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United States

Tamarack North Project

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Drift & Fill
  • Longhole open stoping
  • Transverse stoping
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SnapshotTamarack Nickel Project is one of only three high-grade nickel sulphide deposits discovered globally in the 21st century.

As of June 21, 2023, Talon Metals Corp submitted its Environmental Assessment Worksheet ("EAW") to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to begin the State's Environmental Impact Statement scoping process for the Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project, a proposed small-footprint, high-grade underground nickel mine that would be located near the City of Tamarack in Aitkin County, Minnesota.

The Tamarack Nickel Project has been selected by US Department of Energy to receive US$114.8m grant (cost-share basis) for the construction of a Battery Mineral Processing Facility in Mercer County, North Dakota.

Battery Mineral Processing Facility will process nickel and other battery minerals, moving processing and tailings management away from the Minnesota mine site.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Rio Tinto plc 49 % Indirect
Talon Metals Corp. (operator) 51 % Indirect
Talon Metals Corp. currently owns 51% of the Tamarack Nickel Project with Rio Tinto Plc owning 49%.

To earn a 60% interest, Talon must complete a Feasibility Study and pay Rio Tinto US$10m by March 2026.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Intrusion related

Summary:

The Tamarack Igneous Complex (“TIC”), which sits within the Tamarack North Project boundaries, is an ultramafic intrusion that is associated with the early evolution of the failed, Midcontinental Rift (dated at 1105ma +/- 1.2). This age is significantly older than the Duluth Complex Intrusions which consistently date at 1099ma and is consistent with other earlier intrusions of the Midcontinental Rift that are often characterised by more primitive melts. The TIC has intruded into Thomson Formation siltstones and sandstones of the Animikie Group and is preserved beneath shallow Quaternary glacial sediments. 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 evaluated for the MRE. The Ni-Cu-Co-PGE mineralization at the Tamarack North Project, occurs as various types ranging from disseminated to net textured to massive sulphides. Sulphide mineralogy is dominantly pyrrhotite (Po), pentlandite (Pn), chalcopyrite (Cpy), with minor cubanite. Pn occurs as coarse grains and as intergrowths with Po. Although some of the mineralization names at the Tamarack North Project are used to describe mineralization lithologically in terms of sulphide concentration, they have historically been used at the Tamarack North Project to describe specific mineralized materials. These deposits have different mineralization styles, with different metal tenors, genetic implications, and different resource potential. The 164 Zone The mineralization type within the 164 Zone, which is located around 1.5 km S of the 138 Zone typically occurs as variable massive sulphide veins and pods < 2 m thick with blebby disseminated mineralization occurring at the base of FGO intrusion on the wallrock contact (500 m depth), and often within hornfelsed and partially melted sediments near the chilled contact with the FGO. Mineralization is generally low tenor and has been interpreted as early cumulate mineralization associated with the base of the FGO. In the 164 Zone, the base of the FGO is more complex. Thick intervals of variable textured gabbro, magmatic breccia, and thin sills or dykes occur within the partially melted meta-sediment where coarse blebby disseminated mineralization occurs in variable textured gabbro with granophyric patches. The 138 Zone A wide range of disseminated to net-textured and patchy net-textured sulphides typically occur in the 138 Zone. This type of mineralization is referred to as MZ mineralization. In the 138 Zone, MZtype sulphides appear to form a wedge-like zone of 200 m length, 120 m to 160 m height and a width of approximately 50 to 90 m, starting at ~350 m depth. The mineralization is hosted in FGO and contaminated FGO, i.e. in MZNO and FGO lithologies. The SMSU The SMSU forms the bulk of the defined mineral resource and occurs in the upper part of the CGO intrusion as an elongated boudin-aged tubular-shaped zone at the top of the CGO. Two SMSUs (Upper and Lower) have been modelled. The Upper SMSU body dimensions are 400 m long, 40 m to 80 m wide and 40 to 70 m vertically at a depth of 300 m to 325 m. The Lower SMSU body dimensions are 350 m long, 40 m to 65 m wide and 40 to 70 m vertically at a depth of 445 m to 485 m. The MSU MSU-type mineralization is defined as containing 80-90% sulphide. The MSU also refers to a mineralized body hosted by intensely metamorphosed and partially melted meta-sediments occurring as fragments or wedges of country rock at the base of the FGO with typical dimensions of 10 to 30 m wide by 0.5 m to 18 m thick. The MSU has a strike length of 550 m at a depth of 275 m (N) to 550 m (S). CGO East and CGO West New Discovery The sulphide mineralization consists of a thick sheet of disseminated sulphide 1 to 38 m, with an accumulation of primary sulphides in the FGO Keel and basin that vary in thickness from 0.2 m to 13.92 m, strike length of 500 to 900 m, at a depth of 150 m to 250 m, and a weak plunge to the south at 15°. The sheet-like mineralization in the CGO East has a span of 500 m (east to west) by 900 m (north to south), whereas the CGO West has a span of 400 m (east to west) by 500 m (north to south). The sulphides are disseminated to blebby to massive in texture. In some instances, a vertical increase in sulphides has been observed with depth. The 480 Zone Drilling in a narrow linear, E-W trending, positive magnetic anomaly at the northern portion of the Tamarack North Project, referred to as the 480 Zone, has intersected disseminated and net textured sulphide mineralization at a relatively shallow depth. The host olivine cumulates visually resemble olivine cumulates of the FGO intrusion to the S and include intervals of quartz xenolith rich magmatic breccia similar to those in the 164 Zone. Mineralization in the Weathered Laterite Zone A weathered lateritic profile is irregularly preserved in the northeastern part of Tamarack North project beneath Cretaceous and Quaternary cover and has concentrated Ni, Cu, Cr, and Fe. The weathered profile is up to 10 m thick, at 35 m depth and consists typically of a 0.5 m pisolithic, limontic hard cap, underlain by massive greenish saprolite, and saprock with remnant igneous textures. Native Cu up to 2% (visual estimation) can be observed as 1 to 3 mm nuggets and veinlets in the weathered profile and persists into the serpentinized upper part of the FGO (Goldner, 2011). Quaternary and Cretaceous Cover and Weathering Profile The Tamarack North Project does not outcrop at surface, as it underlies 20 to 50 m of Quaternary glacial and fluvial sediments and in the north of the Tamarack North Project along the east part of the intrusion. Cretaceous siltstone and mudstone are preserved and unconformably overlie the preserved paleo-weathered lateritic profile of the FGO. Quaternary glacial-lacustrine deposits between 20 to 50 m cover the TIC with thicknesses increasing towards the south. The deposits are a complex arrangement of glacial and interglacial fluvial sands and silt and clay from lake sediments.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. Annual
Nickel kt 142
Copper kt 24
All production numbers are expressed as concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Daily production capacity  ....  Subscribe
Daily production capacity  ....  Subscribe
Daily processing rate  ....  Subscribe
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Waste tonnes, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2021 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Credits (by-product) Nickel USD  ....  Subscribe
Site cash costs (produced) Nickel USD  ....  Subscribe
Site cash costs (produced) Nickel USD  ....  Subscribe
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Nickel USD  ....  Subscribe
C1 cash costs Nickel USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Palladium USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Platinum USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Cobalt USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Nickel USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Copper USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Gold USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2021 study / presentation.
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency2021
UG mining costs ($/t milled) USD 27.5 *  
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2021 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
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Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Closure costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
UG OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 153.3
Refining costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Transportation (haulage) costs $M USD 107.2
G&A costs $M USD 40.5
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total Taxes $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Royalty payments $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Net revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
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After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

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Total WorkforceYear
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