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Canada
Mary River Mine

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 Location:
201 km E from Shimik, Nunavut, Canada

  Regional Office:
HTO Building, Suite 204 (2nd Floor)
Pond Inlet
Nunavut, Canada
X0A 0S0
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Financials
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Crush & Screen plant
Mine Life22 years (as of Jan 1, 2021)
The Mary River iron ore deposits on North Baffin Island are considered to be one of the largest and highest quality iron ore open pit deposits in the world. Baffinland produces three iron ore products: Direct Shipping Pellets (DSP), Super Sinter Fines (SUSF) and Baffinland Hematite Lump (BHL).
Latest NewsGovernment of Nunavut reviewing Nunavut Impact Review Board recommendations for Baffinland proposal     May 16, 2022


Owners

Source: p. 118,119
CompanyInterestOwnership
ArcelorMittal SA 25.23 % Indirect
The Energy & Minerals Group 74.77 % Indirect
Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. (operator) 100 % Direct
In September 2020, the corporate structure was reorganized whereby Nunavut Iron Ore Inc. (NIO) became the sole parent company of Baffinland, while ArcelorMittal together with Energy and Minerals Group (EMG) became shareholders of NIO. Following this reorganization, ArcelorMittal retained its participation in the project and as of December 31, 2021, holds a 25.23% interest in NIO.

The mine is operated by Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation, a privately owned Canadian mining company.

Deposit Type

  • Iron formation hosted


Summary:

The Mary River deposits can be described by the depositional model proposed for Algoma-type iron formation. The characteristic stratigraphy for Algoma-type iron formations comprise of a lower succession of typically intermediate volcanics interbedded with acid volcanics, volcaniclastic sediments, and their sedimentary derivatives. This succession is followed by banded iron formation comprised of alternating cherty bands and iron oxides or bedded or banded pure oxides ranging from metres to hundreds of metres in thickness, depending on depths of the original basins. This succession in turn is overlain by a sequence of volcanics and volcaniclastic sediments often intruded by ultramafics and granitic intrusive bodies.

Mary River Group greenstone belts across northern Baffin Island consist of variable amounts of banded iron formation (BIF), which are associated with metasedimentary, metavolcanic and metaigneous rocks (Jackson et. al., 1978a, b, c; Jackson and Morgan, 1978). The banded oxide and silicate facies iron formations comprise the lateral equivalents of the high-grade Mary River deposits, which are almost entirely composed of iron oxides, suggesting a significant enrichment of iron through secondary processes.

Duke (2010) suggests growing evidence for a secondary Fe enrichment mechanism associated with widespread retrograded mylonitic detachments along the base of the high grade and enriched BIF across north central Baffin Island in places such as the Mary, Turner, Cockburn and Rowley River areas. These detachment faults are marked by a chlorite retrograded mylonitic structural contact between underlying ductile rising domes of polydeformed mafic-felsic gneisses and overlying supracrustal sinking keels which host the Mary River iron deposits (Duke and McCleod, 2009). These detachments are thought to be post regional folding of the Hudsonian orogeny around 1,850 Ma (Duke, 2010).

The high grade massive and enriched iron oxide ores occur where Mary River BIF border directly on detachment schist that separates the mylonitic roof of infrastructural domes from the high strained keels of Mary River Group. At detachment schist contacts, magnetite BIF shows evidence of undergoing extreme pressure solution resulting in the highly efficient leaching of quartz from magnetite. In large deposits, the primary banding defining early isoclinal folding is completely destroyed by metamorphic differentiation and recrystallization, resulting in >100m thicknesses of massive magnetite/hematite. On the flanks of the high grade iron deposits, Feenrichment is marked by various degrees of silica loss due to continued silica removal. Several regional examples of exposed giant quartz veins occurring along detachment schist boundaries adjacent to high grade magnetite zones account for the removal of silica from the banded iron formations. Duke (2010) suggests that the hydrothermal removal of silica was likely facilitated by dewatering of the nearby footwall serpentinized komatiites.

The Mary River deposits are comprised of a number of iron formations which have been enriched and altered to varying degrees. Original banded iron formations comprised of alternating layers of magnetite and hematite, are preserved in several locations along strike of existing high grade deposits. The regional metamorphism and folding associated with the Hudsonian Orogeny resulted in significant crustal thickening. This period also resulted in zones of weak to very efficient leaching of silica. Subsequent hypogene and metamorphic events led to the alteration of magnetite to hematite and specular hematite. Surface outcrops differ in iron, silica and sulphur content and in the proportions of their main oxide minerals – hematite, magnetite and specularite. The microscopic examination of drill core specimens by R.A. Blais (1964) suggests that magnetite was the stable mineral of the iron formations during metamorphism (amphibolite facies), and was replaced to various degrees by hematite (martitization), resulting in a range of hematite-magnetite (martite) compositions. This alteration process occurred during a late stage of metamorphism, under conditions of localized stress and high oxygen pressure, and may have been associated with folding and faulting of the tabular high-grade magnetite iron formation.

The strong structural influence on channelling of oxidizing solutions is supported by the alignment of lineations produced by tubular pores in the hard high-grade hematite iron formation (i.e., parallel to the axial plane and plunge of the synform) and the concentration of high-grade hematite ore at the core of the fold. Euhedral specularite crystals in magnetite rock indicate that specularite did not form by a process similar to martitization, but through the possible metamorphic replacement of magnetite. It is also possible that the specularite and other hematite mineralization formed as a primary rather than secondary mineral. However, what caused the crystallization of flaky, course-grained specularite as compared to fine-grained massive hematite is not fully understood. Field evidence suggests that higher fluid or vapour pressures in zones of shearing may have facilitated the growth of specularite.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

Baffinland has two main operating locations – the mine site at Mary River and Milne Port, located approximately 86 kilometers north-west of the mine site.The Mary River mine is selfsustaining and is equipped with an airstrip and aerodrome. It is a conventional open pit truck and shovel operation. Ore is delivered to crushers before the crushed product is transported via the 100 kilometer Tote road to Milne Port. Milne Port has been fully developed to accommodate a 5 million-tonne ore stockpile, an ore dock, maintenance facility, and associated infrastructure for the operation of the port facilities.

Mining and Crushing
Once blasted, Baffinland mines out the materials using hydraulic excavators and large front-end loaders to load our 90-tonne and 212 tonne haul trucks. Ore is delivered to our nearby portable crushers, while waste material is transported to a dump location on site.

Ore Hauling
Baffinland’s ore handling team transports the crushed materials by truck from our crushing area to our port site along a 100km tote road. The road requires regular maintenance, and is monitored at all times for safety and potential environmental impacts.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Crush & Screen plant

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

The capacity of the proposed mining, comminution and handling facilities are considered modest for iron ore operations. The subarctic location will necessitate thorough weatherproofing, but otherwise the crushers, screens and other processing and transfer equipment are conventional in their selections.

The process consists of sequential crushing by jaw and cone crushers in closed-circuit with vibrating screens. The plant will deliver two products, lumps and fines, to stockpiles for blending prior to transfer to the port for ocean transport.

Lump iron ore is expected to be the main product from the Project and will be about 75% of the total production by weight. This product will have high iron grade by world standard, and will have variable impurity content, depending on the mine plan and schedule. The lump product has been found suitable for blending as direct feedstock for blast furnace iron making. The minority fines product would also be saleable depending on ........


Production:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Iron Ore Mt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required5.64.63.21.3
All production numbers are expressed as lump, fines & pellets.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics20212020201920172016
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required6 Mt4.7 Mt3.3 Mt
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2021:
Mineral reserves for Baffinland are estimated at a cut-off grade of 55% and a mass recovery of 100%.

Mineral resources for Baffinland are estimated at the cut-off grade of 55% and a mass recovery of 100%.

CategoryTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven 278 Mt Iron 65.2 %
Probable 83 Mt Iron 65.1 %
Proven & Probable 361 Mt Iron 65.1 %
Indicated 63 Mt Iron 65.4 %
Inferred 607 Mt Iron 65.2 %

Financials:

Units20212020
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
After-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment as of December 31, 2021:
HME TypeSize
Excavator
Loader (FEL)
Truck (haul) 90 t
Truck (haul) 212 t

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 22, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 21, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 21, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 21, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 21, 2022
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

Total WorkforceYear
Subscription required 2021
Subscription required 2020
Subscription required 2019
Subscription required 2018
Subscription required 2017
Subscription required 2016

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Other 2022
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Report 2018
Annual Report 2018
Annual Report 2017
Form 20-F 2016
Form 20-F 2015
Technical Report 2011
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Government of Nunavut reviewing Nunavut Impact Review Board recommendations for Baffinland proposal May 16, 2022

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

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