Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
- Nickel
- Copper
- Cobalt
- Platinum
- Palladium
- Gold
|
Mining Method |
- Vertical block mining (VBM)
- Slot-Slash
|
Production Start | ...  |
Copper Cliff mine is a part of Vale integrated Ontario Operations which also includes (Coleman, Creighton, Garson and Totten mines), processing and refining facilities (Clarabelle Mill, Copper Cliff Smelter and Nickel Refinery, Port Colborne refining complex), supported by the Clydach Refinery in Wales, and non-operating mines, and non-producing properties. |
Source:
p. 6
Company | Interest | Ownership |
Vale S.A.
|
100 %
|
Indirect
|
Vale conducts nickel operations primarily through wholly-owned subsidiary Vale Canada Limited, which operates two nickel production systems, one in the North Atlantic region and the other in the Asia Pacific region.
Contractors
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Summary:
Significant economic Ni-Cu-PGE-Au mineralization occurs within quartz diorite offset dykes at Copper Cliff Mine offset orebodies and the Totten Mine orebodies. They can extend for many kilometres into the Sudbury Structure wall rock, and may be radial or concentric to the contact of the SIC with distinct, sharp contacts. Quartz diorite is the main component of South Range offsets, and of distal (>3 km from sic contact) portions of North Range offsets. Footwall breccia also occurs here as sheets and discontinuous lenses concentrated along the lower contact of the SIC, and as a major component of some of the offset dykes.
Mineralization consists of zones of disseminated blebby and massive Ni-Cu-PGE-Au sulphide that is spatially associated with inclusion-rich phases of quartz diorite, as well as with local structural complexities of the dykes. Ni-Cu-PGE-Au deposits have longer dip lengths then strike length and contain at least 5% sulphide. Areas between orebodies consist of barren quartz diorite or weakly mineralized inclusion-rich quartz diorite.
Mining Methods
- Vertical block mining (VBM)
- Slot-Slash
Summary:
The Copper Cliff Mine uses Vertical Retreat Mining, Blasthole Stoping (slot-slash variation) for the bulk of the production. Sill pillars are recovered using Uppers Retreat Mining. The Copper Cliff Mine Life of Mine Plan also makes provision for limited use of mechanized cut-and-fill mining.
Source:
Summary:

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Combined production numbers are reported under
Sudbury Operation
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Ore tonnes mined
| ......  | ......  | 644 kt | 746 kt | 814 kt | 979 kt |
Daily ore mining rate
| ......  | ......  | | | | 2,826 t |
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Reserves at December 31, 2022:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Measured & Indicated
|
6,273 kt
|
Nickel
|
1.33 %
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,273 kt
|
Copper
|
1.28 %
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,273 kt
|
Cobalt
|
0.04 %
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,273 kt
|
Platinum
|
1.07 g/t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,273 kt
|
Palladium
|
1.4 g/t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,273 kt
|
Gold
|
0.41 g/t
|
Inferred
|
2,535 kt
|
Nickel
|
1 %
|
Inferred
|
2,535 kt
|
Copper
|
1.6 %
|
Inferred
|
2,535 kt
|
Cobalt
|
0.03 %
|
Inferred
|
2,535 kt
|
Platinum
|
1.6 g/t
|
Inferred
|
2,535 kt
|
Palladium
|
1.5 g/t
|
Inferred
|
2,535 kt
|
Gold
|
0.6 g/t
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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