Tag Archives: Ontario

Agnico Eagle to establish exploration decline, shaft at Upper Beaver

Automation, Base metals, Mine shafts and equipment, Mineral project development, , , , , ,

Agnico Eagle is investing $200 million over the next three years to “further study and de-risk” its Upper Beaver project in Ontario, Canada, with plans to establish both an exploration decline and exploration shaft.

An internal evaluation of the Upper Beaver project was completed in June 2024. Based on this evaluation, the company believes Upper Beaver has the potential to produce an annual average of approximately 210,000 oz of gold and 3,600 t of copper, with initial production possible as early as 2030.

Over an expected 13-year mine life, total payable gold and copper production is expected to be approximately 2.8 Moz and 46,300 t, respectively, based on a 5,000 t/d production rate. Estimated total cash costs per ounce on a by-product basis and all-in sustaining cost per ounce on a by-product basis are expected to be approximately $592 and $733, respectively.

“In addition, the project has the potential to unlock significant exploration potential at depth and within satellite deposits in the company’s Kirkland Lake camp,” Agnico Eagle said.

At Upper Beaver, approximately $50 million is forecast to be spent in 2024 related to the construction of surface facilities, site preparation and the excavation of the shaft collar. Preparatory site work commenced in early 2024 and approximately $15 million was spent in the first half of 2024.

With the total $200 million investment, the company intends to develop an exploration ramp and an exploration shaft to depths of 160 m and 760 m, respectively, to establish underground drilling platforms and to collect bulk samples from the two most representative geological zones of the Upper Beaver deposit. The exploration ramp and exploration shaft will be sized to accommodate the potential production phase and are included in the initial capital expenditures estimate of approximately $900 million. Excavation of the ramp and shaft sinking are expected to start in the second half of 2025.

Upper Beaver is in the township of Gauthier, in north-eastern Ontario, approximately 25 km to the east of the town of Kirkland Lake. The district has a continuous history of mineral exploration and mining spanning more than 110 years and with an aggregate of over 42 Moz of gold produced by various producers.

The mineralisation has been defined along a 400-m strike length from surface to a depth of 2,000 m and it remains open at depth. Total indicated resources are currently 30.9 Mt at 3.47 g/t Au and 0.23% Cu, plus 3 Mt indicated at 4.13 g/t Au and 0.36% Cu.

The mining strategy developed for the Upper Beaver project is to mine the deposit mainly by conventional underground methods, although a small portion (approximately 10% of the mineral resource) will be mined via an open pit. The underground and open-pit mines are expected to be developed within the same time frame.

Open-pit operations will employ conventional methods of drilling, blasting and loading by excavator and wheel loader, with material haulage by truck to the various stockpiles, waste dump or directly to a crusher.

Under current scenarios, production from the open pit is expected to occur from 2030 to 2034 at an average rate of approximately 2,000 t/d, of which 500 t/d will be stockpiled for later processing.

Current scenarios contemplate underground access through a main decline ramp as well as a shaft that is 1,220-m deep and 6 m in diameter. Four main stations are planned along the shaft, including a loading station at the bottom of the shaft. Ore and waste above 430-m depth will be hauled to surface by trucks via the ramp. Ore and waste below 430-m depth will be managed mainly through an ore and waste pass system and skipped to surface via the shaft.

The underground mining concept is based on a long hole open stoping method, with sublevels every 30 m and with stopes to be backfilled with paste and waste rock. The project is expected to use a combination of conventional and automated equipment, similar to what is currently used at the company’s mines in the region. Production from underground, via ramp and shaft, could begin as early as 2030 and ramp-up to an average rate of approximately 4,500 t/d in 2035.

The plant is anticipated to use a conventional milling process, including a gravity circuit and a copper flotation circuit, with a design capacity of 5,000 t/d, an average total gold recovery of 95% and an average copper recovery of 81%.

Tailings will partly be returned underground as paste fill, with the remainder being disposed on a dry stack tailings storage facility.

An agreement with local indigenous communities and environmental permits are in place for the advanced exploration phase of the project, including for the development of an exploration ramp and an exploration shaft and the collection of two bulk samples. Negotiations with indigenous communities are ongoing to establish an agreement for the production phase if a development decision is made. The company is also advancing environmental impact assessments required for the Federal and Provincial approvals and permits that will be required for the construction and production phases following a development decision.

RIINO, Rainbow Concrete partner on future demo site for innovative monorail haulage system

Automation, Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

RIINO, a company that refers to itself as a leading innovator in mining technology, has announced a partnership with Rainbow Concrete to establish a groundbreaking demonstration site at the Rainbow Concrete Quarry, in Ontario, Canada.

This site will showcase a zero-emission monorail system, spanning a continuous 1-km loop, demonstrating RIINO’s expertise and its transformative impact on mining operations.

RIINO has recently completed an in-depth, four-month scoping study backed by Agnico Eagle, Rio Tinto and Vale, utilising a consortium approach, supported by the Canada Mining Innovation Council. The technology is described as an innovative monorail haulage system targeting the reduction of the industry’s carbon emissions and achieving net-zero goals. It is designed to receive its power from the electrical grid which drives the internal, train-mounted motors as well as auxiliary on-board batteries for a complete electric and automated operation.

Set to launch in the December quarter of 2025, the Rainbow Concrete site will serve as a pivotal platform to validate RIINO’s technology on a full scale. Its objective is to rigorously assess key performance parameters and design criteria, ensuring the effectiveness and reliability of RIINO’s innovations in real-world scenarios. Following the initial testing phase, the site will be open to the community and mining industry, providing a valuable opportunity to showcase advancements in industry initiatives.

Aaron Lambert, RIINO CEO, said: “In the past two years, collaborating with Boris [Naneff, President of Rainbow Concrete] on various innovative tech trials has been incredibly fruitful. Our partnership has strengthened, driving forward industry innovation. Boris’ consistent support has proven invaluable to our consortium of mining partners and our technological advancements.”

A standout feature of the demonstration site is its minimal environmental impact, underscoring RIINO’s commitment to promoting environmental, social and governance initiatives within the mining sector while preserving natural landscapes, RIINO explained. Safety remains paramount for RIINO, and the integration of its technology into the demonstration site presents a unique opportunity to exhibit the operational safety advantages of RIINO’s solutions, further solidifying its dedication to safety excellence within the industry.

The company concluded: “This initiative signifies a significant milestone in RIINO’s project trajectory, advancing its mission to revolutionise the mining industry while emphasising environmental sustainability and operational safety.”

Agnico eyes 1 Moz/y gold operation status at Detour Lake with future underground mine

Automation, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Agnico Eagle is evaluating the potential for Detour Lake in Ontario, Canada, to become a million ounce per year gold operation after the completion of a recent slew of studies.

The 2024 Life of Mine plan builds on the company’s previously filed technical report on Detour Lake as well as the mine plan update released by the company in July 2022. It updates the open-pit mine production profile and incorporates updated costing. The company has also completed a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) which contemplates the concurrent operation of the open pit and a proposed underground mining project, combined with mill throughput optimisation to 29 Mt.y. The 2024 PEA demonstrates that the Underground Project and the mill optimisation have the potential to increase the Detour Lake mine’s overall production to an average of approximately 1 Moz/y of gold over a 14-year period, starting in 2030. The current open-pit operation produced 677,446 oz of gold in 2023.

The 2024 PEA assumes an underground mining rate of approximately 11,200 t/d starting in 2030, combined with a mill expansion to 79,450 t/d starting in 2028. Annual production is expected to increase by approximately 43%, or 300,000 oz/y of gold, from 2030 to 2043. The PEA extends Detour Lake’s mine life by two years to 2054, with the company saying it believes that there is a good upside potential for additional exploration to add ounces to the mine plan in future years, which could result in an increase in production in the period between 2044 and 2054 or extend the life of the mine.

The preliminary mining concept for the Underground Project is based on transverse longhole open stoping, as this mining method is best suited for the sub-vertical mineral deposit. Sublevels will be 40 m apart, with the stope size averaging approximately 30,000 t. Primary stopes will be backfilled with cemented paste fill, while secondary stopes will be backfilled with either cemented paste fill or waste rock fill according to the sequence and waste material available. Approximately 130 stopes will be mined annually to sustain a mining rate of approximately 11,200 t/d (equivalent to an annualized production rate of 4 Mt/y).

The Underground Project is expected to use a combination of conventional and automated equipment, similar to the company’s Odyssey mine at the Canadian Malartic complex in Quebec. Ore and waste handling will be conducted by LHDs and trucks with a capacity of 21 t and 60 t, respectively. The ore handling system to surface will consist of ore passes, an underground jaw crusher located at level 760 and a conveyor system with a capacity of 15,000 t/d. The conveyor will be installed in a dedicated conveyor ramp, with the portal located near the primary crusher on surface, east of the open pit. A service ramp, with the portal located near the west end of the open pit, will be the main underground access for the workforce, equipment and materials.

Production could begin as early as 2030 and ramp up to the designed rate 11,200 t/d by 2033, which is expected to be sustained throughout the mine life until 2044.

The Detour Lake processing facility consists of two independent milling circuits, including gravity separation, concentrate leach, agitated tank leaching, carbon-in-pulp, solvent extraction and electrowinning. Over the last four years, the processing plant has undergone significant modifications to de-bottleneck existing circuits and improve throughput while maintaining recovery and reliability. The 2024 PEA contemplates that underground ore will be blended with the open-pit ore and processed through the existing plant.

Through investments in the crushing and grinding circuits and continuous improvement efforts, the mill throughput rate has increased from approximately 62,900 t/d in 2020 to approximately 69,700 t/d in 2023 and is expected to reach 76,700 t/d by the end of 2024. The company believes that further process optimisation can be achieved with minimal investment to reach a mill throughput rate of 79,450 t/d by 2028. The main initiatives to realise this potential include:

  • The implementation of advanced process control systems to optimise circuit charge, mass flow balance and recovery;
  • Further improvements to the crushing and grinding circuits, including the implementation of variable frequency drives for the secondary crushers and pebble crushers and redesigned SAG discharge screens; and
  • Further optimisation to the maintenance practices and improved mill runtime.

An investment of approximately $12 million is included in the 2024 PEA to execute these initiatives.

Ammar Al-Joundi, Agnico Eagle’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “At Detour Lake, the company continues to build on the unique potential of this world-class asset. With the development of an underground mine to complement the existing open-pit mine, we see the opportunity to transform the asset into one of the top five gold mines in the world by output. We believe the Underground Project has relatively low execution risk, and has the potential to generate a strong risk-adjusted return on capital while maintaining exploration and production upside for decades in one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world.

“We have adopted a phased and disciplined approach to develop this potential, with the approval of a $100 million investment over the next three years to further study and de-risk the Underground Project, including the development of an exploration ramp (2 km) and the collection of a bulk sample. Concurrently, we are planning a conversion and expansion drill program to realise the upside exploration potential along the western plunge of the mineralisation. The long mineral reserve life and significant production base at both Detour Lake and Canadian Malartic provide a solid foundation for Agnico Eagle’s production profile and strongly positions the company for decades to come.”

The average total cash costs for the Underground Project, combined with the mill optimisation to 29 Mt/y, are expected to be $690/oz. Development capital expenditures for the Underground Project and mill optimisation to 29 Mt/y are forecast to be approximately $731 million. Sustaining capital expenditures are forecast to be approximately $631 million over the life of the Underground Project, or between $40 million-$45 million per year from 2030 to 2043.

Agnico says the Underground Project and mill throughput optimisation to 29 Mt/y are expected to generate an after-tax internal rate of return of approximately 18% using a gold price assumption of $1,900/oz and a C$/US$ foreign exchange rate of 1.34. At current gold prices of approximately $2,300 per ounce and a C$/US$ foreign exchange rate of 1.34, the Underground Project and mill throughput optimisation to 29 Mtpa are expected to generate an after-tax IRR of approximately 25%.

Wajax bolsters Industrial Parts and Engineered Repair Services divisions with Beta acquisitions

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Wajax Corporation says it has acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Ontario-based Beta Fluid Power Ltd and Beta Industrial Ltd, further expanding its Industrial Parts and Engineered Repair Services offering.

Beta Fluid is a leading regional supplier of hydraulic and pneumatic equipment for use in the industrial, mining and construction sectors. It also offers hydraulic and pneumatic maintenance, repair and replacement services, including mobile services. Beta Industrial provides a wide range of on-site facility repair and maintenance services to local and regional customers. Together Beta Fluid and Beta Industrial employ a team of approximately forty-two full-time employees.

“Since 1997, the Beta team has developed a reputation for dependability and excellent customer service, and we are very pleased to welcome them to the growing Wajax family,” Iggy Domagalski, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wajax, said. “Through acquisitions such as Beta, and our recently completed Polyphase Engineered Controls acquisition in Alberta, we continue to execute our Industrial Parts and Engineered Repair Services growth strategy, adding sought-after technical capabilities and expanding the services we offer to customers across the country. We look forward to further additions to our Industrial Parts and Engineered Repair Services portfolio as we continue to develop our acquisition pipeline.”

Wajax is one of Canada’s longest standing and most diversified industrial products and services providers, operating an integrated distribution system that provides sales, parts and services to a broad range of Canadian customers in sectors such as mining.

Autonomous equipment commissioning ramps up at Côté gold project

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IAMGOLD has released its latest quarterly results, highlighting the significant progress it has made on its majority-owned Côté gold project in northeastern Ontario, Canada.

The company is the majority owner and operator of Côté, with the next biggest stake owned by Sumitomo Metal Mining. Côté has a mine life of 18 years, and will produce an average of 365,000 oz/y over this term. Some 236 Mt of ore will be mined, along with 568 Mt of waste, with an average processed grade of 0.96 g/t Au.

In the latest results, IAMGOLD said the project was estimated to be 85.7% complete as of the end of June. Since commencement of construction, $2.23 billion ($1.56 billion at the 70% held by IAMGOLD) of the planned $2.965 billion ($2.08 billion at 70%) of project expenditure has been incurred.

Autonomous operations have been incorporated into the Côté mine design with a focus on early operations readiness. The Autonomous Control Room equipped for Caterpillar Command for hauling was completed in mid-September and the project achieved a major milestone in January with the initial deployment of the autonomous 231 t Cat 793F CMD haul trucks working with Toromont Cat. On January 22, the mine saw the safe operation of a full load, haul, and dump cycle using autonomous dump trucks.

During the June quarter 2023, up to seven Cat 793F haul trucks have begun operating in autonomous mode and a total of 14 haul trucks have been commissioned. Autonomous drilling with two Epiroc Pit Vipers began in this quarter, with a third nearing commissioning completion. In total, the company is expected to operate six autonomous Epiroc Pit Viper 231 blasthole drill rigs, complemented by two Epiroc D65 SmartROC crawler rigs, which will be remote operation ready.

In addition it will deploy electric Caterpillar hydraulic shovels – namely two 6060FS units, AC-powered via tethered cable.

The company said owner mining has progressed well with nearly 1.1 Mt mined in the June quarter. The stockpile has approximately 2 Mt of material on track to the target build-up of 5 Mt by the end of the year. The IAMGOLD mine operations team started operating 24/7 effectively in July.

The project timeline remains in place, with production expected to commence in early 2024.

Avalon Advanced Materials and Metso sign MoU on lithium hydroxide production plan

Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , ,

Avalon Advanced Materials Inc has signed a memorandum of understanding to create a strategic partnership with Metso aimed at establishing terms to develop a lithium hydroxide production facility to process lithium mineral concentrates that are essential for the North American electric vehicle (EV) battery value chain.

Avalon intends to deploy Metso’s technology to construct and operationalise a full-service lithium processing facility at the company’s recently acquired Thunder Bay, Ontario industrial site.

Upon completion of the project, Avalon says it will be the first vertically integrated lithium producer in Ontario, while ensuring Canada’s EV battery manufacturing base has a stable, proximate and long-term supply of this resource.

“Metso’s platform and technological solutions perfectly complement Avalon’s vision to complete an integrated lithium value chain in Ontario, predicated on innovative process solutions,” Zeeshan Syed, President of Avalon, said. “We view Metso as an integral part of this rapidly growing sector, and a foundational partner in developing internationally best-in-class processing capabilities that are environmentally sustainable, allowing Avalon to meet the soaring demand for battery-grade lithium.”

The non-binding MoU stipulates:
• The pursuit of a definitive agreement to establish a lithium hydroxide processing facility in Thunder Bay;
• Avalon to license Metso technology and solutions to produce lithium hydroxide cathode materials to serve the EV market;
• Allow Metso to conduct testing and engineering work across Avalon’s portfolio of critical-mineral projects, including the company’s flagship deposit at Separation Rapids near Kenora, Ontario; and
• The parties anticipate reaching a definitive agreement on or before September 1, 2023.

Metso’s sustainable next-generation production and processing technologies are being deployed internationally by governments and clean-energy producers in order to address and deliver the necessary supply required by the emerging EV battery industry, Avalon says.

Avalon’s strategic partnership with Metso is a first in Canada, and is a significant step towards helping the company execute on its vertically-integrated business strategy – and, in turn, entrench Ontario’s position as an advanced manufacturing hub serving not only North America, but the world.

Mikko Rantaharju, Head of Hydrometallurgy at Metso, said: “Metso is looking forward to partnering with Avalon and be part of its long-term vision to be a mid-stream supplier in the lithium hydroxide space. We are aligned with Avalon’s vision of the future and proud to play a key role in technology supply and advancement into clean energy solutions.

”We are also extremely excited to be partnering with the first Ontario conversion facility with Metso’s technology. The innovation advantages of the alkaline process allow for elimination of the use of potentially harmful chemicals such as sulfuric acid and comparatively reduces overall solid waste and emissions, making it environmentally friendlier and overall, safer for workers and local surrounding communities.”

Avalon is a Canadian mineral development company focused on vertically integrating the Ontario lithium value chain. The company is currently developing its Separation Rapids lithium deposit near Kenora, while continuing to advance other projects in its portfolio, including its 100%-owned Lilypad spodumene-cesium-tantalum project near Fort Hope, Ontario.

In additional to extraction activities, Avalon is executing on its key strategic objective of developing Ontario’s first midstream lithium hydroxide processing facility, a vital link bridging the gap between upstream lithium production and downstream EV battery manufacturing.

For battery minerals, Metso provides sustainable technology and equipment for the entire production chain, from the mine to battery materials and black mass recycling with project scopes ranging from equipment packages to plant deliveries.

New Gold achieves 15% fuel saving at Rainy River thanks to Cascadia Scientific solution

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining services, Mining software, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

New Gold has been leveraging Cascadia Scientific’s Terrain solution at its Rainy River operation in gold-silver mine in Ontario, Canada, as part of its plan to optimise operations at the open-pit operations.

In the company’s just released ESG report, New Gold highlighted that the Heat Mapping module of Terrain, designed to avoid excessive fuel burn, improve operator safety, and reduce equipment maintenance costs and greenhouse gas emissions, has proven itself when used on 13 of its haul trucks.

“In August 2022, Rainy River installed the Cascadia heat mapping system in 13 of its haul trucks,” the company said. “This technology, which identifies ‘hot spots’ along the haul route, allows Rainy River to identify the areas of inefficiency and rectify them.”

Between August and December, the program supported an average fuel savings of 15%, equivalent to just over 2.7 million tonnes of CO2e, New Gold said.

Terrain is made up of tools to visualise haul roads to target interventions that reduce fuel use, GHG emissions and accelerated equipment wear. Cascadia Scientific combines high-accuracy fuel consumption data with measurements of road grade, vehicle speed, position, motion and altitude to construct visual representations of haul road networks. This helps the company continuously supports clients in identifying and correcting hot spots to maximise efficient and productive operation, it said.

Vale, Epiroc planning for automation shift with battery-electric loaders at Creighton

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The industry has been told continuously that there are plenty of synergies between automation and electrification when it comes to loading and haulage, yet the hard evidence of this complementary nature has not yet surfaced. That could be about to change if a trial at Vale’s Creighton mine in Sudbury, Ontario, proves successful.

Vale has been a key electrification partner for mining OEMs and service providers, testing out a whole host of battery-electric equipment from light utility vehicles to 42-t-payload trucks at its deep mines in Sudbury. This builds on its experience of running diesel-electric Kiruna trucks since the mid-1990s at the Coleman mine (also in Sudbury).

The miner has also commenced trials on surface with battery-electric trucks and is set to commence trolley assist operations at its massive Carajas iron ore mining complex in Minas Gerais, Brazil, later this year.

The variety of testing the company has carried out – in terms of the types of mining operations, vehicle setups, charging methods and electrical infrastructure – means it can be considered an electrification pioneer.

Now, it is looking to combine this experience with its knowledge of autonomous loading operations – again an area of the technology space it is considered a leader in.

In partnership with Epiroc, a battery-electric and automation project is in the planning stages at Vale’s Creighton underground mine.

The two companies commissioned four Epiroc ST14 Battery Scooptram and two MT42 Battery trucks at the operation in preparation for the deepening of the mine in the December quarter of 2022. Full-scale operation is ramping up with a first charging bay already commissioned and new ones coming in the next months, a Vale spokesperson told IM.

“The next steps will be to leverage the autonomous capability of those battery-electric scoops to enable operations between shifts depending on the application at the mine,” the spokesperson said.

Vale has previously said it will transition to an all-electric fleet at Creighton as part of its plans to develop the orebody down to circa-3km below surface.

Gowest engages Dumas for Bradshaw gold deposit restart

Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , ,

Gowest Gold has engaged Dumas Contracting Ltd, part of STRACON SA, in a four-year contract to assist with the restart of operations at the Bradshaw gold deposit, in Timmins, Ontario.

Dumas has already begun moving equipment to the site and is rapidly ramping up the mobilisation process, with both Gowest and Dumas targeting the resumption of underground work in April.

Dumas is a leading, full-service mining contractor specialising in mine construction and development, production mining and engineering. It is the primary contractor working at numerous mines throughout the Americas, including several in northern Ontario, Gowest said.

Currently, Bradshaw contains a NI 43‐101 indicated resource estimated at 2.1 Mt grading 6.19 g/t Au for 422,000 oz of gold, and an inferred resource of 3.6 Mt grading 6.47 g/t Au for 755,000 oz of gold. Further, based on the prefeasibility study produced by Stantec on June 9, 2015, Bradshaw contains probable reserves (using a 3 g/t Au cutoff and a gold price of $1,200/oz) of 1.8 Mt grading 4.82 g/t Au for 277,000 oz of gold.

Dan Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gowest, said: “We are extremely pleased to have Dumas, with their extensive experience and focus on safety, as our long-term partner in restarting mining activities at Bradshaw. At the same time, now that we have the significant financial support of several of our major shareholders, we are also quickly advancing on several related fronts. This includes hiring personnel, mobilising equipment, ordering consumables and other preparations to ensure Bradshaw’s success as the next new gold mine in the Timmins camp.”

The first underground work will focus on the development and production of the initial bulk sample area (East Zone), the development of ventilation infrastructure, as well as the development of a ramp to expand and access new ore zones, Gowest says.

The company is also working towards finalising an agreement for milling Bradshaw’s ore, working with several parties to determine the optimal approach for handling the gold concentrate.

Canada Nickel progresses carbon capture and storage test work for Crawford

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Canada Nickel Company Inc says the latest test work on material from its Crawford project, in Ontario, Canada, supports the incorporation of carbon capture and storage into the develoment.

The company has devised an In-Process Tailings (IPT) Carbonation process, which, it says, is a novel method for accelerated carbon capture and storage that it believes has transformative potential.

The latest test work conducted at Kingston Process Metallurgy (KPM) confirmed that existing process streams can be used for IPT Carbonation, which the company believes should allow it to be timely and cost effectively engineered and incorporated into the project flowsheet.

Crawford is hosted in ultramafic rock, which naturally absorbs and sequesters CO2, according to the company, with the potential to actively capture and sequester carbon being a key consideration in Canada Nickel’s acquisition of the 42 sq.km of target ultramafic rocks in the Timmins area.

Canada Nickel has developed an active process that uses tailings as generated in the milling process and injects a concentrated source of CO2 for a brief period of time. This process, IPT Carbonation, fixes CO2 geologically while the tailings are still in the processing circuit, rather than after they have been finally deposited.

The company believes that, given its relative simplicity, this process could be scaled up with availability of concentrated (rather than atmospheric) sources of CO2, with the CO2 potentially delivered by downstream processing of Crawford concentrates, a wide range of industrial processing activities, green hydrogen production, or carbon capture facilities.

Canada Nickel said: “The process demonstrates the potential to produce NetZero Nickel™ and NetZero Cobalt™ for the electric vehicle industry, NetZero Iron™ and chromium for the stainless steel industry and generate substantial carbon credits during the process. The company believes that the need for a concentrated source of CO2 for this process and the substantial CO2 capture and storage capacity potential of its ultramafic land position could form the basis for an entire Zero Carbon Industrial Cluster in the Timmins-Cochrane region.”

The latest results from further lab-scale testing at KPM confirmed that a blend of tailings expected to be produced by Crawford and thickened to an expected operating tailings density could be successfully carbonated with the IPT Carbonation process, the company said. This is a significant result to demonstrate the process at higher solids densities as the pulp density and the tailings residence time will be a key driver of the process capital and operating costs, it explained.

The testing also attempted to understand what ultimate carbon capture potential is possible and the test resulted in 37 t of CO2 captured per tonne of nickel – 34 t of that amount was captured within 25 hours. The 37 t figure is believed to represent a potential maximum and there is no certainty that such amount could be achieved in commercial operation, the company said.

As a result of these results, the integrated feasibility study for the project is expected to be delivered in the June quarter of 2023. This delay, the company says, has no impact on the overall timeline to production, with Canada Nickel continuing to target receipt of permits by mid-2025 with construction to follow.

Mark Selby, Chair and CEO of Canada Nickel, said: “We believe the Crawford project has the potential to be a case study in how critical minerals are developed in Ontario and Canada. Crawford is poised to support the energy transition through the large-scale production of critical minerals, including nickel and cobalt, and to become the sole North American producer of chromium, while also supporting the country’s climate objectives through large-scale carbon capture and storage.”

The company believes the successful incorporation of IPT Carbonation could also potentially allow a portion of its project capital expenditures to become eligible for the carbon capture and storage refundable investment tax credits of 37.5% to 60% from 2022-30 and 18.75% to 30% from 2031-40 announced in the 2022 federal budget documents in Canada.

Selby added: “We look forward to continuing our positive momentum in 2023 as we complete this integrated feasibility study for Crawford, continue to successfully advance the Crawford permitting process, work with our recently appointed financial advisors to advance its overall financing package and aggressively advance our recently acquired Texmont property with its potential for near-term production. We are also excited by our successful tests of the regional exploration potential at Reid, Deloro, Sothman and Reaume which, as they are hosted in the same mineralisation as Crawford, offer the same potential for integrated carbon capture and storage – setting the stage for a Zero Carbon Industrial Cluster in the Timmins-Cochrane region.”