Overview
Status | Closing / Closed |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
- Nickel
- Copper
- Cobalt
- Platinum
- Palladium
- Gold
|
Mining Method |
- Sub-level caving
- Vertical block mining (VBM)
- Uppers Retreat
|
Processing |
- Crush & Screen plant
- Dewatering
- Flotation
- Magnetic separation
|
Source:
p. 60
Company | Interest | Ownership |
Vale S.A.
|
100 %
|
Indirect
|
Vale conducts nickel operations primarily through wholly owned subsidiary Vale Canada Limited, which operates two nickel production systems, one in the North Atlantic region and the other in the Asia Pacific region.
Deposit Type
- Magmatic
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
- Footwall hosted
Summary:
South Range contact-type Ni-Cu deposits are similar to those of the North Range. They occur at the base of the SIC in the sub-layer and include the Creighton Mine and Stobie Mine orebodies, Murray Mine Main Orebody and the Blezard Main Orebody. The South Range Footwall Breccia underlies the sub-layer and is derived from melanocratic metasedimentary rocks and metavolcanic rocks. Ni-Cu mineralization occurs as disseminated to massive sulphide within the sub-layer. These deposits are generally zoned from massive ore at the footwall to disseminated sulphide ore toward the hangingwall. The PGE-Au content of the contact deposits is generally low. Similar to North Range contact deposits, Ni-Cu mineralization occurs within bodies of footwall breccia with minor amounts of quartz diorite. Massive sulphide Cu-PGE-Au footwall mineralization is also found in the South Range deposits but is not abundant (Creighton Mine).
Mining Methods
- Sub-level caving
- Vertical block mining (VBM)
- Uppers Retreat
Summary:
The primary mining methods used at Frood and Stobie mines are Sublevel Cave, Vertical Retreat Mining and Uppers Retreat Mining.
Processing
- Crush & Screen plant
- Dewatering
- Flotation
- Magnetic separation
Source:
Summary:
Ore is transported from the Ontario Operations mines and third party ore suppliers by rail and/or truck to Clarabelle Mill where it is blended together. The ore is crushed and ground, with the majority of the pyrrhotite removed through magnetic separation and sent to a designated waste storage area in the Copper Cliff tailings impoundment area. The remaining ore undergoes selective flotation to produce a bulk nickel and copper concentrate grading 14% Ni equivalent and approximately 8.5% Cu and 11% Ni. The concentrate is dewatered, mixed with custom concentrate feed and high-grade silica flux and conveyed to the smelter. The rock tailings are used for mine backfill, building dams in the Tailings area, or disposed of in the Copper Cliff tailings impoundment area.
Concentrate produced from the flotation process is used to generate a high copper concentrate by depressing the pentlandite, thus allowing the copper to float. The concentrate is then filtered to produce a filter cak ........

Combined production numbers are reported under
Sudbury Operation
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Ore tonnes mined
| 448 kt | 1,373 kt | 1,471 kt | 2,089 kt | 1,887 kt |
Daily ore mining rate
| | 4,801 t | | | |
Reserves at December 31, 2022:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Measured & Indicated
|
10,035 kt
|
Nickel
|
0.47 %
|
Measured & Indicated
|
10,035 kt
|
Copper
|
0.42 %
|
Measured & Indicated
|
10,035 kt
|
Cobalt
|
0.02 %
|
Measured & Indicated
|
10,035 kt
|
Platinum
|
0.2 g/t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
10,035 kt
|
Palladium
|
0.22 g/t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
10,035 kt
|
Gold
|
0.09 g/t
|
Mine Management:
Job Title | Name | Profile | Ref. Date |
.......................
|
.......................
|
|
May 24, 2021
|
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