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Sudbury Basin

Sudbury’s SNOLAB gets $28.6 million – by Staff (Sudbury Star – January 10, 2017)

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

A Sudbury-based cutting-edge, awarding-winning physics experiment has received a $28.6-million funding boost. SNOLAB, located deep inside Vale Ltd.’s Creighton Mine, is among 17 research facilities receiving support through Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Major Science Initiative fund.

The Major Science Initiative fund aims to secure and strengthen state-of-the-art national research facilities, enabling Canadian researchers to undertake world-class research, contribute to technology development and drive innovation.

The funding announced Monday will sustain scientific excellence at SNOLAB and ensure the facility maintains a leadership role in the global deep underground research community, the .Canada Foundation for Innovation said.

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Mining heavyweight Glencore could leave Sudbury in 5 years, says VP (CBC News Sudbury – December 19, 2016)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/

Company’s vice-president seeking $1.4 B from investors to continue deep mining operations in Sudbury

Glencore’s vice-president Peter Xavier says unless the company can raise $1.4 billion from investors, the life of its mining operations in Sudbury will end in 2021.

But in the face of “disruptive changes” from Asian exports — which Xavier estimates supply between one-third and a quarter of the world’s nickel — the company is trying to extend its presence by opening two new deep mining projects in the area.

And to mine deeper, the company needs to raise money. “The challenge for us in our future operations are at depth so you can imagine finding the time to find to develop, the challenge economically to bring those to a positive business case are getting more difficult,” Xavier said.

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[Sudbury Basin] Norman West find ‘promising’ – Glencore – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury Star – December 15, 2016)

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

Norman West, located north of Capreol, is Glencore’s current pearl in the oyster in the Sudbury area, city councillors were told Tuesday.

“We got a pretty significant hit there last year and we’ve been following up ever since, and it’s looking more promising by the day,” said Peter Xavier, vice president of Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations. “There’s still quite a bit of drilling to do from surface before we get to the next step.”

While the local operations are solid, Xavier did point out a few challenges the company faces. For example, low nickel prices and high hydro costs, as well as regulatory uncertainty around climate change and emissions can cause headaches.

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Glencore digging deep to stay in Sudbury: VP – by Darren MacDonald (Sudbury Northern Life – December 13, 2016)

https://www.sudbury.com/

With Nickel Rim expected to close in 2021, company is working on developing deeper mines

Glencore is working hard to develop new deposits in Sudbury ahead of 2021, when current deposits will largely be exhausted, city councillors were told Tuesday. That was the word from Peter Xavier, vice-president of the company’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, who updated the city on the state of their work in the city.

Glencore is the current owner of the mines, which date back to the late 1920s when it was owned by Falconbridge Ltd. Their largest deposit is the Nickel Rim South Mine, a deposit discovered in 2001 and brought into production in 2010.

“It’s the financial base of our operation,” Xavier said, adding they have done work in attempts to extend its life. “Unfortunately, those efforts haven’t proved to be successful.”

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SNC-Lavalin job cuts not indicative of wider trends in mining: expert (CBC News Sudbury – December 9, 2016)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/

The news coming out of SNC-Lavalin to shed jobs across Canada, including some in Sudbury is disappointing, according to an expert in mining and supply services in the northeastern Ontario city.

The large engineering company announced another round of job cuts Thursday, totaling 405 across Canada, due to the weakness in the mining sector and ongoing efforts to boost its profit margin. Five of those layoffs are in Sudbury, according to a company spokesperson, as SNC-Lavalin will shut down its office in the northeast.

The moves don’t come as good news, given how much work the engineering firm does for mining companies in northern Ontario, said Dick Destefano, the executive director of the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Services Association, but he added that it’s not indicative of a wider problem in the sector.

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Barrick’s Munk Heads Top Ten Most Important Mining Men in Canadian History – by Stan Sudol

Melanie and Peter Munk
Melanie and Peter Munk

An edited version of this list was published in the February/March issue of the Canadian Mining Journal.

Four Americans Made the List!

A few months ago, my dear colleague Joe Martin, who is the Director of the Canadian Business & Financial History Initiative at Rotman and President Emeritus of Canada’s History Society, asked me a very simple question: who would be considered the most important individual in Canadian mining?

Considering Canada’s lengthy and exceptional expertise in the mineral sector, it was not an easy answer and I decided to research and create a top ten list of the most important mining men in Canadian history.

The lack of women on this list simply reflects the fact that for much of our history most women were not given the educational or social opportunities to excel in business, especially in a rough and male-dominated sector like mining. Times have changed, women are playing key roles in mining today and will definitely be included on this list in the future.

However, a few qualifiers need to be established. This is basically a list of mine builders not mine finders.  Building a company through takeovers and discoveries is one way but I am also focusing on individuals who have built corporate empires and/or who have developed isolated regions of the country with the necessary infrastructure for mines to flourish and create multi-generational jobs, shareholder wealth and great economic impact.

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Glencore still digging Sudbury – by Ella Myers (Northern Ontario Business – November 25, 2016)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Ultra deep progress shows confidence in Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, says VP

Glencore plans to dig deeper into Sudbury in the upcoming year. Peter Xavier, vice-president of their Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, said they anticipate board approval shortly for two ultra deep mine sites in the region, at their flagship Nickel Rim and their proposed Onaping Depth, now under development.

“These projects are on the cusp of approval… they’re not guaranteed,” said Xavier, who presented an update on the miner’s Sudbury operations at a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Nov. 24. At Nickel Rim site, they’re looking at extending their existing operations by 1,000 metres to a depth of 2,700 metres to access a sizable nearby deposit.

At their newer Onaping Depth site, they’re working on a deposit that could not be safely accessed until recent innovations in ultra deep mining technology. Xavier said both projects will move onto full-fledged development in 2017.

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Nickel will recover: Glencore’s Sudbury VP – by Mary Katherine Keown (Sudbury Star – November 25, 2016)

http://www.thesudburystar.com/

Nickel may be down, but it is not out and there are still plenty of opportunities to be found.

Peter Xavier, vice president of Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, a Glencore Company, delivered the keynote address at Thursday’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon. He said Sudbury continues to be the “meat and potatoes” of its nickel operations.
“(The company), more than ever, is driven out of Sudbury,” Xavier said.

Nickel prices dive and peak, but Xavier said that is not just due to demand. There are also structural changes within the market to consider. In recent weeks, nickel has surged to just more than $5 a pound US.

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Vale slashes Sudbury nickel refinery emissions – by Norm Tollinsky (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal – November 14, 2016)

http://www.sudburyminingsolutions.com/

$75 million project reduces metal particulate emissions by 90 per cent

Vale has announced the completion of a $75 million Nickel Refinery Emissions Reduction Project in Sudbury.

The largest investment and facility upgrade at the Copper Cliff nickel refinery since it was constructed in 1973 brings the company into compliance with new provincial and federal government standards for the emission of nickel and total suspended particulates.

The new provincial standard took effect July 1, 2016 and is based on an annual averaging period as opposed to the 24-hour averaging period of the previous standard.

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Wallbridge Mining ventures into the unexplored: Drilling commences on Sudbury joint venture (Northern Ontario Business – November 21, 2016)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

The Wallbridge Mining Company is breaking unusually new ground in the Sudbury Basin. The Sudbury-based junior mining company started another round of drilling on their Parkin Properties, on the northeast edge of the basin, in October.

The site is practically virgin territory compared to nearby areas, according to Joshua Bailey, vice-president of exploration at the Wallbridge Mining Company.

“It hasn’t had as much exploration as elsewhere,” said Bailey, adding that “if this project has a fraction of what is elsewhere in the basin, it would be a success.” This isn’t the first drilling in the area for Wallbridge.

They completed promising drilling between 2008 and 2012 as part of a joint venture with Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats), after which they re-purchased Implat’s nearly 50 per cent interest in the properties.

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Boart Longyear establishes R&D test centre in Sudbury – by Norm Tollinsky (Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal – November 14, 2016)

http://www.sudburyminingsolutions.com/

Innovative technologies to be tested at the NORCAT Underground Centre include next generation wireline tooling, smart drill rig technology, XRF technology for examining core samples and high-speed drilling technology

Boart Longyear’s next generation drilling technology will be tested and refined in Northern Ontario for the global market following a decision by the Utah-based mining supplier to establish a research and development presence at the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology’s (NORCAT) Underground Centre in Sudbury.

The partnership was announced by Boart Longyear president and CEO Jeff Olsen and NORCAT CEO Don Duval at MINExpo. Also in attendance was Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle, who announced a $1.3 million grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to sweeten the deal.

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Cambrian once again among Canada’s top 50 research colleges – by Heidi Ulrichsen (Sudbury Northern Life – November 17, 2016)

https://www.sudbury.com/

As it has for five years, Cambrian College cracked Research Infosource’s list of Canada’s top 50 research colleges — the only college in Northern Ontario to do so.

But in its most recent ranking, for 2015, it sunk ten spots over the previous year. Cambrian ranked 44th on the list last year. It ranked 34th in 2014, 36th in 2013, 37th in 2012 and 34th in 2011 (that’s the earliest year for which information on this ranking is available on Research Infosource’s website).

“There was a change in the ranking, certainly, but I think that sort of speaks to how strong some of our other competitors are,” said Mike Commito, applied research developer with Cambrian Innovates.

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[Vale takeover of Inco] The great Canadian mining non-disaster – by Ian McGugan (Globe and Mail – November 4, 2016)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Sudbury’s experience of high wages and continued prosperity should quell fears about foreign acquisitions of Canadian mining assets

SUDBURY, ONT. – A couple of dozen men in hard hats and orange coveralls are gathered in a brightly lit, mud-splattered room, chatting about the type of topics we all chat about at work – the Leafs’ prospects, a daughter’s coming wedding, a deer someone saw on the drive in.

What makes these men different from pampered folks like you and me is that they are getting ready to drop more than half a mile into the earth. Once underground at Vale SA’s Totten Mine in Sudbury, Ont., they will operate giant scoops and haulers in dim, sweltering tunnels that have the capacity to kill the unwary or the unlucky.

“We’re lucky here because the depth and the ground conditions are pretty favourable for less seismic activity,” mine manager Gilbert Lamarche says nonchalantly as we prepare for the “cage,” or elevator, that will take us down to working depth. “But in other mines, the ground conditions are a much bigger factor.”

It’s a thought that tends to linger in the mind as men crowd into the narrow metal cage, the door rattles shut and we descend into the darkness at 1,700 feet a minute. Whatever else a mine may be, it’s fundamentally an operation rooted deep in a specific piece of the earth – which may be why the mines around Sudbury have become a powerful symbol for the territorial battle between local allegiances and global businesses.

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Ontario invests C$2.5m in mining R&D; Minister outlines progress to position province as mining leader – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – November 2, 2016)

http://www.miningweekly.com/

VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – The Ontario government on Tuesday announced that it would invest C$2.5-million in the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation’s (CEMI’s) ongoing work with the Ultra Deep Mining Network (UDMN), which is helping the mining sector develop and adopt commercially viable innovations. Part of a five-year initiative first started in 2014, the programme has created nearly 30 jobs in Northern Ontario to date.

The province, in partnership with the federal government, is supporting this research initiative by CEMI and UDMN, which will help mining companies and organisations develop technologies to enhance the safety, efficiency and sustainability of their operations.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle made the announcement during the Mining Innovation Summit 2016, hosted by Ontario in Sudbury. “Today’s Mining Innovation Summit and our investment in CEMI are proof Ontario is committed to supporting the future of the mining sector and ensuring that we are the global leader in sustainable mineral development.

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NEWS RELEASE: Innovation Driving Growth in Sudbury, Ontario Mining Industry

Province Supporting Mining Research and Development at CEMI

Nov/01/16 – Ministry of Northern Development and Mines – Ontario is creating good jobs and helping grow the mining industry in the North by supporting research and development that will increase the sector’s innovation and competitiveness in the global market.

Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, made the announcement today at the Mining Innovation Summit in Sudbury. With an investment through the province’s Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation’s (CEMI) ongoing work with the Ultra Deep Mining Network (UDMN) is helping the mining sector develop and adopt commercially viable innovations, a five-year initiative first started in 2014 that has created nearly 30 jobs in Northern Ontario to date.

The province, in partnership with the federal government, is supporting this research initiative by CEMI and UDMN that will help mining companies and organizations develop technologies to enhance the safety, efficiency and sustainability of their operations.

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