• 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
Nickel Shäw (Wellgreen) Project

This page is not tailored to
devices with screen width under 750 px.
 Location:
45.5 km NW from Destruction Bay, Yukon, Canada

  Project Contacts:
Suite 915-700 West Pender Street
Vancouver
British Columbia, Canada
V6C 1G8
Phone1.604.569.3690
Fax1.604.428.7528
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
  • Fleet
  • 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

StagePreliminary Economic Assessment
Mine TypeOpen Pit & Underground
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Post Pillar Cut & Fill
  • Open stoping
Processing
  • Flotation
  • Magnetic separation
Mine Life25 years (as of Jan 1, 2015)
Wellgreen Project is one of the largest undeveloped PGM and nickel deposits outside of southern Africa and Russia.
Latest NewsNickel Creek Platinum Announces Closing of $2.7 Million Private Placement     May 11, 2022


Owners

Source: p. 59
CompanyInterestOwnership
Nickel Creek Platinum Corp, 100 % Direct
Wellgreen Platinum has owned a consolidated 100% interest in the Property since June 2011.

Deposit Type

  • Magmatic

Source: Source p.76-81

Summary:

The Wellgreen deposit is hosted in the Quill Creek Complex, one of a number of mafic-ultramafic sills that are enriched in nickel-copper-PGE mineralization that outcrop within the Kluane Ultramafic Belt of the Wrangellia Terrane in southwestern Yukon. The sills which form the Kluane maficultramafic complex are thought to be part of a sub-volcanic system that fed the Nikolai Formation flood basalts and have been compared to the Noril’sk in Russia.

Many sill-hosted Ni-Cu-PGE deposits are generally considered to be part of a large, interconnected magmatic system that fed voluminous flood basalts and resulted from the impingement of a mantle plume upon the base of the crust. At Noril’sk, the main sulphide bodies formed from segregated sulphide at the base of magmatic conduits through which multiple pulses of magma travelled, and this mechanism is believed to have been also applied to the Wellgreen deposit. The Quill Creek complex intruded a Pennsylvanian-Permian island arc, whereas many of the other deposits are Precambrian and all intruded into cratons. Greene et al. (2010) offer compelling evidence that the mafic-ultramafic intrusions and flood basalts of Wrangellia were formed in an oceanic plateau, which itself was formed by a mantle plume (Richards, 1991), and the terrane was subsequently accreted to the margin of North America in the Jurassic. These circumstances make Wellgreen unique among other sill-hosted Ni-Cu-PGM deposits.

Mineralization on the Property occurs within the Quill Creek Complex. This variably serpentinized, ultramafic-gabbroic body intrudes Pennsylvanian-Permian sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Historic exploration and development programs defined two main zones of gabbro-hosted massive and disseminated sulphide mineralization known as the East Zone and West Zone. These zones have since been subdivided into the contiguous Far East, East, West, and Far West Zones with the connecting Central Zone. The historic North Arm Zone has only limited drilling to date.

The main sulphide minerals associated with potentially economic mineralization at the Wellgreen project include pentlandite (nickel), chalcopyrite (copper), and cobaltite (cobalt). The PGMs platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and osmium, along with gold, are included in sperrylite, merenskyite, sudburyite, and other lesser known minerals that are often associated with magnetite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and pentlandite.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Post Pillar Cut & Fill
  • Open stoping

Source: p.28, 32

Summary:

The Wellgreen deposit is amenable to large scale open pit mining with portions of high grade zones at depth having potential for extraction by underground mining methods.

SNC-Lavalin Inc. (SNC) evaluated the open pit potential of the Property at a mill feed rate of 25,000 t/day increasing to 50,000 t/day in Year 6. The ultimate pit for the 2015 PEA base case is scheduled to be phased into four preliminary pushbacks. Mining cut-offs and stockpiling grades would be established for each pushback to target higher-grade mill feed.

Mill feed is planned to be hauled directly to the crusher and low grade material would be hauled to the long term stockpile and processed at the end of the mine life. Waste rock is planned to be hauled to the 1540 dump and the tailings management facility (TMF).

The pre-stripping period is scheduled to be one year in duration and provides the necessary construction materials for the tailings dam and other surface infrastructure facilities.

The objective of the underground mine planning was to provide high grade mill feed early in the life of mine plan. The underground mining is planned to come from zones that would otherwise not be mined until late in the 2015 PEA base case mine plan or with the Stage 5 pit that is considered to be an opportunity in the 2015 PEA and is not part of the base case.

The underground mine design takes advantage of existing level development, ventilation and vertical development. The underground mine is scheduled to provide feed to the mill starting in year three of production with a relatively low capital requirement.

The current study reviewed the following four underground mining methods:
• Shrinkage mining: eliminated due to geotechnical concerns. These openings would affect open pit mining, which was scheduled to operate oncurrently with the underground activities;
• Block caving: considered as an alternative to a Stage 5 open pit scenario;
• Open stoping with backfill: chosen for those blocks amenable to bulk mining; and
• Post pillar cut and fill: chosen for shallow dipping, high grade mineralization zones.

This study assumes that the lateral development and the post pillar cut and fill production mining would be completed by one contractor who would provide his own mobile equipment. This contractor would also be responsible for the remote mucking of the open stope. A second contractor is planned to be used for drilling and blasting the open stopes and installing the ground support cable bolting. The second contractor would be required to provide his own mobile equipment and grouting pumps.


Crushing and Grinding
Source: Source


Processing

  • Flotation
  • Magnetic separation

Source: Source

Summary:

The current project plan begins with a 25,000 t/d nominal mill utilizing conventional crushing. Crushing is planned to be in three stages with a primary gyratory crusher, a secondary cone crusher and a tertiary cone crusher in closed circuit with a screen. The circuit would produce a feed for two single stage ball mills operating in parallel.

Metal recovery is designed to be by bulk flotation followed by concentrate regrind and cleaning. In addition, a magnetic separation circuit on the rougher flotation tailings, followed by regrind and flotation cleaning would be used. A final bulk concentrate for sale planned to be produced. Regrind is proposed to be done by small ball mills or alternately stirred media mills. Concentrate for sale would be thickened, filtered and trucked off site. Tailings would be thickened and pumped to the tailings management facility.

In the sixth year, mill capacity is scheduled to be doubled to 50,000 t/d. The recovery process would remain the same. Increased capacity would be accomplished by twinning most of the circuit.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameterAvg. LOM
Nickel Head Grade, % 0.26
Nickel Concentrate Grade, % 8
Copper Head Grade, % 0.14
Copper Concentrate Grade, % 5.2
Cobalt Head Grade, % 0.01
Cobalt Concentrate Grade, % 0.4
Platinum Head Grade, g/t 0.23
Platinum Concentrate Grade, g/t 5.9
Palladium Head Grade, g/t 0.24
Palladium Concentrate Grade, g/t 7.2
Gold Head Grade, g/t 0.04
Gold Concentrate Grade, g/t 1

Projected Production:

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Nickel M lbs 601,495
Copper M lbs 39978
Cobalt M lbs 1.128
Platinum koz 591,474
Palladium koz 721,808
Gold koz 1.947
All production numbers are expressed as payable metal.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics
Daily milling rate 47,154 t of ore *
Stripping / waste ratio 0.8 *
Waste tonnes, LOM 296 Mt *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 401.5 Mt *
Total tonnes mined, LOM 697 Mt *
* According to 2015 study.

Reserves at June 26, 2017:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Measured 98,800 kt Nickel 0.25 % 544 M lbs
Measured 98,800 kt Copper 0.16 % 356 M lbs
Measured 98,800 kt Cobalt 0.015 % 33 M lbs
Measured 98,800 kt Platinum 0.253 g/t 805 koz
Measured 98,800 kt Palladium 0.243 g/t 773 koz
Measured 98,800 kt Gold 0.051 g/t 160 koz
Indicated 263,200 kt Nickel 0.26 % 1,531 M lbs
Indicated 263,200 kt Copper 0.13 % 733 M lbs
Indicated 263,200 kt Cobalt 0.015 % 88 M lbs
Indicated 263,200 kt Platinum 0.223 g/t 1,887 koz
Indicated 263,200 kt Palladium 0.244 g/t 2,067 koz
Indicated 263,200 kt Gold 0.036 g/t 308 koz
Measured & Indicated 362,000 kt Nickel 0.26 % 2,075 M lbs
Measured & Indicated 362,000 kt Copper 0.14 % 1,089 M lbs
Measured & Indicated 362,000 kt Cobalt 0.015 % 121 M lbs
Measured & Indicated 362,000 kt Platinum 0.231 g/t 2,692 koz
Measured & Indicated 362,000 kt Palladium 0.244 g/t 2,840 koz
Measured & Indicated 362,000 kt Gold 0.04 g/t 468 koz
Inferred 118,600 kt Nickel 0.28 % 741 M lbs
Inferred 118,600 kt Copper 0.12 % 312 M lbs
Inferred 118,600 kt Cobalt 0.015 % 40 M lbs
Inferred 118,600 kt Platinum 0.217 g/t 829 koz
Inferred 118,600 kt Palladium 0.253 g/t 964 koz
Inferred 118,600 kt Gold 0.032 g/t 124 koz

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnitsAverage
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) 3E (Pt, Pd, Au) USD 478 / oz *
Assumed price Palladium USD 800 / oz *
Assumed price Platinum USD 1,450 / oz *
Assumed price Cobalt USD 14 / lb *
Assumed price Nickel USD 8 / lb *
Assumed price Copper USD 3 / lb *
Assumed price Gold USD 1,250 / lb *
* According to 2015 study / presentation.

Operating Costs:

Units2015
OP mining costs ($/t mined) CAD 2.13 *
UG mining costs ($/t mined) CAD 54.5 *
* According to 2015 study.

2015 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Pre-Production capital costs $M CAD 586.2
Sustaining CapEx $M CAD 964.4
Total CapEx $M CAD 1,551
OP OpEx $M CAD 1,466
UG OpEx $M CAD 516.2
Processing OpEx $M CAD 5,474
G&A costs $M CAD 399.2
Total OpEx $M CAD 7,981
Gross revenue (LOM) $M CAD 15,507
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M CAD 5,975
Pre-tax NPV @ 7.5% $M CAD 2,074
After-tax NPV @ 7.5% $M CAD 1,217
Pre-tax IRR, % 32.4
After-tax IRR, % 25.3
Pre-tax payback period, years 2.6
After-tax payback period, years 3.1

Proposed Heavy Mobile Equipment as of March 18, 2015:
Source: Source p.225, 226
HME TypeModelQuantity
Bulldozer Caterpillar D10 3
Dozer (rubber tire) 2
Drill 3
Excavator 1
Grader Caterpillar 16H 1
Loader Caterpillar 994 1
Shovel P&H 2800 2
Truck (haul) Caterpillar 793 31


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Corporate Presentation 2018
Technical Report 2017
Preliminary Economic Assessment 2015

News:

NewsDate
Nickel Creek Platinum Announces Closing of $2.7 Million Private Placement May 11, 2022
Nickel Creek Platinum Announces 2022 Drill Program at Nickel Shäw... April 26, 2022
Nickel Creek Platinum Announces Exercise of Warrants by Electrum April 21, 2022
Wellgreen Platinum Changes Name to Nickel Creek Platinum January 8, 2018

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