Overview
| Stage | Construction |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Commodities |
- Nickel
- Copper
- Cobalt
- Platinum
- Palladium
|
| Mining Method |
- Cut & Fill
- Blast Hole Stoping
- Paste backfill
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 2035 |
Onaping Depth Mine project is under construction and expected to be in operation by 2025. The Onaping Depth project is a deep mine project that will provide high-grade nickel ore beyond 2035, which is critical for electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines.
The Onaping Depth mine project will be an all-electric underground operation. Onaping Depth is a new approach to underground mining that utilizes digital technology for real-time remote management, monitoring, and control from the surface. The aim is to reduce worker exposure to hazardous areas by using remote and autonomous technologies. The mine will have wireless communication and battery-powered electric vehicles to reduce emissions and pollution. New technology will also be used to improve ventilation and cooling systems in high-temperature environments. |
Source:
p. 26
Contractors
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Summary:
The deposit is located in the Onaping-Levack area of the North Range of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC), in Ontario. The Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) occurs as a 60 km x 27 km elliptical bowl-shaped body that formed from a meteorite impact melt sheet. The deposit consists of a basal xenolithic norite breccia (contact sublayer) overlain by norite, quartz-gabbro and granophyre. It represents one of a cluster of nickel-copper sulfide orebodies that have been located at the base of the complex over an approximately 10 km-long zone.
Copper–nickel–PGE mineralized zones at Sudbury are spatially and genetically related to relatively small bodies of inclusion-rich material localized either at the contact between the main mass of the SIC and footwall rocks (contact sublayer) or within radiating and concentric dykes cutting footwall rocks (offset dykes). Three major variants of sublayer are recognized: igneoustextured gabbronoritic material; igneous-textured quartz diorite; and a wide variety of metamorphic-textured rocks collectively known as “footwall breccia”. Gabbronoritic sublayer typically occurs in contact deposits and in the proximal (0–2 km from SIC contact) portions of the North Range offset dykes. Quartz diorite is the main component of South Range offsets and of distal (>2 km from SIC contact) portions of North Range offsets. Footwall breccia occurs as sheets and discontinuous lenses concentrated along the lower contact of the SIC and as a major component of some of the ........
Mining Methods
- Cut & Fill
- Blast Hole Stoping
- Paste backfill
Summary:
The Onaping Depth mine will produce 1.74 Mt/y of rock (waste and ore), with 1.4 Mt/y being ore due to the hoist capacity of 248 t/h. Waste will be backfilled using an underground paste backfill plant. It is using a bottom-up mining approach supported by a single shaft development with a 100% battery electric operated mobile fleet.
The Onaping Depth Project infrastructure is being developed utilizing the historic Craig Mine shaft and underground workings. Two ramps have been driven from the old Craig mine workings starting at the 1200L and 1775L levels. The ramp starting at Craig's 1775L finishes at Onaping Depth's 1915L. The 1,430 m deep and 7.2 metre diameter production shaft connects the two levels and is being extended down to approximately 2,630 m below surface.
A fleet of 40t, 14t, and OEM 14T/18T LHD trucks will be used for underground mining operations at Onaping.
Epiroc and MacLean's battery electric mining vehicles (BEVs) have been selected for underground minig.
Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations has ordered Clayton Equipment locomotives for the Onaping Depth Project.
Clayton Equipment using the latest technology enabling long range haulage has provided one of the world’s first lithium-ion underground battery mining locomotives. The locomotives supplied are automation ready with remote control to to enable trackside operation through the loading/unloading areas.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
- subscription is required.
Projected Production:
| Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual |
|
Nickel
|
kt
| 20 |
|
Copper
|
kt
| ...... |
Operational Metrics:
| Metrics | |
|
Annual mining rate
| 1.74 Mt * |
|
Annual ore mining rate
| 1.4 Mt * |
* According to 2017 study.
Reserves at December 31, 2017:
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
|
Measured & Indicated
|
14.5 Mt
|
Nickel
|
1.67 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
14.5 Mt
|
Copper
|
1.25 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
14.5 Mt
|
Cobalt
|
0.06 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
14.5 Mt
|
Platinum
|
0.45 g/t
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
14.5 Mt
|
Palladium
|
0.52 g/t
|
|
Inferred
|
1.2 Mt
|
Nickel
|
3.6 %
|
|
Inferred
|
1.2 Mt
|
Copper
|
1.2 %
|
|
Inferred
|
1.2 Mt
|
Cobalt
|
0.1 %
|
|
Inferred
|
1.2 Mt
|
Platinum
|
0.5 g/t
|
|
Inferred
|
1.2 Mt
|
Palladium
|
0.5 g/t
|
2018 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :
| Metrics | Units | LOM Total |
|
Total CapEx
|
$M CAD
|
......
|
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| HME Type | Model | Size | Status | Ref. Date |
|
Cassette Truck
|
.......................
|
|
Existing
|
Jun 13, 2022
|
|
Grader
|
.......................
|
|
Existing
|
Jun 13, 2022
|
|
Jumbo
|
.......................
|
|
Existing
|
Jul 4, 2022
|
|
.......................
|
|
.......................
|
Proposed
|
Dec 11, 2018
|
|
Locomotive
|
.......................
|
5
|
Existing
|
Jul 11, 2022
|
|
Scoop Tram
|
.......................
|
14 t
|
Existing
|
Jul 4, 2022
|
|
Trans Mixer
|
.......................
|
|
Existing
|
Jun 13, 2022
|
|
Truck (haul)
|
|
40 t
|
Existing
|
Dec 11, 2018
|
|
Truck (underground)
|
.......................
|
|
Existing
|
Jul 4, 2022
|
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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