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United States
Northshore (Peter Mitchell) Mine (Cleveland-Cliffs 'Steelmaking segment' Operation)

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 Location:
99 km N from Duluth, Minnesota, United States

  Address:
10 Outer Drive
Silver Bay
Minnesota, United States
55614
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  • Overview
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  • Mining
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  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Fleet
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  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Iron Ore
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start...
Mine Life48 years (as of Jan 1, 2021)
As announced in February 2022, it is anticipated that the Northshore mine will be temporarily idled for approximately four months during 2022.


Owners

Source: p. 21-22
CompanyInterestOwnership
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. 100 % Indirect
Northshore Mining Co. (operator) 100 % Direct
Northshore iron ore mining property is owned by Northshore Mining Company, a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Cliffs.

Contractors

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Deposit Type

  • Banded iron formation


Summary:

The Northshore iron deposit is a classic example of the Lake Superior-type BIF deposit. Lake Superior-type BIFs occur worldwide and are exclusively Precambrian in age, deposited from approximately 2,400 Ma to 1,800 Ma.

Magnetite is the principal economic mineral at the Mine and occurs dominantly in thin to thick bands and layers, as medium- to coarse-grained disseminated grains, and as grain aggregates. Magnetic iron content ranges between 22% and 30% in the mineralized stratigraphic subunits within the deposit at the Mine. Local variation in silicate mineralogy and lithologic textures due to contact metamorphism presents unique challenges for grade control relative to deposits hosted in the western Biwabik IF. These changes affect many aspects of the operation including process metallurgy and hardness. Supergene oxidation of magnetite occurs locally along fracture planes but is generally uncommon.

Several geological structures are important at Northshore:
• The sharp contact between the Biwabik IF and the Duluth Complex identified and modeled from drilling data.
• A homocline in the BIF at the contact of the Duluth Complex, striking approximately east-northeast and dipping approximately 7° to the southeast.
• Several high-angle normal faults exhibiting variable displacement.

Emplacement of the Duluth Gabbro is responsible for the variable mineralogy observed at Northshore. Regional metamorphism related to this event locally aff ........


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

The Northshore deposit is mined using conventional surface mining methods. The surface operations include:
• Overburden (glacial till) removal;
• Drilling and blasting (excluding overburden);
• Loading and haulage;
• Crushing and rail loading.

The Mineral Reserve is based on the ongoing annual crude ore production of 16 million long tons (MLT) to 18 MLT producing a total of approximately 5.1 MLT of wet pellets for domestic consumption.

The current LOM plan has mining scheduled for 48 years and mines the known Mineral Reserve. The average strip ratio is approximately 0.8 waste units to 1 crude ore unit (0.8 strip ratio).

The final Northshore pit is a single pit approximately 10.5 mi along strike, up to 1.2 mi wide, and up to 420 ft deep.

The Mine’s operation has a strict crude ore blending requirement to ensure the Plant receives a uniform head grade. The most important blending characteristics of the crude ore are the MagFe, Conc_Fe, and ore hardness (i.e., Grindability). Generally, three crude ore loading points from different subunit groupings (i.e., the Intermediate, High Grade, Footwall Group, and Lower Cherty subunit groupings) are mined at one time to obtain the best blend for the Plant.

Crude ore is hauled to the crushing facility and either direct tipped to the primary crusher or stockpiled in an area adjacent to the primary crusher. Haul trucks are alternated to blend delivery from the mul ........


Crushing and Grinding
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Processing

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

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^ Guidance / Forecast.

Production:

CommodityUnits2022202120202019201820172016
Iron Ore M long tons  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required5.65.33.2
All production numbers are expressed as pellets. ^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:

Metrics202220212020201920182017
Total tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required15.7 M long tons15.4 M long tons14.6 M long tons
Waste  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required9.68 M long tons8.02 M long tons8.28 M long tons
Stripping / waste ratio  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Annual production capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required6 M long tons of iron ore pellets6 M long tons of iron ore pellets6 M long tons of iron ore pellets
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required15 M long tons15.3 M long tons14.5 M long tons
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Reserves at December 31, 2021:
Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 15% MagFe.
Mineral Reserves are estimated at a cut-off grade of 19% MagFe or when mineralization concentrates to less than 63.5% Fe (Conc_Fe) or when the Grindability is less than 30.0.

CategoryTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven 303.2 M long tons Iron (magnetite) 25.3 %
Probable 519.2 M long tons Iron (magnetite) 24.1 %
Proven & Probable 822.4 M long tons Iron (magnetite) 24.6 %
Measured 766.7 M long tons Iron (magnetite) 22.1 %
Indicated 390.8 M long tons Iron (magnetite) 22.4 %
Measured & Indicated 1,158 M long tons Iron (magnetite) 22.2 %
Inferred 13.6 M long tons Iron (magnetite) 19.8 %

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2022
Cash costs Iron Ore USD  ......  Subscription required&nbs
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Financials:

Units2022
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD  ......  Subscription required
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Heavy Mobile Equipment as of December 31, 2021:
HME TypeModelSizeQuantity
Dozer (crawler) ....................... Subscription required 57 cu. yd ....................... Subscription required
Drill (blasthole) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Grader ....................... Subscription required 16 ft ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required 37 cu. yd ....................... Subscription required
Shovel (rope) ....................... Subscription required 44 cu. yd ....................... Subscription required
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required 240 tons ....................... Subscription required
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 7, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 7, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 7, 2022
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Staff:

EmployeesYear
Subscription required 2021
Subscription required 2020
Subscription required 2019
Subscription required 2018
Subscription required 2017
Subscription required 2016

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
Fact Sheet 2018
Form 10-K 2018
Fact Sheet 2017
Form 10-K 2017
Annual Report 2016
Annual Report 2015
Annual Report 2014
Other 2005
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