? Still, what differences d'you see between Cigar Lake and Oklo?  
> **username_0**: Is this conversation doing anything at all? What is wrong with the question please?  
> **username_1**: In my view, nothing here suggests a fission reactor naturally formed at Cigar Lake, or anywhere else, could matter any more than what's been achieved in umpty labs.  Based on circumstance and size, how could it help?  
> **username_0**: Am I missing a requirement somewhere that demands we justify the “helpfulness” of our problem? It’s a real question, I don’t want to misuse the forum. Thanks.  
> **username_1**: You are not missing a requirement to justify “helpfulness” and then what?  If the Answer is simply "Yes, it could" what might be gained?  
> **username_0**: I think the SE policy prefers we don’t answer questions with “yes” or “no” because that’s not helpful; nor do we ask questions expecting “yes/no” answers. Am I wrong? But it seems that “why you want to know” is very important suddenly.  
> **username_1**: Quite. The simplest Answer might well be "Yes…" but then, who would not respond "and so what?"  
> **username_0**: Perhaps a user is testing theories in candidacy for natural reactors like Oklo? Does it matter why so much?  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-02-16. Score: 8

Given that the [Cigar Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigar_Lake_Mine) [uranium deposit](https://miningdataonline.com/property/26/Cigar-Lake-Mine.aspx) is already buried beep, at 450 m below the surface, a "sedimentary carbon" deposit will not be deposited anywhere close to the uranium deposit. The age of the deposit is estimated to be 1.3 Ga (billion years).

> Due to natural containment and lack of any traces of radioactive elements on the surface, the deposit is used as an example of an effective natural deep geological repository.

There are [no open pits](https://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/uranium/mines-and-mills/nuclear-facilities/cigar-lake/index.cfm) at [Cigar Lake](https://www.geologyforinvestors.com/cigar-lake-mine-the-worlds-largest-uranium-producer/),

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kyYcw.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/kyYcw.jpg)

> Infrastructure at the site includes an underground mine; freezing plants and associated freeze pads; ore processing and load out; water treatment; mine rock storage pads; temporary waste storage; warehouses; worker camp; and office and administrative buildings.

Also, given the relatively flat topography of northern Saskatchewan, where Cigar Lake is located, carbon sediments are unlikely to be deposited at anywhere near the uranium deposit and mine.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: The carbon deposit posited in the question is a bit of a red herring. It was water rather than carbon that served as a moderator in the Oklo natural reactor.  

---

