Raglan

Description of Operation

Located in the far north region of Québec, Xstrata Nickel’s Raglan property consists of a series of high-grade ore deposits, with nickel and copper as the primary metals. The operation consists of open pit and underground mines, a concentrator, a power plant, accommodation and administration buildings, fresh water supply and fuel storage tanks. The mine site is linked by all-weather roads to an airstrip at Donaldson and to the concentrate, storage and ship-loading facilities at Deception Bay. The property stretches 70 kilometers from east to west, with a series of high-grade ore deposits scattered along its length. Significant quantities of palladium and platinum as well as cobalt are also produced.

Approximately 85%-90% of the production at Raglan comes from underground sources, with the remainder coming from an open pit. There are three underground mines and one open pit.

The ore from Raglan mines is crushed, ground and treated at the Raglan mill to produce a nickel-copper concentrate. Milling capacity is 3,700 tonnes per day. The concentrate is trucked 100 kilometers to Deception Bay from where it is transported to Sudbury. After smelting in Sudbury, the smelted matte material is shipped to Xstrata’s Norwegian refinery.

Brief History of the Operation

Production at Raglan began in 1998.