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Canada

Coleman Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Post Pillar Cut & Fill
  • Mechanized Cut & Fill
  • Slot-Slash
  • Uppers Retreat
Backfill type ... Lock
Production Start... Lock
SnapshotColeman mine is a part of Vale integrated Sudbury (Ontario) Operations which also includes:
- underground mines (Copper Cliff, 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,
- non-operating mines, and
- non-producing properties.

In July, 2022 Vale and Glencore signed an agreement called the Continued Use of Fraser mine Agreement, which established the framework for Coleman mine to continue to use the Fraser mine infrastructure following closure of the Fraser mine in 2025.
Related AssetSudbury Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Manara Minerals Investment Co. 10 % Indirect
Vale S.A. 90 % Indirect
Vale Canada Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
The Coleman mine (part of Sudbury Operations) is owned and operated by Vale Canada Limited (wholly-owned subsidiary of Vale Base Metals Ltd., the holding entity of Vale’s Energy Transition Metals business).

On April 30, 2024, Vale S.A. announced the completion of Vale Base Metals Ltd.(“VBM”) sale to Manara Minerals, under which Manara Minerals will acquire 10% of VBM.

Terms of agreement:

On 27 July, 2023, Vale S.A. signed a binding agreement with Manara Minerals, under which Manara Minerals will invest in Vale Base Metals Ltd. at an implied enterprise value of US$ 26.0 billion.

Concurrently, Vale and investment firm Engine No. 1 entered into a binding agreement pursuant to which Engine No. 1 will make an equity investment in VBM under the same economic terms.

The total consideration to be paid to VBM under both agreements is US$ 3.4 billion, for a 13% equity interest. Manara Minerals will own 10% of VBM, while Engine No. 1 will hold a 3% stake.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Magmatic
  • Footwall hosted
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork

Summary:

The Coleman Mine includes the original Coleman deposits, consisting of the Upper and Lower Coleman, and the High Shaft Copper deposit. No mining is currently conducted in these areas. It also includes the McCreedy East deposits, including the Main, West, 153 and 170 deposits where active mining is occurring. Other deposits include the inactive East and 7386/6166 Footwall Zone areas.

Structure
There are three major structural features encountered at the Coleman Mine:
- Fraser #2 Fault: also known as the #2 East Fault, strikes approximately north to south and is steeply dipping (60–80°). A splay of the Fraser #2 Fault has intersected the upper Main Orebody and has caused some localized difficult mining conditions;
- Lunchroom Fault: strikes roughly north to south, with a variable dip of 50–70° to the northeast along its length. Encountered on nearly every cut on the Main Orebody; locally associated with bad ground;
- Bob’s Lake Fault: strikes roughly northwest, and dips to the east at approximately 70–90°; locally associated with bad ground.

Mineralization
Contact-style mineralization forms high-grade nickel-rich pods or sulphide concentrations, that are surrounded by a low-grade halo in the host sublayer norite or footwall/granite breccia. The sulphide mineral assemblage consists of pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite and minor pyrite. Variations in style and orientation of mineralization occur abruptly over small distances, resulting in a complex mode of sulphide occurrence. The sulphide is mostly present as fine disseminations, blebs, and stingers in breccia matrix, locally as fracture fillings, or as semi-massive and massive ores. The Cu:Ni ratio for the Coleman contact nickel ores is approximately 0.7.

Footwall-style copper–nickel–PGE mineralization is hosted in Sudbury breccia. It is characterized by a sulphide mineral assemblage dominated by chalcopyrite, with lesser pentlandite, millerite, cubanite, bornite and pyrrhotite. The copper content in all footwall deposits is very high, with the Cu:Ni ratio typically exceeding 6.5, with correspondingly high PGE tenors (Pt + Pd + Au > 7.7 g/t).

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits2023202220212020
Nickel lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Copper lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,102 kt618 kt1,007 kt1,209 kt1,309 kt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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EV - Electric

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 24, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 24, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 24, 2024

EmployeesYear
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021

Aerial view:

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