Xstrata Nickel / North America
Sudbury Operations
Xstrata Nickel: World > North America
| Detail label | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Ontario, Canada North America |
| Products | Nickel/copper smelter |
| Employees | 1700 |
| Annual production capacity | Approximate mine production
|
Description of Operation
Xstrata Nickel’s Sudbury operations consist of three underground mines, a mill and a smelter. The facilities are spread throughout the 60 kilometre-long, oval-shaped geological formation known as the Sudbury Basin. Nickel and copper are the primary metals but cobalt and precious metals, such as platinum and palladium are also produced.
The three underground nickel/copper mines in Sudbury are: Craig, Fraser and Thayer-Lindsley. The Craig mine is currently Sudbury’s largest mining operation. An underground development program at Nickel Rim South will enable this new discovery to become Sudbury’s flagship mine. The Montcalm mine is a nickel-copper property located 70 kilometres northwest of Timmins, Ontario, Canada and is managed as part of the Sudbury operations. The Strathcona mill receives ore from the mines and produces two concentrate streams – a copper concentrate which is treated at the Kidd Metallurgical complex and a nickel concentrate which is transported to the Sudbury smelter for processing.
The Sudbury smelter smelts nickel-copper concentrate from the Sudbury, Raglan and Montcalm mines and processes custom-feed materials. The smelter’s electric furnace converts the mineral concentrate into a high-grade matte containing nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals. The smelted and granulated matte is transported to Nikkelverk in Norway for refining.
Brief History of the Operation
The Company has been mining nickel-copper ores in the Sudbury area of northern Ontario, Canada, since 1929.