Twitter

Quebec Mining

Stornoway Diamonds files for bankruptcy for second time, stops operations at Quebec site – by Nicolas Van Praet (Globe and Mail – October 27, 2023)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Stornoway Diamonds (Canada) Inc. is filing for bankruptcy protection for the second time in four years as the gem miner struggles to deal with volatile pricing on global markets. Its future now looks murky as a Quebec government spokesman said the province will put no more public money into the venture.

The privately held company said Friday it is immediately suspending operations at its Renard site in Northern Quebec while it plots a path forward. About 75 people out of a work force of 500 will perform tasks such as maintaining equipment and other assets toward an eventual return of operations, Stornoway said.

Read more

OPINION: Reasonable Republicans understand the value of trade relationships – by Andrew Willis (Globe and Mail – October 17, 2023)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo finished off a recent trade mission to Ontario and Quebec by hosting a reception in downtown Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame. The evening was marked by two striking moments. The first was the sight of the Nevada delegation, decked out in their Vegas Golden Knights jerseys, posed around the Stanley Cup, while Mr. Lombardo said, with a smile: “We waited a long time for this.”

He said this to a room full of Toronto Maple Leaf fans, who’ve been waiting a little longer than the Knights’ six years for a championship.

Read more

Canada’s lithium is in Quebec – by Tamer Elbokl (Canadian Mining – October 2, 2023)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

While battling the biggest wildfire in its history for most of 2023, la belle province is ramping up mining of its key minerals required to manufacture electric vehicle batteries. Quebec plans to become a leader in the critical strategic minerals mining sector and a leader in the electric vehicle battery manufacturing sector for the North American automotive industry.

In its plan for the development of critical and strategic minerals 2020-25, the province identified four policy pillars to promote the development of critical strategic minerals to encourage investment in the province, meet the growing demand for these mineral resources, and play an active role in the global energy transition.

Read more

Tracking Quebec’s next lithium mines – by Blair McBride (Northern Miner – September 26, 2023)

https://www.northernminer.com/

As Canada’s emerging hotspot for lithium development, Quebec hosts almost half the country’s 409 active lithium projects and its most advanced projects. That includes Canada’s second producing lithium mine (outside Sinomine’s Tanco operation in Manitoba): Sayona Mining (ASX: SYA; US-OTC: SYAXF) and Piedmont Lithium‘s (NASDAQ: PLL; ASX: PLL) North American Lithium project, which started production in March.

The Northern Miner built an infographic comparing the progress of five top lithium projects in La Belle Province, tracking progress across key milestones from 2018. Quebec’s next producing mine looks to be a tie between Sayona and Piedmont’s nearby Authier project, and Livent (NYSE: LTHM) and Nemaska Lithium‘s (TSX: NMX; US-OTC: NMKEF) Whabouchi operation.

Read more

Sweden’s Northvolt picks Quebec for new multibillion-dollar EV battery factory – by Nicolas Van Praet and Jeffrey Jones (Globe and Mail – September 27, 2023)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Northvolt AB, a supplier of electric-vehicle batteries to Volkswagen and BMW, has picked Quebec to host a new multibillion-dollar factory as the Swedish manufacturer pushes into North America.

Executives with the Stockholm-based company will join political leaders from the Quebec and federal governments for a formal announcement Thursday in Montreal to detail their plans, according to two sources briefed on the event. The Globe and Mail is not naming the people because they were not authorized to discuss the information.

Read more

Canadian lithium miners in ‘prime position’ as EV battery race accelerates – Jeff Lagerquist (Yahoo Finance – September 20, 2023)

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/

Two Canadian lithium producers are top prospects as mining and automotive giants hunt for deals to supply the silvery-white metal for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, according to a CIBC Capital Markets analyst.

Earlier this month, Mohamed Sidib initiated coverage on TSX Venture-listed Rock Tech Lithium (RCK.V) and Frontier Lithium (FL.V) issuing “outperformer” ratings. Sidib also published a lengthy primer on the alkali metal, calling for rising prices due to tight supply as more consumers buy EVs.

Read more

SNC-Lavalin stands ready as Hydro-Québec eyes renewed push into nuclear power – by Konrad Yakabuski (Globe and Mail – August 30, 2023)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Michael Sabia had barely started his new job at Hydro-Québec when the provincially owned utility best known for its massive hydroelectric dams said it is taking a renewed look at nuclear power, as it seeks to dramatically increase its energy supply by mid-century.

Mr. Sabia, who took over as Hydro-Québec’s chief executive on Aug. 1, has a mandate from Premier François Legault to add thousands of megawatts to the Quebec’s electricity grid to help the province achieve its net-zero carbon goal by 2050.

Read more

JV Article: Archer’s Grasset nickel deposit is getting its ‘day in the sun’ – by Northern Miner Staff (Canadian Mining Journal – August 28, 2023)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

A multi-million-tonne nickel sulphide deposit discovered more than 10 years ago in the northern Abitibi region of Quebec is receiving fresh scrutiny

A multi-million-tonne nickel sulphide deposit discovered more than 10 years ago in the northern Abitibi region of Quebec is receiving fresh scrutiny from Archer Exploration (CSE: RCHR; US-OTC: RCHRF), the latest addition to Canada’s emerging league of battery material-focused junior exploration companies.

Grasset is one of the largest nickel sulphide deposits in Canada’s Abitibi region and the only North American nickel sulphide deposit with more than 50,000 contained tonnes of nickel and an average nickel-equivalent grade of over 1.5% that isn’t controlled by a major mining company.

Read more

Sayona advances planning for Quebec lithium carbonate plant – by Silvia Pikal (CIM Magazine – August 21, 2023)

https://magazine.cim.org/en/

NAL is set to become the only lithium operation with a concentrator and carbonate plant all on the same site in North America

Australian miner Sayona Mining Limited announced it is moving forward with the restart of a lithium carbonate production plant at its North American Lithium (NAL) operation in Quebec, bringing it closer to becoming a downstream producer of lithium chemicals.

In late June, the company released the results of a preliminary study for the standalone lithium carbonate project, outlining the production of 372,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate from 2.9 million tonnes of spodumene concentrate from the NAL mine over a project life of 16 years. All-in sustaining costs per tonne of lithium carbonate are estimated to be $15,996.

Read more

Momentum builds for Piedmont Lithium’s ambitious production plans as portfolio expands in Africa – by Amanda Stutt (Mining.com – August 18, 2023)

https://www.mining.com/

Piedmont Lithium (Nasdaq: PLL; ASX: PLL) this week acquired a 22.5% stake in Atlantic Lithium’s (ASX: A11) flagship Ewoyaa project in Ghana after committing $17 million to fund the project through its definitive feasibility study, adding an Africa asset to its expanding portfolio of operations.

It completed the second stage of the investment agreement signed in 2021. Under the deal, Piedmont can earn a 50% equity interest in Atlantic’s Ghanaian lithium portfolio, headlined by the Ewoyaa project. The first stage involved a $15 million investment into Atlantic, previously IronRidge Resources.

Read more

Experts call for reforms as Quebec residents stake claims to prevent mining activity near their homes – by Nicolas Van Praet (Globe and Mail – August 15, 2023)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Quebeckers living outside big cities are taking the unusual step of buying mining claims on their own properties to shield them from commercial exploration, amid a new wave of interest in the province’s mineral potential.

Landowners in the towns of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, Saint Boniface and Shawinigan in Quebec’s Mauricie region have purchased 165 claims since April this year. Non-profit organizations have bought another 61, for a total of 226, according to Gilbert Guérin, president of a local group fighting mining development. And this is only one of many such hot spots.

Read more

Corvette’s CV5 hosts significant lithium pegmatite resource – Patriot – by Mariaan Webb (MiningWeekly.com – July 31, 2023)

https://www.miningweekly.com/

Lithium exploration company Patriot Battery Metals on Monday announced a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the CV5 deposit at Corvette, in Quebec, establishing it as the biggest lithium pegmatite mineral resource in the Americas.

With a resource of 109.2-million tonnes at 1.42% lithium oxide and 160 parts per million tantalum pentoxide for a total of 3.84-million tonnes of contained lithium carbonate equivalent, CV5 is also the eighth-largest lithium pegmatite resource globally.

Read more

Agnico Eagle touts exploration success at Detour and Kirkland Lake – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – July 28, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Toronto company sets record gold production in second quarter results

The Abitibi Gold Belt of northeastern Ontario and western Quebec continue to be the happy, high grade hunting grounds for Agnico Eagle. The seemingly never-ending gold potential of the Toronto miner’s Detour and Kirkland Lake operations were among the highlighted items in the company’s second quarter results released this week.

Agnico Eagle reported an adjusted profit of $322.4 million this week, up 11 per cent from a year earlier, on the back of record gold production of 873,204 ounces from its mines in Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut Territory, Mexico and Finland. Its all-in-sustaining cost is US$1.150 per ounce.

Read more

Quebec copper mine builder is on the fast track in northern Michigan – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – July 27, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Highland Copper inks a mine development partnership deal with Kinterra Copper USA

A Quebec-based junior miner with a copper deposit in northern Michigan has brought aboard a deep-pocketed partner to advance it to production.

Longueuil-headquartered Highland Copper has entered into a joint venture with Kinterra Copper USA to bring cash and technical expertise to turn its White Pine North project into a mine. Kinterra made a cash payment of $30 million to take a 66 per cent ownership stake in the project. White Pine North is one of two copper projects owned by Highland. Copperwood is the other, located 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the southwest.

Read more

Ottawa Valley graphite developer spies Quebec for processing plant – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – July 17, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Northern Graphite signs land deal for Baie Comeau port property

An Ottawa-based graphite company, with a deposit between North Bay and Ottawa, is purchasing land on the St. Lawrence River to build a battery anode manufacturing plant. Northern Graphite, which holds with Bissett Creek deposit located off Highway 17, signed a letter of intent with the city of Baie Comeau, Que. to purchase a 300-acre brownfield property for US$1.2 million.

Subject to securing financing and government approvals, the company wants to build a hub processing capable of processing 200,000 tonnes a year for its three graphite properties in Ontario, Quebec and Namibia. The intent is to supply anode material to lithium-ion battery manufacturing plants throughout North America.

Read more