Overview
Stage | Preliminary Economic Assessment |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
- Nickel
- Copper
- Cobalt
- Platinum
- Palladium
- Gold
|
Mining Method |
- Drift & Fill
- Longhole open stoping
- Transverse stoping
- Paste backfill
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 9 years (as of Jan 1, 2021) |
Talon plans to produce the world’s most responsible, lowest environmental footprint nickel concentrates that will be the feedstock for both nickel and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries. |
Source:
p. 15
The Tamarack Project is currently 51% owned by Talon Metals Corp. through its wholly-owned indirect subsidiary, Talon Nickel (USA) LLC (collectively, Talon), and 49% owned by Kennecott Exploration Company (Kennecott), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto.
On November 7, 2018, Talon and Kennecott entered into an exploration and option agreement (the 2018 Tamarack Earn-in Agreement) pursuant to which Talon has the right, subject to certain funding and reporting obligations, to increase its interest in the Tamarack Project to a maximum 60% interest. The 2018 Tamarack Earn-in Agreement came into effect on March 13, 2019 (the Kennecott Agreement Effective Date) and Talon is the operator of the Tamarack Project.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Magmatic
- Intrusion related
Summary:
The Tamarack North Project hosts magmatic Ni-Cu-Co sulphide mineralization with associated PGEs and Au. These deposits form as the result of segregation and concentration of liquid sulphide from mafic or ultramafic magma and the partitioning of chalcophile elements into the sulphide from the silica melt (Naldrett, 1999).
The various mineralized zones at the Tamarack North Project occur within different host lithologies, exhibit different types of mineralization styles, and display varying sulphide concentrations and tenors. These mineralized zones range from massive sulphides hosted by altered sediments in the MSU, to net textured and disseminated sulphide mineralization hosted by the CGO in the SMSU; to a more predominantly disseminated sulphide mineralization, as well as layers of net textured sulphide mineralization, in the 138 Zone. Mineralization in the 138 Zone, where interlayered disseminated and net textured mineralization occurs, is referred to as MZNO mineralization. All these mineralization types are typical of many magmatic sulphide deposits around the world. The current known mineralized zones of the Tamarack North Project (SMSU, MSU,138 Zone and the recently discovered CGO East and CGO West) that are the basis of the resource statement are referred to as the Tamarack Resource Area. Also located within the Tamarack North project are currently lesser defined mineral zones, namely the 480 Zone, the 221 Zone, and the 164 Zone, which have not been evaluate ........

Mining Methods
- Drift & Fill
- Longhole open stoping
- Transverse stoping
- Paste backfill
Summary:
The Tamarack North deposit will be mined using both bulk and selective underground mining methods. The underground mine design framework and execution strategy is the same for both the Ni Concentrate and Ni Sulphate Scenarios.
Long hole mining has been selected as the primary mining method for all areas with the exception of a portion of the MSU, which is better suited to drift-and-fill due to the shape of the deposit.
Bulk Mining
The primary mining method for each zone is transverse long hole open stoping with cemented paste backfill. Stopes are orientated E/W in the Upper SMSU and Lower SMSU and N/S in the 138 deposit. The typical stope size is 15 m wide by 25 m high.
Long hole stopes will be mined in a bottom-up, primary/secondary sequence, with primary stopes designed four stope widths apart, and generally adhere to the following design basis:
• Accessed from a FW drive from waste cross cuts driven with a road header on 15 m spacing;
• Both upper and lower sill drives are driven with a road header from the FW drives, to the extents of the deposit using a road header. In the case where lower stopes have been mined and filled, the upper sill drift remaining from the bottom stope is utilized as the lower sill drift in subsequent levels;
• Stopes will be mined from HW to FW and generally be no longer than 30 m;
• Stopes will be mined in a “primary-secondary” sequence from the bottom levels and advancing upwards, tren ........

Source:

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Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Reserves at October 10, 2022:
The Mineral Resources estimate is reported at a 0.5% Ni cut-off.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Indicated
|
8,564 kt
|
Nickel
|
1.73 %
|
Indicated
|
8,564 kt
|
Copper
|
0.92 %
|
Indicated
|
8,564 kt
|
Cobalt
|
0.05 %
|
Indicated
|
8,564 kt
|
Platinum
|
0.34 g/t
|
Indicated
|
8,564 kt
|
Palladium
|
0.21 g/t
|
Indicated
|
8,564 kt
|
Gold
|
0.17 g/t
|
Indicated
|
8,564 kt
|
Nickel Equivalent
|
2.34 %
|
Inferred
|
8,461 kt
|
Nickel
|
0.83 %
|
Inferred
|
8,461 kt
|
Copper
|
0.55 %
|
Inferred
|
8,461 kt
|
Cobalt
|
0.02 %
|
Inferred
|
8,461 kt
|
Platinum
|
0.23 g/t
|
Inferred
|
8,461 kt
|
Palladium
|
0.13 g/t
|
Inferred
|
8,461 kt
|
Gold
|
0.13 g/t
|
Inferred
|
8,461 kt
|
Nickel Equivalent
|
1.19 %
|
A water management plan will be developed, detailing a strategy for managing water in a manner consistent with environmental requirements related to both water quantity and water quality. The water management plan will be designed to avoid, minimize and mitigate adverse changes in surface water hydrology and confirm compliance with surface and groundwater water quality standards.
Further work is required to assess potential water sources. Trade-off studies of Water Treatment Plant options will be conducted in future study.
During operations, water entering the site and potentially contacting reactive materials (called contact water) will need to be managed. Contact water sources include mine water inflow, water consumed during normal mine operations, precipitation within the contact area of the site, seepage through the Temporary Development Rock Storage Area and CFTF. The site is located in an area with relatively high precipitation including both rain and snow. During operations, all contact water will be collected and either used in ore processing, stored, or treated to permit limits prior to discharge to the environment.
Water management post mine closure will be greatly reduced compared to the management needs during operations. Sources of contact water will be removed with the completed reclamation; the mine excavation will be backfilled, and infrastructure and storage piles removed. The CFTF will be covered with a composite closure cover system that limits infiltration into the CFTF and associated drainage, reducing long-term water treatment needs.
The total water requirements of the grinding and flotation circuit are estimated at 543.0 m3 /h. This water requirement includes water addition in the grinding circuit, dilution water, and launder water. The mineralized material is assumed to contain a moisture content of at least 3% or 5.0 m3/h.
All process water that is recovered in the dewatering circuits of the two concentrates and two tailings streams are returned to the process water tank. The water in the concentrate and tailings streams amounts to 35.3 m3/h.
The total amount of reclaimed water is projected to be 426.0 m3/h. Hence, the freshwater requirement to make up the water deficit is 117.0 m3/h, which includes an allowance of 35.0 m3 /h of fresh water for gland water, potable water, reagent makeup, etc.
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