• Data Access
  • Your Email  
  • Your Email  
Keep me signed in.
Forgot your password?
Close
  • Forgot Your Password?
  • Enter the email you signed up with and we'll email it to you.
  • Your Email  
Close
Back
MDO
Mining Data Solutions
  • Home
  • Database
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Sign In
Canada
Niobec Mine

This page is not tailored to
devices with screen width under 750 px.
 Location:
5.3 km W from Saint-Honoré, Quebec, Canada

  Address:
3400, route du Columbium
Saint-Honoré
Quebec, Canada
G0V 1L0
Phone  ...  Subscription required
Fax+1-418-673.3179
EmailEmail
WebsiteWeb
Additional Resources for Suppliers & Investors
Drill results over 30 g/t Au
Stay on top of recent discoveries.
Search drill results by commodity and grade.
Largest mines in the Americas
Mining and mill throughput capaciites.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Deepest underground mines
Shaft depth and mill throughput data.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Heavy mobile equipment
HME type, model, size and quantity.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Permitting and construction projects
Projects at the permitting or construction stage. Full profiles of select projects.
Mines with remote camps
Camp size, mine location and contacts.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Mines & projects in Canada
A list of country's mines and projects.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

Thank you for browsing through mine profiles compiled by the Mining Data Online team.

Would you like to subcribe or schedule a Demo?
  • Name:
     
  • Company:
     
  • Position:
     
  • Phone:
  • Email:
  • Message:

Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Niobium
Mining Method
  • Open stoping
Processing
  • Hydrochloric acid (reagent)
  • Pyrometallurgical plant / circuit
  • Desliming
  • Flotation
  • Acid tank leaching
  • Magnetic separation
Mine Life2045
Magris Resources Inc., a private equity firm, acquired the mine in January 2015. Production numbers have not been publicly available since then.


Owners

Source:
CompanyInterestOwnership
Magris Resources Inc. 100 % Indirect
Niobec Inc. (operator) 100 % Direct
Jan. 22, 2015 IAMGOLD Corporation completed the sale of its Niobec mine to a group of companies led by Magris Resources Inc.

Niobec Inc. was duly incorporated under its charter and the Canada Business Corporations Act. Magris Resources officially became the new owner of Niobec on January 22, 2015.

Deposit Type

  • Carbonatite hosted


Summary:

Carbonatite-associated deposits can be subdivided into magmatic types. Magmatic deposits are formed through processes associated with the crystallsation of carbonatites, whereas metasomatic deposits form by the reaction of fluids releases during crystallisation with preexisting or country rocks. Spatially distinct niobium and rare-earth element (REE) mineralisation at the Niobec mine, Québec, are examples of magmatic and metasomatic mineralisation.

The main minerals in the Niobec deposit are carbonates (50%), oxides (magnetite, hematite) (10%), silicates (biotite, chlorite) (10%), apatite (10%), sulfides (1%) as well as fluorite, barite and zircon (1%, collectively).

Niobium minerals in a bipyramidal shape are scattered throughout the carbonatite. These minerals are fine-grained (0.2 mm to 0.8 mm in diameter) and not easily visible to the naked eye. They are commonly associated with geological units with higher content in accessory minerals such as magnetite, biotite and apatite (facies C3b, C3c and C3a).

The ore is analysed in terms of percentage of Nb2O5. The mineralised lenses located on the northern edge of the deposit are characterised with the presence of hematisation, which seems to decrease in intensity with depth. Lenses farther south of the deposit are contained in a more calcitic carbonatite with syenite xenoliths.

The mineralisation mainly includes ferric-pyrochlores, sodic-pyrochlores and columbite as Nb bearing minerals. The mineralogical characteristics, the alteration and the mineralisation type greatly influence metallurgical recovery, which can vary between 30% and 70%.

The mineralised envelopes vary from 45 m to 185 m in width (north to south), and can reach close to 760 m in length. The areas have a known vertical extension of about 750 m. The deepest completed drillholes (down to block 12, close to a depth of 1,280 metres) show mineralisation at equivalent grade to those of the current mine production. The deposit has a sub-vertical dip.

The average grades of major mineralised envelopes are 0.44% to 0.51% Nb2O5. Considering the block caving method, the definition of high grade mineralised envelopes is no longer necessary because all carbonatite will be mined. Potential mineralised zone remains open at depth.


Mining Methods

  • Open stoping


Summary:

Niobec has been using the open stope mining method.

The underground mine extracts over 2.3 million tons of ore which, once transformed, produces some 5000 tons of niobium annually.

To break the ore, vertical holes, with a diameter of 17 centimetres (6.5 inches) are drilled off filled with explosives and detonated. The broken-up ore is collected at the base of the open room in a draw point with a loader and transported by truck to the ore pass. After, the ore is crushed underground, and hoisted to the surface to be crushed again prior to being transferred to the concentrator.

Since September 1999, the extraction was performed at depths varying between 100 and 440 metres (300 to 1,450 feet). Today, an 800 metres shaft (2,800 feet) and a ramp provide direct access to the various mine levels, which now cover 730 metres (2,400 feet).


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Hydrochloric acid (reagent)
  • Pyrometallurgical plant / circuit
  • Desliming
  • Flotation
  • Acid tank leaching
  • Magnetic separation

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

Niobec’s concentration plant uses the one of the most complex ore recovery processes in the world. In order to produce a pyrochlore concentrate (58% niobium pentoxide, Nb2O5), the following steps must occur during the transformation process, which takes place at the plant: milling, sieving, desliming, magnetic separation, three types of flotation, leaching, two-step filtration and concentrate drying. Each ton of ore (1,000 kg) produces in average 2.4 kg of niobium oxide. About 15 different chemicals are used during the concentration process. However, the concentration plant’s waste is pH neutral. In other words, it does not generate acid and is essentially carbonate-bearing.

The crushed ore is deslimed in two stages of cycloning, and the underflow is sent for conditioning prior to carbonate flotation. The carbonate concentrate is sent to the tails. The carbonate flotation rougher and cleaner tails are cycloned in two stages to change the process water and then sent to the py ........

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2014
Niobium Head Grade, % 0.58

Production:

CommodityUnits2020 *20142013
Niobium kt  ......  Subscription required *5.65.3
All production numbers are expressed as Ferro-niobium. * Average annual production reported in 2020
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics2020
Annual ore mining rate  ......  Subscription required
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2013:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Probable 416,420 kt Niobium
Probable 416,420 kt Nb2O5 0.41 % 1,707 kt
Measured 288,328 kt Niobium
Measured 288,328 kt Nb2O5 0.43 % 1,251 kt
Indicated 352,505 kt Niobium
Indicated 352,505 kt Nb2O5 0.4 % 1,402 kt
Measured & Indicated 640,833 kt Niobium
Measured & Indicated 640,833 kt Nb2O5 0.41 % 2,653 kt
Inferred 61,085 kt Niobium
Inferred 61,085 kt Nb2O5 0.38 % 229 kt

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2014
Operating margin Niobium USD 20 / kg


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 26, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 26, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 26, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 26, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
Press Release 2015
Annual Report 2014
Annual Report 2013
Technical Report 2013
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Aerial view:

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2017-2022 MDO Data Online Inc.