CIM Magazine June/July 2016 by CIM-ICM Publications

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JUNE/JULY | 2016 | JUIN/JUILLET

cover story

Managing microbes Academics and operators are increasingly interested in how small, single-celled microbes can breath life into the mining cycle and limit its environmental impacts By Kate Sheridan

41 All clear Excellent project economics and shortened timelines at the Renard project have added a little more sparkle to Quebecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first diamond operation

45 Handling innovation

48 Considering new solutions

New ideas in material handling answer the demand for quieter, more efficient and cost-effective operations

CIM Convention-goers adopt new technologies and ways of thinking to overcome industry challenges

By Eavan Moore

By Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco

By CIM Magazine staff

June/July â&#x20AC;˘ Juin/Juillet 2016 | 5

CIM MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY | 2016 | JUIN/JUILLET

8 10 12

Editor’s letter President’s notes Chatter tools of the trade 14 The best in new technology

Compiled by Vince Morello, Kelsey Rolfe

and Kate Sheridan

developments 15 Impact and benefit agreements with indigenous groups may soon see the light of day By Joel Barde 17 Briefs 19 The space mining race is on, as countries pass new laws and ramp up research efforts By Sahar Fatima and Vince Morello 23 Audit argues British Columbia mines ministry unfit for enforcement role By Kate Sheridan columns 28 Mining for information By Donna Beneteau, Donna Cortolezzis and

29 Cuba: the land of opportunity? By Alison Lacy metallurgy 30 Controlled lab testing points to the right dust suppressant dosage at Hudbay By Eavan Moore 32 Canadian scientists in the driver’s seat in the search for automotive-grade magnesium alloys By Ian Ewing 34 George Demopoulos discusses the shift in universities from metallurgy programs to materials science and engineering Kristin Bogdan

By Peter Braul

focus on standards 54 CIM Commodity Price Guidance gets a facelift

By Alexandra

Lopez-Pacheco

41 contenu francophone 59

La version française intégrale du CIM Magazine est disponible en ligne : magazine.CIM.org/fr-CA

mining lore 74 The stampede for silver in Cobalt, Ontario far surpassed the Klondike Gold Rush – and formed the basis for Ontario’s thriving mining industry By Douglas Baldwin technical abstracts 71 CIM Journal 72 CMQ

55 56 59

Table des matières Lettre de l’éditeur | Mot du président article de fond L’émergence des micro-organismes dans l’industrie minière Par Kate Sheridan

les actualités en bref 57 La ruée vers les ressources spatiales est lancée, alors que les pays adoptent de nouvelles lois et intensifient leurs activités de recherche Par Sahar Fatima et Vince Morello 58 Guide de l’OCDE sur l’engagement des parties prenantes dans les industries extractives Par Kelsey Rolfe profil de projet 64 Les excellentes caractéristiques économiques du projet Renard et ses délais d’exécution réduits ont ajouté un éclat supplémentaire à cette première mine de diamant au Québec.

Par Eavan Moore

Les participants au congrès de l’ICM adoptent de nouvelles technologies et manières de penser pour surmonter les difficultés auxquelles est confrontée l’industrie. Par l’équipe du CIM Magazine

WHERE SAFETY WOR RKS At Mark’s Commercial, safety y is ourr business. You’lll get the right products sent to the right place at the right time. XÄ â°ÜÄ Ñü Ä°÷ē üç çþüķü ēçþô đçôÜÍçô¼Ä đÑüÐ ÑããçĐ°üÑĐÄ đçôÜđÄ°ô üÐ°ü â°ĒÑâÑĖÄ÷ ÷°ÍÄüē °ãÀ ñÄôÍçôâ°ã¼Äȩ 3°ôÜɛ÷ çââÄô¼Ñ°Ý Ñ÷ ÐçâÄ üç üÐÄ âç÷ü °ÀĐ°ã¼ÄÀ °ãÀ ÑããçĐ°üÑĐÄ đçôÜđÄ°ô °ãÀ BB »ô°ãÀ÷ °Đ°ÑÝ°»ÝÄȤ ÷þÑü°»ÝÄ Íçô °ãē ÑãÀþ÷üôēȩ XÐçÝÄ÷°ÝÄ ñôçÎô°â÷Ȥ çãÝÑãÄ çôÀÄôÑãÎȤ ÀÑôÄ¼ü ÀÄÝÑĐÄôē °ãÀ ° ôÄ÷ñçã÷ÑĐÄ ÝÑÄãü HÄôĐÑ¼Ä÷ LÄ Ä°â â°ÜÄ 3°ôÜɛ÷ çââÄô¼Ñ°Ý üÐÄ çãÝē đÐçÝÄ÷°ÝÄ đçôÜđÄ°ô ÷þññÝÑÄô ēçþ ãÄÄÀ đÐÄã ÷°ÍÄüē â°üüÄô÷ âç÷üȩ

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Published 8 times a year by: Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum 1250 – 3500 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West Westmount, QC H3Z 3C1 Tel.: 514.939.2710; Fax: 514.939.2714 www.cim.org; magazine@cim.org Advertising sales Dovetail Communications Inc. Tel.: 905.886.6640; Fax: 905.886.6615; www.dvtail.com Senior Account Executives Janet Jeffery, jjeffery@dvtail.com, 905.707.3529 Neal Young, nyoung@dvtail.com, 905.707.3525 Subscriptions Included in CIM membership ($187); Non-members (Canada): $275/yr (AB, BC, MB, NT, NU, SK add $13.50 GST; NB, ON add $35.10 HST; QC add $40.40 GST + PST; PE add $37.80 HST; NS add $40.50 HST); Non-members (USA & International): US$325/yr; Single copy: $25.

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ach year, with the annual conference, CIM delivers a blast of energy. The months leading up to the event are bundled with meetings, multiple publications and myriad preparations. Outside, it is cold and grey. So we put our heads down and power through. That is, until we touch down in Vancouver and, greeted by a city already in full bloom, see where all the hard work has brought us. All credit is due to the Events team at CIM National and the volunteers who work with them to put this conference together. While the attendance numbers rise and fall with the fortunes of the sector, the value of the gathering is beyond doubt. It reveals itself in the meeting rooms where mining execs with decades of experience and an enviable list of successful projects to their names scribble notes and ask questions of presenters, and in the conversations on the tradeshow floor that provide a perspective and depth that press releases can never fully communicate. Skipping such events, noted Hecla Mining CEO Phillips Baker, Jr. during the plenary, is a false economy because it comes at the cost of professional development and the opportunity to discover new approaches. The reality is that as belts tighten some ideas will end up being left on the table. We were there, however, and will gladly play our role in relating as many of the ideas as we can through the pages of CIM Magazine and CIM Journal. Ideally, those of you who could not make it to Vancouver this year will attend the 2017 conference in Montreal next April. Thanks to the many of you who gave us an added shot in the arm through your feedback in the reader survey. Whether through words of encouragement or pointed critiques, your responses and comments are excellent guides for how and where we might improve. Keep your eye out for our August issue, which will feature results from the survey. In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful summer.

ia ed

Spring fever

Editor-in-chief Ryan Bergen, rbergen@cim.org Executive editor Angela Hamlyn, ahamlyn@cim.org Managing editor Andrea Nichiporuk, anichiporuk@cim.org Section editor Tom DiNardo, tdinardo@cim.org Junior section editor Kelsey Rolfe, krolfe@cim.org Copy editor Marilena Lucci, mlucci@cim.org Web content editor Maria Olaguera, molaguera@cim.org Contributing editors Peter Braul, pbraul@cim.org; Eavan Moore, emoore@cim.org Editorial intern Vince Morello, vmorello@cim.org Digitization technician Marie-Ève Lapierre, melapierre@cim.org Contributors Joel Barde, Donna Beneteau, Kristin Bogdan, Peter Braul, Donna Cortolezzis, Ian Ewing, Sahar Fatima, Alison Lacy, Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco, Eavan Moore, Kate Sheridan, Kylie Williams Editorial advisory board Alicia Ferdinand, Garth Kirkham, Vic Pakalnis, Steve Rusk, Nathan Stubina Translations CNW, Karen Rolland

adian Busines sM Can in

editor’s letter

The Force Crag passive water treatment scheme in Cumbria County, U.K. Copyright Lee M Wyatt, Coal Authority

Ryan Bergen, Editor-in-chief editor@cim.org @Ryan_CIM_Mag

Layout and design by Clò Communications Inc. www.clocommunications.com Copyright©2016. All rights reserved. ISSN 1718-4177. Publications Mail No. 09786. Postage paid at CPA Saint-Laurent, QC. Dépôt légal: Bibliothèque nationale du Québec. The Institute, as a body, is not responsible for statements made or opinions advanced either in articles or in any discussion appearing in its publications.

Printed in Canada 8 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

president’s notes

Safety share

“With 14,000 mining experts in CIM, I believe we can play an equally important role in the quest to eliminate injuries in our industry.”

It is a privilege to serve the CIM membership for the coming year. The mining industry has been good to me and having been a CIM member since the 1970s, this is a great opportunity to “pay it back” in a volunteer role. As mining professionals, we typically turn our minds to safety when we start anything. During my tenure, I wish to see CIM develop a more formalized safety leadership role and provide contributions to the Canadian and international mining industries. As Canadians we are world leaders in mineral exploration, and developing and operating mines and processing plants. With 14,000 mining experts in CIM, I believe we can play an equally important role in the quest to eliminate injuries in our industry. To that end, a group of industry leaders met at the CIM Conference in Vancouver and we are starting a mission to determine how we can best contribute the talents and infrastructure of CIM to mining safety. Fire safety has been front and centre in the news with our mining friends in Fort McMurray. It is a credit to the emergency responders and planners that, as residents fled the fire and smoke bore down on the city, the fire has taken no lives up to this point. It is terrible to see how the fire has scattered the residents of Fort Mac, but also inspiring to see the tremendous support from communities across the country. Our thoughts are with you. CIM has rallied to make financial contributions to the fire relief fund. At the time of printing, over $100,000 have been donated from CIM National, the CIM societies, local branches and individual members to the Canadian Red Cross. Contributions can still be made to the Canadian Red Cross through CIM.org or to the CIM Oil Sands Branch through the CIM Foundation. Be safe!

Michael Winship CIM President

10 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Get more for less! Early bird registration closes on August 4.

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POSTERS

Asset Management: Sampling, Metal Accounting, Surveys and Flowsheet Improvement

EXHIBITORS

New Frontiers: Harsh Environments Including Arctic, Undersea, Space and Beyond

+ PARTICIPANTS

VAST NETWORKING & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES NETWORK WITH PEERS AND PARTNERS

SOCIAL & RECOGNITION PROGRAM

Environment, Recycling and Social Responsibility Dewatering: Thickening, Filtering, Drying

SYMPOSIA 4th International Symposium on Iron Control in Hydrometallurgy Electrometallurgy 2016 Rare Earth Elements

IMPC 2016 IS HOSTING THE 55TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF METALLURGISTS

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chatter RE: IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS (MAY ‘16)

“A company-maker.” Impressive project execution +Skii km Lax Ha FN Tsetsaut contractor – Angela Waterman, @Angela_Mining Curious about the Brucejack project? Great proﬁle from CIM Magazine – Nicole Davidson, @nickythespy

RE: FEEL THE BURN (MARCH/APRIL ‘16)

Une première au Québec: Chauffage à la biomasse à la mine Casa Berardi. – AEMQ, @AEMQ_

RE: COMMON GRIND (MARCH/APRIL ‘16)

Malcolm, as usual, is totally on the money. Rather like the analogy between Special and General Relativity. Is Malcolm recommending that new characteristics need to be measured or that the SMC suite (for example) remains fundamentally suﬃcient along with a better understanding of transport, comminution processes and classiﬁcation? – Andrew Newell

TWITTER twitter.com/CIMorg/ FACEBOOK facebook.com/CIMMag/ facebook.com/CIM.ICM/ LINKEDIN linkedin.com/groups/40506/ INSTAGRAM instagram.com/cim_mag YOUTUBE youtube.com/canadianinstituteofmining

RYAN BERGEN @Ryan_CIM_Mag

DEAR EDITOR, I perceived the interview “Life Goals” in the February 2016 issue to be an effort to highlight American companies and American researchers. The content is a bit far-fetched, as the questions posed are somewhat outdated. This is particularly the case as Canada, specifically Vale, has been a leader in the field of erosion control on tailings, started by the distinguished, late Tom Peters. Articles about environmental issues are unfortunately not frequent in CIM Magazine and more coverage would be welcome. Many Canadian professionals in mine waste and water management and Canadian academic researchers are shining lights in this domain. The Canadian Land Reclamation Association (CLRA) was the first professional organisation in the world to address mined lands and their greening. So the question follows: why not speak with people in our country who are engaged in environmental work, given this is the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum?

ANGELA HAMLYN @AngelaH_CIM

ANDREA NICHIPORUK @Andrea_CIM_Mag

In the same issue, the CIM 2016 Convention guide announced sessions on “Tailings and Water Management” and “Genomics in Mining.” Although I do not think genomics will solve any environmental issues in the sector, it is progress with respect to recognizing the roles of microbes in mine drainage. An understanding of the control of mine waste eﬄuents and the microbial involvement in contaminant generation are both key to solving environmental issues in the mineral sector. The existence of these sessions indicates that we have made progress in addressing these issues. And this is due in a large part to Canadian efforts, such as the Mine Environment Neutral Drainage (MEND) of NRCan.

TOM DiNARDO @Tom_CIM_Mag

KELSEY ROLFE @kelseyarolfe

Kind regards from a CIM member, holder of CIM environmental awards and past president of the CLRA. Margarete Kalin, QEP

ERRATA MARIA OLAGUERA @Maria_CIM_Mag

In the story “Standards group releases bond eﬃciency guidelines” (May 2016, p. 33) we incorrectly referred to one of GMSG’s upcoming comminution guidelines. It should have read, “Methods to survey and sample grinding circuits for determining energy eﬃciency.” In the story “New angles on an old problem” (May 2016, p. 38), we misspelled the name on the photo credit. The credit should read “Courtesy of Todd Kostecki.” In our technology feature “Conversion story” (March/April 2016, p. 41) we incorrectly stated the scale of the potential carbon dioxide emission reductions made possible by Teck Resources’ conversion to liquid natural gas haul trucks at its metallurgical coal operations. To eliminate the 35,000 tonnes of CO2 emission mentioned in the piece, the conversion to LNG would be required at all six of Teck’s met coal mines, not just at Fording River. We regret the errors. 12 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

LET’S TALK Want to sing our praises or read us the riot act? Email your comments to editor@cim.org and you could be featured on these pages.

An Introduction to Cutoff Grade: Theory and Practice in Open Pit and Underground Mines (with a new section on blending optimization strategy) Cut-off grades are essential in determining the economic feasibility and mine life of a project. The fundamentals of cut-off grade calculation, first established by Ken Lane forty years ago, are revisited. In this course it is shown how direct and indirect costs, opportunity costs imposed by operational constraints, and other factors, such as political risk, legal, environmental and regulatory requirements, must be taken into account. Mathematical equations are developed and graphical analytical methods are displayed, which can be used to solve most cut-off grade estimation problems. It is shown how minimum cut-off grades are estimated and how they must be modified to take into account constraints imposed by mine or mill capacity, or by limits on sales volumes. Multiple practical examples are given, illustrating the role of cut-off grades in mine planning, in allocating material to different processes, in optimizing mill operating conditions, and in poly-metallic deposits.

INSTRUCTOR Jean-Michel Rendu, JMR Consultants, USA • DATE September 21-23, 2016 • LOCATION Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Geostatistical Mineral Resource Estimation and Meeting the New Regulatory Environment: Step by Step from Sampling to Grade Control This course is designed according to the latest regulations on public reporting of Mineral Resources. It aims at showing how state-of-the-art statistical and geostatistical techniques help answering the requirements of those regulations in an objective and reproducible manner. A particular emphasis is put on understanding sampling and estimation errors and how to assign levels estimation confidence through the application of resource classification fundamentals. In addition to a solid introduction to mining geostatistics this course provides a comprehensive overview of industry’s best practices in the broader field of Mineral Resource estimation.

INSTRUCTORS Marcelo Godoy, Newmont Mining Corp., Denver; Jean-Michel Rendu, JMR Consultants, USA; Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada; and Guy Desharnais, SGS Canada Inc., Canada • DATE September 26-30, 2016 • LOCATION Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Optimization and Risk Management in Strategic Mine Planning: Unearthing Material Value in Mining Complexes Growing volatility and uncertainty in global metal markets highlight the need to focus on new technologies that can unveil significant value and reliability to the performance of mining operations. This three-day course explores the foundations of strategic mine planning and stresses the new generation of applied technologies related to: (a) simultaneous optimization of integrated mining and processing operations, and (b) orebody risk management with new stochastic mine planning optimization developments.

INSTRUCTORS Roussos Dimitrakopoulos and Ryan Goodfellow, McGill University, Canada; and Brian Lambert, Minemax, USA • DATE September 7-9, 2016 • LOCATION Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Quantitative Mineral Resource Assessments: An Integrated Approach to Planning for Exploration Risk Reduction Learn about exploration risk analysis for strategic planning. Understand how to demonstrate how operational mineral deposit models can reduce uncertainties; make estimates of the number of undiscovered deposits; and integrate the information and examine the economic possibilities. INSTRUCTOR Don Singer, USA • DATE September 12-14, 2016 • LOCATION Montreal, Quebec, Canada

tools of the trade Courtesy of Reynolds Soil Technologies

Dust buster

Courtesy of Outotec

Courtesy of ARANZ Geo

Dust kicked up in underground mines can be a distraction and a hazard. Australian dust-management company Reynolds Soil Technologies (RST) hopes to clear the air with its new suppressant, Hammer. “In many instances in underground mining, the miners can find it difficult to actually identify all the different dust sources,” said David Handel, RST’s senior technical director. “As a result, we focused our R&D department on developing a single product that would treat trafficked areas and seal non-trafficked areas.” When mixed with water, Hammer suppresses dust lift-off by grouping up the dust particles, making them bigger and heavier. This in turn reduces the amount and the height of dust that is lifted into the air, ensuring that miners are working in a safe environment. As the product builds up in the workings over time, less suppressant is needed to keep dust down. – Vince Morello

Modular flotation

Visualizing value

Modularization is an increasingly popular way for miners to cut costs at their operations. Outotec is following that trend with the release of its cPlant, a modular and mobile flotation plant that starts off with a low level of automation, but can be fully automated based on the requirements of the operation. The plant includes Outotec’s flotation technology with its FloatForce mixing mechanism, and other TankCell technologies and features. As the plant is modular, clients can add or subtract flotation cells depending on the needs of their operations. Outotec’s product manager Mikko Sorri said the plant’s mobility is useful for mines with shorter lives. “Being mobile, it actually can be re-used in another site, so you can run the plant for five or seven years, and transfer it to another place afterward,” he said. Sorri said the cPlant is ideal for smaller plants with a capacity range of up to 2.5 million tonnes per year, but could also be used in large plants in a cleaner stage, or a selective flotation state where the capacity requirements are less. – Kelsey Rolfe

It can be difficult to appreciate a mineral deposit’s potential with merely 2D visualizations, so ARANZ Geo has created a different perspective for geological models through its Leapfrog Aspect mobile phone application. The free download for Android devices is an augmented reality program intended to encourage collaborations among geologists in the field, and between technical specialists and boardroom executives and investors. Using a smartphone camera, the application overlays visualizations and relevant data compiled in one of the desktopbased Leapfrog programs onto the live environment, shifting around the visualization as the phone moves. “You’re seeing reality in addition to the digital data,” said PJ Hollenbeck, Leapfrog Aspect product manager. While a free desktop-based viewer exists for Leapfrog files, Hollenbeck explained the program lacked context for the size and position of the data in space. “This application takes it a step further. Now you can see it in the field or you can position yourself anywhere in the model and look around to understand the magnitude of the deposit,” he said. Hollenbeck said the company is working to enhance Aspect’s functionality and bring the application to virtual reality platforms like Google Cardboard and Oculus Rift. – Kate Sheridan

14 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Northwest Territories’ diamond industry going strong as 25th anniversary of Ekati discovery approaches

The space mining race is on, as countries pass new laws and ramp up research efforts

B.C. mining industry down in 2015, bracing for recovery: survey

Audit argues British Columbia mines ministry unfit for enforcement role

Developments Tension over transparency Impact and benefit agreements with indigenous groups may soon see light of day An Inuit land-claim organization released a full version of its impact and benefits agreement (IBA) with Baffinland Iron Mines for the Mary River project on May 20. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) – which had previously published a partial version upon signing the agreement in 2013 – said it wants to be transparent with its members, some 14,000 Inuit who live in the Baffin Region of Nunavut. The full agreement provides a rare look at the financial underpinnings of a modern-day IBA between a miner and a Canadian indigenous group. Keeping IBAs private or partially redacted, however, may soon be a thing of the past. The Extractive Sector Transparency Measure Act (ESTMA) requires Canadian companies to divulge payments to foreign and domestic governments that exceed $100,000. In June 2017, the legislation will require the same disclosure of payments made to indigenous governments in Canada – a controversial requirement that has detractors from industry and indigenous groups alike. The full version of the Mary River IBA shows Baffinland has paid the QIA $20 million in direct payments – $5 million upon signing the agreement, $5 million after Baffinland received its water license, and $10 million after construction began. The QIA will receive a 1.19 per cent royalty on net iron ore sales, and royalty payments

Courtesy of Baffinland Iron Mines

By Joel Barde

The QIA’s impact and benefit agreement with Baffinland Iron Mines for the Mary River project was signed in 2013, but only became fully public in May.

will kick in once Baffinland begins producing at 60 per cent of the mine’s production capacity; the $20 million in direct payments will be subtracted from quarterly payments until they have been paid back in full. Olayuk Akesuk, a community director with the QIA, said the association’s board of directors made the decision to release the full agreement. He said sharing those details publicly is important because “as representatives we need to make sure we are transparent with our people.” The QIA represents 13 Inuit communities in the Baffin Region, and the

IBA sets aside money for training, business development and personal and career counselling for them. Currently, around 18 per cent of the mine’s total work force is Inuit, Akesuk said. He expects that number to grow to 25 per cent by April 2017. Hans Matthews, founder and CEO of the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association, has facilitated relations between mining companies and indigenous communities since the early 1990s. He said the revenue sharing component of the Mary River deal is part of an ongoing “evolution” in which Indigenous Peoples are gaining June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 15

a greater say in what projects do and do not get off the ground. He estimated there are some 300 IBAs between indigenous governments and resource companies in Canada, and is concerned that ESTMA, passed by the Conservative government in 2015, will jeopardize them. The legislation, said Matthews, will make the financial details of the IBAs public. Companies may compare their deals to others, decide they are paying too much, and “take them off the shelf.” Or they may use previous agreements as benchmarks for negotiating new ones, which Matthews contended is unfair: each deal is completely different, both in terms of the impact of the project and the specific needs of the indigenous group involved. “It shouldn’t be up to Ottawa. It should be up to the groups to negotiate the agreement,” said Matthews.

Sean Batise, who as executive director of the Wabun Tribal Council has experience negotiating IBAs, shared Matthews’ concerns and worried government will claw back funding to First Nations if it knows they are receiving substantial dividends from financial projects. Indigenous and Northern Affairs, he said, has been trying to factor funds from resource projects into its funding decisions for years. “We shouldn’t be penalized for being proactive.” As for the premise of the legislation – that it will promote transparency – Batise disagreed. Indigenous groups already share the financial details of IBAs with their members, he said. “We’re transparent with the people we need to be transparent with.” The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) also came out against that part of the legislation, with president and CEO Pierre Gratton telling Northern Ontario Business in June 2015,

“[MAC] actually discussed with NGOs that very issue right at the beginning…and we all agreed that it was too complex and would require extensive consultation we don’t have the capacity to do.” Some, however, say that mandatory disclosures would be a good development. “We should publish what we pay,” said Louise Grondin, a senior vicepresident of environment and sustainability at Agnico Eagle. “Everyone should know what mining companies are contributing. It’s a recognition that we’re contributing to the development of Nunavut, for instance.” Grondin said Agnico Eagle, in its initial negotiations with the Kivalliq Inuit Association, insisted the financial details of the IBA for its Meliadine project be made public. “We wanted everything to be open and we insisted on it from the start. They accepted that a little bit reluctantly, because it was a

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developments first for them,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not out in the open it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help mining companies. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to expect.â&#x20AC;? Larry Chartrand, a professor at the University of Ottawa who specializes in aboriginal law, said he is in favor of the legislation. He said publicly dis-

closing financial deals could serve as a guard against corruption â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a problem in indigenous and non-indigenous governments alike. Chartrand said he is confident Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new government would not react with claw-backs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Under the previous government Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d give

that idea more weight,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But this Liberal government is well aware of the high financial costs needed to bring First Nations on par with non-indigenous communities, and they know they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford to do that with only transfer payments.â&#x20AC;? CIM

Police, labour ministry charge Detour Gold in employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death The Ontario Ministry of Labour charged Detour Gold in late May with 15 violations of the provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Occupational Health and Safety Act regarding the death of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 52-year-old employee, Denis Millette, due to cyanide poisoning. Three supervisors at Detour also received two charges each. A month prior, provincial police charged the company with criminal negligence. On June 3, 2015, Millette was repairing the inline leach reactor, a machine that uses sodium cyanide to help separate gold and rock, when a broken valve exposed the unprotected Millette to the cyanide. Despite help from on-site medical staff, Millette died of cyanide intoxication. The ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of Detourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offences include not making sure the inline leach reactor Millette was working on at the time of his death was properly maintained, and for not ensuring that the antidote for cyanide poisoning was stored near the working area. The company was also charged with failing to inform supervisors and employees about the dangers of working with cyanide. The supervisors were charged for not ensuring that Millette was wearing proper gear, and not supervising or instructing him properly on the job site. According to amendments made to the Criminal Code of Canada in 2004 a company can face criminal charges for workplace accidents and deaths and be fined if found guilty. Those changes were in response to the Westray mine

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disaster in Nova Scotia nearly 25 years ago, where a methane explosion killed all 26 miners working underground at the time, after multiple orders from the province’s Department of Labour inspectors were not heeded. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety eight companies, not including Detour, have been criminally charged in

employees’ deaths since the legislation came into effect. One was Quebec paving company Transpave, which was charged and convicted of criminal negligence, and fined $100,000 plus a $10,000 victim surcharge, after one of its workers was crushed by a packing machine in 2008. Detour Gold declined a CIM Magazine request for comment, but in a

late-April press release the company’s CEO Paul Martin said, “We have and will continue to cooperate fully with both the Ontario Provincial Police and Ministry of Labour throughout their investigations and are taking these charges very seriously. In the meantime, we would like to express our sincere condolences to the family.” – V. Morello

Dominion Diamond’s expansion into the Jay kimberlite pipe at its Ekati property has completed another regulatory step, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blusson’s landmark discovery of diamonds in the Northwest Territories in the autumn of 1991, which eventually formed the basis of the Ekati diamond mine and launched the diamond mining industry in the territory. The territorial government accepted the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board’s recommendation to approve the expansion. The review board had required a few additional measures to mitigate public concern and potential negative environmental impacts, including a design that would minimize harm from roads and dust to local caribou populations; improve the proposed strategy to employ women; and use traditional indigenous knowledge to design and operate the mine. The final step in the environmental review process is to file water license and land use permit applications. Dominion Diamond, which owns a majority interest in the Ekati mine, said in a May press release the applications would be filed “shortly.” The Jay Project could extend Ekati’s mine life by 10 to 11 years. Ekati is not the only operation making strides in N.W.T. Mountain Province, a co-owner of the Gahcho 18 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Courtesy of Dominion Diamond Corporation

Northwest Territories’ diamond industry going strong as the 25th anniversary of Ekati discovery approaches

Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blusson’s discovery of diamonds in the Northwest Territories formed the basis of the Ekati mine.

Kué open-pit mine, announced in early May the project is 94 per cent complete and is on track for first production in the second half of the year. (De Beers owns 51 per cent of the mine.) Gahcho Kué is expected to produce an average of 4.5 million carats per year. Over its 12-year mine life, it is expected to produce 55.5 million carats from a Probable Reserve of 35.4 million tonnes. Also in May, the Diavik Diamond mine reached the 100-million-carat milestone. The operation began in 2003 and work will begin next year to develop a fourth kimberlite pipe on the property. “The impact of the Northwest Territories on the global diamond industry for the last 25 years has been significant, and De Beers is committed to continue our long-term presence with the opening of Gahcho Kué later this year,” said Tom Ormsby, a spokesperson for De Beers, which also operates the Snap Lake diamond mine. “It is

well-positioned with its Proven Resources to ensure that N.W.T. remains a major player in the diamond industry.” The industry had an impact on the territory over the past quarter-century, according to the territorial government’s 2015 report on community impacts. (Working with the territory to produce the annual report is one of the requirements the Ekati, Diavik and Snap Lake diamond mines must fulfill to operate in N.W.T.) Fewer residents rely on welfare programs, and more residents are continuing with their education, the report stated. In the last tax year, diamond mines paid $44 million through corporate income tax, fuel, property and payroll tax; this amounts to about a third of the territory’s total tax revenue and an 11 per cent increase from the previous year. One eighth of resource revenues in the territory is sent to indigenous – Kate Sheridan organizations.

developments

Another giant leap for mankind The space mining race is on, as countries pass new laws and ramp up research efforts By Sahar Fatima and Vince Morello

Luxembourg, which in February announced plans to create a legal framework for space mining, said in early June it would open a €200-million fund to encourage asteroid-mining initiatives. In early May, the small country signed a deal with U.S.-based space research company Deep Space Industries (DSI) to develop a spacecraft prototype to test asteroid-mining technologies. Just a month earlier in April, northern Ontario firm Deltion Innovations was awarded a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) contract to develop a drill capable of mining for resources on Mars and the moon. The fund and contracts signal Canada’s and Luxembourg’s growing focus on space mining, which other countries like the United States and China have also been pursuing aggressively. President Barack Obama signed the Space Act of 2015 in November, giving citizens the ability to mine and use resources from outer space. More recently, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom signed a partnership to develop and share technology for exploration, and Denmark passed a law in May to regulate activities in space. “The price point is there and the economics are starting to make sense. I think space mining is going to happen, and it’ll happen because it’s driven by the space agencies, and it will be driven by the private industries very soon,” said Deltion CEO Dale Boucher. In its deal with the small European country, DSI will develop ProspectorX, an experimental spacecraft to test its technologies in the Earth’s low orbit. DSI will test three key technologies in Prospector-X to prepare for its Prospector-1 spacecraft: a propulsion system that uses water as fuel, an optical navigation system and an aviation

electronics system. “Once we have a confirmation of those technologies we’ll put them into a larger and more robust spacecraft that’s fit for deep space,” said Meagan Crawford, DSI’s vice-president of communications. The

MINING TECHNOLOGY OF THE FUTURE In its deal with Luxembourg, DSI will develop an experimental spacecraft called Prospector-X to test asteroid-mining technologies in the Earth’s low orbit.

Planetary Resources launched its Arkyd 3 Reflight spacecraft from the International Space Station last year to test asteroid prospecting technology. 2

1. Courtesy of Bryan Versteeg/Deep Space Industries 2. Courtesy of Planetary Resources

Prospector-1 would be sent out to asteroids to survey potential mining targets so DSI can develop the right mining equipment for those asteroids. Deltion of Capreol, Ontaro is working on what Boucher bills as a “spaceage Swiss Army knife.” The tool will weigh about five kilograms, attach to a robotic arm and be able to swap out six parts for different functions such as drilling holes into various rock formations, collecting samples and attaching bolts. “We’re not new to this particular field and we’ve learned a lot in the last 16 years on how to build space mining equipment,” said Boucher. He said Deltion has worked alongside NASA and CSA to develop drills and excavators since 2000. “By using that know-how we can design into the flight version some of the lessons we have learned.” The $700,000 contract gives Deltion until the summer of 2017 to build a tool that will be tested in extreme environments on Earth like arctic and desert climates. It will not be ready to fly into space, but could be used as a starting point for further development. Deltion is also subcontracting to two other Ontario firms. Neptec Design Group will provide engineering expertise as it already has products in space, and Atlas Copco will help with mechanics. “[Space mining is] really a new frontier,” said Gilles Leclerc, director general of space exploration at CSA. “The purpose is first and foremost scientific. But we do also realize there are applications for resources.” Technology developed for space can also be used on harsh environments on earth, he said, and though it is likely at least a decade away from being a reality, the future market of space mining could have huge potential for Canadian companies.

June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 19

Planetary Resources, which last year launched its Arkyd 3 Reflight spacecraft from the International Space Station to test its asteroid prospecting technology. Mined materials could also be brought back and sold on Earth, including potential fuel resources for the future. For instance, Boucher said, helium-3 gas is anticipated to fuel new nuclear fusion power plants. The gas is available on Earth, but not in large quantities. It is, however, found in significant quantities on the moon. Asteroids are expected to contain iron, nickel and cobalt, and platinum group metals could occur in the space rocks in quantities “hundreds the times” of even the most productive mines on Earth, Lewicki said. But if and when space mining happens, it could open up a diplomatic can of worms. Leclerc said international rules under the United Nations,

Raising the dough for charity CIM past-president Garth Kirkham took a pie to the face from Mining Association of British Columbia CEO Karina Briño at the annual Teck Celebrity Pie Throw on May 12. The event, part of the Mining for Miracles campaign, raised $1,206,704 for the B.C. Children’s Hospital, smashing through the initial $600,000 goal. In the lead-up to the event, 30 mining industry “celebrities” from associations and B.C. mining companies – including Kaminak Gold CEO Eira Thomas, PDAC president Robert Schafer and provincial Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett – faced off in a head-to-head competition to raise the most money for the hospital. Whoever raised the least in each pair got their just desserts at the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza. Proceeds from the event go toward expanding the hospital’s CAUSES Research Clinic, which diagnoses children with rare genetic diseases and identifies proper treatment. Mining for Miracles pledged to donate $3 million for the clinic in 2016, and planned to raise the money through events like the Pie Throw and the Slo-Pitch softball tournament. – Vince Morello

20 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, currently state that space belongs to everyone and prevents celestial bodies from national appropriation. “So there is a clash between what you can claim for commercial exploitation versus ownership,” Leclerc said. “The international framework has not been established.” In the meantime, he said, there is plenty of science to be developed to better understand the moon, asteroids and other bodies that could be exploited. “It’s an intriguing aspect but one that could potentially be disruptive.” CIM

Goldcorp targeted by online extortionists Goldcorp was the victim of a security breach, where hackers gained access to and posted the company’s

Photos courtesy of Teck Resources

“Whoever is going to be first to exploit space resources is really going to have an advantage,” Leclerc said. For Boucher, space mining could also be valuable for getting resources like water to astronauts. “In order to explore beyond the space station, or get anywhere off the planet, we have to be able to carry our supplies with us,” he said. “But the further explorers go, the more it costs to get water out to them.” Crawford, too, said DSI is primarily looking to access the water in asteroids. “Water is important for human habitation, for drinking water and air, and radiation shielding,” she said. “But also in its basic parts it becomes hydrogen and oxygen; it becomes rocket fuel. There’s a lot of potential energy in water.” It costs up to $50 million per metric tonne to transport fuel into space, according to Chris Lewicki, CEO of

developments private information online, the company confirmed in April. The attack is believed to be random, according to Goldcorp spokesperson Christine Marks. Goldcorp CEO David Garofalo confirmed to Bloomberg that the company was asked for money in exchange for the data. “My understanding is that they target a lot of companies,” Garofalo said. “They do it for money. In that case, the answer is obvious to me – you don’t pay criminals and then you call the police.” According to Stephan Jou, a data scientist and security expert at cyber-security firm Interset, mining companies are not as prepared for cyber security threats as banks and other financial institutions because they are generally not targets for those types of attacks, and as a result are easier to hack. “Why not go after the easy guy?” Jou said. The hackers were able to access 14.8 gigabytes of information in the breach, including private budget docu-

ments; payroll information; emails; employee phone numbers, email and home addresses among other data, according to the Daily Dot. “The extent of the data breach is not of significant concern for us, because we’re a public company and anything of a material nature has to be in the public domain by law anyways. So we really don’t have any material undisclosed information,” Garofalo told Bloomberg. While day-to-day operations were uninterrupted by the breach, Goldcorp dispatched security teams to work on modifying computer processes and network security to prevent future hacking attempts. According to the Underground Hacker Markets Report from Dell SecureWorks, hackers can sell corporate emails for about $500 per mailbox. “You see exactly why they’re doing this, because they can make really

good money on this sort of stuff,” said Jou. The incident is now a part of an ongoing investigation by the Vancouver Police Department and a “joint task force represented by multiple agencies,” said Marks. Goldcorp is not the first Canadian mining firm to be attacked in recent history. Detour Gold was hacked last year by a group who claimed to be based in Russia. It is currently unknown if Goldcorp was attacked by – V. Morello the same group.

B.C. mining industry down in 2015, bracing for recovery: survey It should come as no surprise that the annual PricewaterhouseCoopers Mining Industry Survey labeled 2015 “another tough year” for mining companies in British Columbia. With key commodity prices, particularly metal-

June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 21

lurgical coal and copper, on a downward trend for the fifth year in a row, gross mining revenues for the province fell to $7.7 billion in 2015, down from $8.2 billion in 2014. Although the difficult market conditions saw seven mines in the province put on care and maintenance by the end of 2015, and one more in early 2016, there is also cause for optimism with other mining companies in B.C. raising money and advancing projects.

“B.C.’s mineral exploration and mining industry continues to prove its resilience,” said Bill Bennett, the province’s Minister of Energy and Mines. “One of the best indicators of success is seeing a mineral discovery move through permitting and into mine construction and production.” Five new mines have gone into production in B.C. since 2011, Bennett said, and two more are currently under construction: JDS Silver’s Silvertip Mine and Pretium’s Brucejack gold mine, the

latter featured in the report as “a shining example of B.C.’s mining might.” The PwC report also noted how important a stable and supportive federal and provincial tax regime is to a recovering mining industry and for attracting new investment. “B.C. recently implemented a program for operating mines to defer payment of BC Hydro electricity costs until commodity prices come back,” said Bennett. The program was announced in February to allow certain operating mines to defer up to 75 per cent of their power bills for two years. The 2015 PwC report, released in mid-May, is the 48th annual snapshot of the impact the mining sector has on the provincial economy. The results are gathered from an in-depth survey of mining companies operating in B.C., recording economic indicators such as revenues, capital investment, expenditures, employment and total payments to government. This year’s survey included 27 participants: 14 operating mines, 12 projects in the exploration or development stage and one smelter operation. – Kylie Williams

Goldcorp scoops up Kaminak Gold Goldcorp purchased Kaminak Gold and acquired its Coffee gold project, located 130 kilometres south of Dawson City, Yukon, in a deal worth $520 million, the company announced in midMay. This will be Goldcorp’s first development in the Yukon. “Kaminak always viewed Coffee as a project that we could build ourselves,” Kaminak CEO Eira Thomas told CIM Magazine. “For us it came down to an offer that was so compelling, it made sense for us to think about selling rather than to assume the three years of execution risks that were in front of us.” Kaminak estimated in January that there was five million ounces of gold within the 60,000-hectare site, and said it planned to mine 2.1 million ounces during Coffee’s 10-year mine 22 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Courtesy of Kaminak Gold

developments life. The company Gold prices have expected to begin conincreased 16.5 per cent struction in mid-2018. since the beginning of Thomas said she the year. “There is interbelieves the sale was est by the majors to aided by the fact that acquire projects and there are not many think about growth quality developmentagain for the first time in stage projects because a while,” Thomas said. of the “challenges the The sale has already industry has had in the been approved by the last three years.” boards of directors of Under the purchase both companies. Kamiagreement, each Kaminak shareholders will nak share will be vote on it by July 14, and exchanged for 0.10896 the deal is expected to Kaminak’s Coffee gold project in Yukon Territory has an estimated five million ounces of gold of a Goldcorp share. close on August 15. within the 60,000-hectare site. “This acquisition is Kaminak employees consistent with our strategy of part- David Garofalo in a press release. are expected to be offered positions at nering with junior exploration com- Goldcorp also acquired junior miner Goldcorp, Thomas said. While Probe Mines in March 2015 in a deal panies to identify and develop Thomas will help with the transition, worth more than $525 million. she said she is not likely to continue mining districts with significant Probe owned the Borden Gold proj- working with the Coffee gold project exploration potential that is expected to grow our net asset value ect located 160 kilometres west of “indefinitely.” – V. Morello per share,” said Goldcorp CEO Goldcorp’s Porcupine mine.

Rethinking regulation Audit argues British Columbia mines ministry unfit for enforcement role

The British Columbia mines ministry lacks a “culture of enforcement,” according to an audit released in May from the provincial auditor general’s office. In a press release announcing the report, Auditor General Carol Bellringer said “almost every one of our expectations for a robust compliance and enforcement program were not met.” The report examined the activities of both the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the Ministry of Environment. The report noted MEM might be at risk of regulatory capture – when a regulatory agency focuses on supporting the industry it regulates over the public’s interest – and recommended compliance and enforcement activities be removed from the ministry. Instead, the audit advised, these tasks should be governed by an independent unit. The recommendation was the only one the government did not unequivo-

Courtesy of Teck Resources

By Kate Sheridan

Mines that will require long-term water treatment, including Teck’s Elk Valley coal project, made up the majority of the B.C. mines ministry’s reclamation fund shortfall.

cally accept. “This recommendation suggests that the public servants in MEM are incapable of differentiating

between promotion and regulation of mining, a view government does not share,” the environment and mining June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 23

FROM THE WIRE Bruce Cleaver was named CEO of De Beers Group, the company announced in late May. De Beers’ previous CEO, Philippe Mellier, stepped down from his position on July 1 after five years at the helm. Cleaver previously served as Co-Acting CEO before Mellier was appointed in 2011.

Amec Foster Wheeler appointed Jonathan Lewis its new chief executive officer, the company announced in late April. Lewis took over the reins on June 1. He was previously the senior vicepresident of Halliburton Company, an oilfield services firm where he worked since 1996.

Fortune Minerals announced in midApril it had appointed David Ramsay to its board of directors. Ramsay is a former cabinet minister in the Northwest Territories legislative assembly. He has held positions of Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, Minister of Transportation, and Minister Responsible for the Public Utilities Board for the GNWT.

John Treen was promoted to senior vice-president of Stantec’s global business line, the company announced in early April. Treen was previously the company’s senior principal and technical leader, where he provided engineering and design management for more than 120 international mining projects.

Eldorado Gold resumed construction on its Skouries project in the Halkidiki region of northern Greece after the country’s Ministry of Energy and Environment approved an updated technical study for the project in early May. Eldorado halted development in January and laid off most of the Skouries workforce after confrontations with the government and area locals escalated.

24 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

ministries stated in a joint written response to the report. “We do not accept that mere appearances are sufficient to warrant the act of removing compliance and enforcement from MEM.” Nonetheless, the release said MEM will establish a separate board within three months, to “strengthen government’s regulatory oversight of the mining sector” and bridge the mining and environment ministries and the provincial Environmental Assessment Office. “The overall recommendation we feel is the foundation for a sound program,” said Morris Sydor, an assistant auditor general for the province. He noted that other jurisdictions had identified regulatory capture as an issue after environmental and safety disasters, including in Nova Scotia after the 1997 inquiry into the Westray mining disaster, which led to the creation of the province’s 2003 Underground Mining Act (updated again in 2008). Sydor said he hopes the report will be brought forward before legislators so the ministry can further explain why they are planning to “go a different direction.” MEM spokesperson David Haslam noted that the ministry does not believe its compliance and enforcement regimes place the environment at risk. (The government accepted all of the 17 additional recommendations.) The report also focused on an estimated $1.2-billion shortfall in the fund designed to cover future reclamation costs. The provincial Mines Act requires companies give the government a full or partial security deposit, based on estimated liability calculations, to ensure the province will not be financially responsible for future reclamation costs. (“Statutory decision-makers,” not the minister, determine the amount of the security bonds required for each mine, Haslam said. The ministry can review and update the amounts as necessary.) Many companies, however, have not deposited enough to meet the estimated liabilities. “With the [environmental] risks increasing, you might not know when you design the mine that you need a

water treatment plant ten years down the road,” said performance auditor Tanya Wood. If a water treatment plant is eventually needed, the ministry will reassess the liability amount. “To go back and get that money from the mine can be quite challenging,” she said. On May 18 the Vancouver Sun released a detailed list of companies that contribute to the audit’s assessed reclamation fund shortfall with outstanding financial security deposits. That list identified Teck’s Elk Valley coal projects as one of the major contributors to the deficit, with a gap between estimated and actual liability coverage of more than $500 million. Teck’s Highland Valley Copper mine and Barrick’s Eskay Creek gold project also had significant gaps: more than $186 million and $114 million, respectively. Over half of the sites listed had no shortfall; many gaps were less than $1 million. Barrick will have enough to cover the closure costs at Eskay Creek, said Barrick senior vice-president of communications Andy Lloyd, and the money is already set aside. “We do have on our books roughly $114 million for provisions for environmental remediation for the closure sites,” he said. “We continue to fund those activities on an ongoing basis. “Barrick has a significant amount of liquidity to cover all of our obligations – certainly our closure obligations – and we have a good track record.” Mines that will require water treatment – including Elk Valley – are responsible for $730 million of the shortfall. “This is contrary to MEM’s policy requiring full security on mines that require long-term water treatment,” the audit stated. Haslam said MEM increased the amount of reclamation securities it holds over the years, doubling the amount since 2011 and quadrupling it since 2001. The provincial government also highlighted Teck’s efforts to treat selenium in the waters at Elk Valley, noting the company has committed to building eight new water treatment facilities.

developments Mount Polley’s liability shortfall was estimated at just under $10.5 million. The August 2014 tailings breach at the mine was specifically highlighted as part of the audit’s rationale for the recommendation to remove compliance and enforcement from MEM’s jurisdiction. “We found that the ministry did not ensure that the tailings dam was being built or operated according to the approved design, nor did it ensure that the mining company rectified design and operational deficiencies,” the report stated. The audit also found that MEM did not have enough human or financial resources to conduct the required

inspections. The ministry has challenged the audit’s interpretation of its role at Mount Polley, stating that it “does not align” with the conclusions of the Mount Polley independent review panel or Chief Inspector of Mines Al Hoffman’s investigation. Other recommendations in the audit included creating incentives to promote responsible behaviour among mining companies, formulating reclamation guidelines and enacting new reporting policies for enforcement activities and the security deposits. The report took about two years to complete and examined the three years between 2012 and 2014. CIM

Cameo and Areva set up legacy trust fund

provides a way to give back to these communities,” said Veronique Loewen, Areva’s manager of communications. The fund’s trust currently has $200,000. Half of it will be available for investment in projects across northern Saskatchewan in 2016. The goal is to eventually reach $50 million in the coming decades. The continued drop in uranium prices – which hit US$25.69/lb on April 15, the commodity’s lowest point in more than a decade – may have consequences for the trust fund. “One of the realities that [the] group had to discuss was tying it to the market,” said Willy. “Hopefully the market comes back, but the market’s quite low right now.” All funding decisions will be made by a board of four members from nearby First Nations communities: Victor Fern of Fond du Lac; Angie Merasty of Pelican Narrows; Isidore Campbell, an English River First Nation member from Beauval; and William Dumais of Southend. Areva and Cameco have non-voting members on the board. Fern said the board is currently evaluating applications. Groups applying for funding will be required to raise 25 per cent of the funds to demonstrate an ability to complete the project. – V. Morello

Uranium producers Cameco and Areva Resources Canada, along with community leaders in Saskatchewan, established a legacy trust fund for communities in northern Saskatchewan, the companies announced in mid-April. Called the Six Rivers Fund, the trust fund is a non-profit corporation that will support various community activities and projects in the province’s Northern Administration District (NAD). The district includes about half of the province’s land mass and is home to 45 communities, mostly First Nations. It also encompasses the Athabasca Basin, where Cameco and Areva operate. “We’re hoping that we can provide more for youth activities,” said Six Rivers Fund board chair Victor Fern. “Upgrading community facilities would be one of the priorities.” According to Sean Willy, Cameco’s director of corporate responsibility, some of those priorities will be education, culture and community infrastructure. The fund will raise money through interest from uranium sales from the Cameco-operated McArthur River/Key Lake mine, where Areva also owns a share of the operation. “Northern Saskatchewan is very important to our uranium project for both Areva and Cameco and this fund

FROM THE WIRE Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill and the Government of Mongolia signed off on a US$5.3-billion expansion of the Oyu Tolgoi mine from an open pit to an underground operation in early May. The expansion will start midway through 2016 and will cost US$400 million more than originally planned. First production from the underground mine will begin in 2020.

McEwen Mining purchased two mineral properties just 10 kilometres from its El Gallo mine for $250,000 and a two per cent net smelter royalty to Almadex Minerals Limited, the company announced in early May. The properties are in the same area where McEwen discovered two of its existing satellite resources – Twin Domes and Las Milpas.

Within a month Eldorado Gold sold all its Chinese operations. In April the company sold its 82 per cent stake in the Jinfeng mine to a subsidiary of China National Gold for $300 million, and in May sold its stakes in the White Mountain and Tanjianshan mines, and the Eastern Dragon development project to an affiliate of Yintai Resources for $600 million. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016.

Prompted by the surging interest in minerals for clean tech applications and the exacting processing requirements for them, consultancy firm Micon International teamed up with German industrial mineral specialist Anzaplan to provide specialty commodity consulting. The venture, dubbed M.Plan International and launched in March, combines Micon’s experience in due diligence, mineral resource reporting and feasibility studies with Anzaplan’s background in the specialty mineral sectors as well as its testing and analytical services in Germany. Compiled by Ryan Bergen, Vince Morello and Kelsey Rolfe

June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 25

OECD creates extractive sector-specific stakeholder engagement guidance The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development launched a new guidance for stakeholder engagement within the extractive sector at the CIM Convention in May, advocating a focus on the stakeholders most vulnerable and affected by resource projects. The guidance looks broadly at how to engage with all stakeholders, but also outlines how to engage with four specific groups: Indigenous Peoples, workers and trade unions, women, and artisanal and small-scale miners. It takes a “risk-based” approach to engagement, according to Barbara Bijelic, the OECD’s legal expert on responsible business conduct.

“Stakeholders are often best positioned to identify risk posed to themselves and also to help formulate strategies for how to prevent or mitigate it,” she said. Bijelic said the OECD turned its attention specifically to the extractive sector because it saw a lot of cases brought before its national contact points (NCPs) – moderators stationed in each OECD member country that hear grievances between companies and stakeholders – specifically dealing with the sector and its poor stakeholder engagement. “The extractive sector is one of the more challenging sectors that we work on. There’s a large environmental and social footprint that comes along with extractive operations,” she said. “So it was something where there seemed to be a need for additional guidance.” The guidance, now available online, was in the works for three years,

including a two-year drafting process, and was initially proposed by the government of Canada. An advisory group of 50 people, representing governments (among them Norway, France, the Netherlands, and Colombia), industry, indigenous groups and industry associations including PDAC and the Mining Association of Canada, contributed to the document. Ben Chalmers, MAC’s vice-president of sustainable development, said the association saw the document as being “very complementary” to its own Towards Sustainable Mining program’s community engagement protocol. Following the guidance is voluntary, but Chalmers said he believes companies will participate because “it really represents a multi-stakeholder consensus view of how to best conduct engagement activities.” The OECD is currently translating the document into French and Spanish,

SUSPENDS PRODUCTION

CAMECO AT RABBIT LAKE As uranium prices continue to drop – slumping to US$25.69/lb in April, the lowest point since May 2005 – Cameco announced on April 21 it would temporarily suspend production at its Rabbit Lake operation, located in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin. Rabbit Lake began the transition to care and maintenance immediately, which is expected to be completed by the end of August. As a result, Cameco cut its 2016 production estimates for Rabbit Lake to 1 million pounds, down from 3.6 million pounds. At its United States uranium operations, production estimates have also been cut, dropping to 1.1 million pounds from 1.4 million. Cameco’s overall 2016 uranium production is expected to fall to 25.7 million pounds, down from an initial projection of 30 million. – Vince Morello 26 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

500 JOBS LOST + 85 JOBS LOST

AT RABBIT LAKE AT CAMECO’S U.S. URANIUM OPERATIONS

REMAIN 150 WILL AT RABBIT LAKE

FOR CARE & MAINTENANCE

170

WILL REMAIN

EMPLOYED IN THE U.S.

$ million

THE COST OF PLACING RABBIT LAKE UNDER CARE AND MAINTENANCE FOR 2016

million pounds

McARTHUR/ KEY LAKE’S EXPECTED 2016 PRODUCTION down from 20 million

developments and raising funds to implement it. The organization hopes to do a pilot project with a couple of companies, and workshops in partnership with – Kelsey Rolfe its NCPs.

B.C. government invests in expanded geological survey Geoscience BC, a non-profit organization dedicated to generating and sharing public earth science data in British Columbia, received another $5-million investment from the provincial government in May. The funding will enable a number of new mineral, water and energy initiatives in the province, including geophysical surveys, geological mapping, energy research, water and seismicity monitoring projects to support the discovery and construction of new mines in B.C. “When I ask exploration companies and prospectors what distinguishes B.C. as an attractive place to invest, the answer I get back most often is the quality and availability of geoscience information,” said Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett in a press release. Geoscience BC was created in 2005 during an industry downturn to stimulate mineral exploration and mining in the province. Over the past 11 years the non-profit organization has supported more than 135 earth science projects covering over half the province. The May 18 announcement also included the launch of Geoscience BC’s largest airborne magnetic survey, which came out of last year’s funding. The Search Phase II project will cover a 24,000-square-kilometre grid in westcentral B.C., between Fort Fraser and Smithers, to be flown in the summer of 2016. A number of mines and known deposits sit just outside the survey area. Bruce Madu, Geoscience BC’s vicepresident of minerals and mining said the new survey will be more detailed and reliable than previous surveys. Although the survey covers a wide

area, exploration and mining companies will be able to review postagestamp sections of the high-resolution geophysical data at exploration lease or mine scale with “full confidence” in its accuracy. “The Search Phase II survey is a key piece of the puzzle that will bridge the gap between the Search Phase I geophysical survey [between Terrace and Kitimat, west of Smithers] completed last year and the TREK survey [south of Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake, west

of Quesnel] in 2013,” said Madu. “Together, these three adjoining projects will provide a continuous modern survey of high-quality magnetic data covering a 55,500-square-kilometre area, equivalent to the size of Nova Scotia.” All data and reports generated by Geoscience BC are available for download from their website and on the Earth Science Viewer, a new, webbased GIS tool the organization – K. Williams developed.

June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 27

column

Mining for information By Donna Beneteau, Donna Cortolezzis and Kristin Bogdan

hile teaching two separate classes – Ms. Beneteau at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) and Ms. Cortolezzis at Laurentian University (LU) – some of the coursework we assigned required students to conduct a systematic review of published literature, both in academic sources and grey literature, on different mining operations. It was during these assignments that we discovered the lack of current and accurate information in the public domain. Teaching students how to locate, write about and reference technical information is key to an engineering education. Unfortunately there is a lack of up-to-date, publicly available information about mining operations that students can draw upon. If the industry wants to ensure the quality of the engineers that enter their ranks upon graduation, mining companies would do well to help fill this practical knowledge gap by publishing generalized information about each of their mining operations. The Mining Sourcebook, where most of this information had historically been published, is now discontinued due to a lack of participation by the mining industry. We can all appreciate how one more survey could easily be buried under a pile on your desk in an effort to meet production. However, the information the publication contained was vital to the preparation of students’ mining careers. To get a clearer idea of what information can currently be consulted, we reviewed publicly available mining information, focusing on papers found in online databases available at U of S and LU, and those databases open to

members of CIM, the International Society for Rock Mechanics, Infomine and the International Society of Explosives Engineers. In the past 30 years, those publications have focused on geology, safety, social responsibility, the environment and equipment. Unfortunately, generalized papers about the technical aspects of mining operations – the most useful for technical teaching – are scarce. It would be very useful, for example, if students could search out the stress levels in mines across the country, but that information is simply not available in a consistent format. We urge mining companies to consider providing more information as part of their standard procedures. CIM conferences like MEMO or the Annual Convention would welcome generalized papers about operations. Companies might also consider creating or updating detailed Wikipedia pages about their operations, or adding more technical content to company websites. Consider the example of mining suppliers who are creating promotional YouTube videos that contain valuable technical information we can examine in the classroom, and free computer programs for educational institutions, like Promine. The students they reach in classrooms today are future investors and employees in the mining industry. Mining companies might also benefit from a similar strategy for engaging with their future employees. Consider the need for media relations and corporate websites. A generation ago these were unheard of; today they offer a potential exercise in interdepartmental teamwork, communica-

tion and organization in which summer students or technical personnel work with corporate media officers to develop Wiki pages. Wikipedia is designed to be a collaborative medium so why not use it as an internal mechanism for training as well? There is an opportunity here for the industry to take the lead, showcase operations and set the groundwork for information that teachers and students will use. Companies could even encourage their workforce to take ownership of the framework and polish the content over time. If erroneous information is uncovered in the process, the company can strengthen public knowledge by correcting it. We encourage our students to use Wikipedia as a starting point and search out references in order to validate that information and find more resources. We only hope they will see the gaps in technical information in papers and will help fill those in when they enter the working world. By bolstering publicly available technical information about mining operations, companies can strengthen the knowledge base of future mining professionals. Help teachers and librarians help you by making important information contributions about your company and its projects. CIM Donna Beneteau is the departmental assistant for mining at U of S. She has worked as a geological engineer at the Noranda Technology Centre, Holloway mine and Ionic Engineering. Donna Cortolezzis was a mining engineer for Geco, Holloway and Vale, including the chief engineer for the Stobie mine. She is currently a PhD student and sessional instructor at LU. Kristin Bogdan worked as a geologist for Cameco and JNR Resources. She is a science and engineering librarian at U of S.

Got an opinion on one of our columns? Send your comments to editor@cim.org. 28 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

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Cuba: The land of opportunity? By Alison Lacy

uba is undergoing a historic change. The tension between the United States and Cuba is easing, with President Obama being the first U.S. President to visit the country in 88 years and commercial air traffic between the two countries scheduled to start soon. It is a country with well-defined mineral resources and a highly-educated workforce. It has a relatively new foreign investment law, an established mining law and is open for business to all. The gathering tide of economic liberalization in Cuba, however, will not come without its challenges. With its aging revolutionary leadership and recognition of the need for economic reform, many would agree that Cuba has already shown signs of its desire to transition into a post-Castro era. For example, term limits for the Cuban presidential position are to be implemented, which Raul Castro is expected to honour by stepping down from office in 2018. Additionally, the country has a relatively new foreign investment law (Law 118) that offers improved tax treatment and a more transparent approval process, with the goal of substantially boosting foreign direct investment. The country has ample mining opportunities. It is currently the world’s sixth largest producer of nickel and provides about eight per cent of the world’s supply of cobalt. Cuba is also believed to hold significant deposits of gold, copper, silver, iron ore and other base metals. Along with being rich in resources, Cuba offers preferential tax treatment to foreign companies doing business in the country through Law 118. Under the law, profits from mining are now taxed at 22.5 per cent – down from 45 per cent – and deferrable for eight years. Law 76, the Mining Code, was estab-

lished in 1994 and works in conjunction with Law 118 with respect to any foreign investment in mining. Despite the progressive changes brought by Law 118, foreign companies are still required to partner with the Cuban government on investments in mining. Such a partnership requires entering into an international economic association contract with the government that later converts into a joint venture, at which point it becomes a producing mining company. This structure has its risks and challenges, including Cuba’s onerous regulatory requirements and the foreign company’s assumption of 100 per cent of the financial risk throughout the reconnaissance, exploration and prospection phases of mineral exploration. Accordingly, geologists must have a high level of confidence that selected mining sites are worth the financial investment. In this regard, Cuba’s rich supply of geological data becomes particularly valuable to the prospective mining investor. Cuba’s proprietary geological data is comprised of information dating back to the pre-Soviet era, as well as an abundance of data from the Soviet era and data collected in the mid-1990s by Canadian junior joint venture partnerships. In addition to the challenges of Cuba’s regulatory and partnership model, the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act, an American federal law otherwise known as the Helms-Burton Act, continues to impede mineral exploration and development. Non-American foreign companies can still be caught by Title III of the Act, which gives U.S. nationals the right to claim money damages from persons “trafficking” (which is broadly defined and includes any “profiting” from confiscated property) in U.S. property con-

fiscated by the Cuban government. For example, “trafficking” could be interpreted as broadly as someone profiting from the sales of cleaning supplies for a kitchen at a mine site located on lands confiscated from a U.S. entity. Although Title III has been suspended, there is still a risk to foreign companies “trafficking” in confiscated property, either directly or indirectly. In addition, and relevant for U.S. mining companies or U.S. entities wishing to supply or service mining companies, the U.S. trade embargo, which was strengthened by the Act, imposes additional restrictions on Americans from doing business in or with Cuba.

Expectations for Cuba in the near future The Cuban leadership understands the country needs to adopt a more progressive economic model in order to advance its economy. A liberalizing trend is therefore expected to continue, characterized by more privatization of state-owned companies and efforts to normalize relations with the U.S. The road towards reconciliation with the U.S. will involve addressing decades of claims by Americans whose property was nationalized by the Cuban government and counterclaims by Cubans for damages caused by the U.S. trade embargo, including about US$1.9 billion in U.S. claims against Cuba (not including interest). Despite the hopes of foreigners, Cuba is unlikely to begin hurtling towards capitalism. In the coming years, any changes will likely take place at a conservative pace and on Cuba’s own terms. CIM Alison Lacy is a partner of the Global Mining Group at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. She wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Daniel Conrad, an articling student at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP.

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Courtesy of Hudbay Minerals

Floating an idea Controlled lab testing points to the right dust suppressant dosage at Hudbay By Eavan Moore

When Bret Cousins suggested using a dust suppressant in the storage bins holding ore from Hudbay Minerals’ 777 mine (above) – which was to be processed at its Flin Flon concentrator – he was met with apprehension, inspiring him to develop his dust suppressant protocol.

ret Cousins first heard about the legendary overfrothing incident at Hudbay Minerals’ Flin Flon, Manitoba concentrator over dinner. Visiting the site as a representative of chemical supplier Ashland Water Technologies, he had suggested using a dust suppressant in the mill’s storage bins for ore from the 777 mine. “There was a big, ‘Oh no, can’t be doing that,’” he recalled. Years earlier, the flotation circuit had overflowed with foam. Froth bubbles floated through the air and poured into the basement. The exact cause was never pinned down, but Hudbay suspected that someone had used a foamingtype dust suppressant in the mine that at that time supplied ore to the concentrator. A heavy dose of dust suppressant followed the ore into the float circuit, to spectacular effect. Since then, Flin Flon had been very cautious with its chemical use. After listening to the story, Cousins commented: “You know, we could find out how much dust suppressant you can put in before it starts causing problems.” And so he did. Working together with Hudbay employees, Cousins developed a testing protocol in 2011 that showed how much of the dust suppressant he had recommended – a different, less foaminducing type – could safely enter the flotation circuit. The paper he coauthored for the CIM Journal (Vol. 7, No. 2), with then-Hudbay metallurgist Cassandra Spence and Ashland colleague Brodie O’Rourke, details a testing regime he has found uncommon in mineral processing.

Dust suppressant and flotation kinetics Cousins had a simple suggestion: Run the same lab test one normally would for a new flotation chemical on the dust suppressant, but do it with a range of dosages. A chemist by training, Cousins knew that concentration was key to chemical reactions. This is true of flotation chemicals themselves; for example, a collector might selectively react with chalcopyrite over pyrite when added at one concentration, but start picking up pyrite at a higher concentration because it has run out of chalcopyrite to bind to. 30 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Non-flotation chemicals have the potential to alter reactions in the flotation tank as well, and the nature of their influence will depend on their concentration. For example, a tiny amount of flocculant lingering in recycled process water is unlikely to have adverse effects, but too high a concentration could encourage gangue minerals to float. High concentrations of dust suppressants can encourage a thick, tight foam that entrains too much gangue. “Anybody’ll tell you that if you put enough frother in, you will be able to increase recovery but your grade goes down the toilet,” said Cousins, “because you’re basically floating everything at that point. The same goes for dust suppressants. The more you add, the thicker the froth, the lower the grade.” But how much is too much? That was the question Cousins and his colleagues sought to answer. It would determine whether this dust suppressant could be applied to ore bins at Flin Flon. The required dose for effective dust suppression would have to be significantly less than the dose that would cause problems in the flotation circuit.

The protocol O’Rourke, who had previously worked at Hudbay, ran the testing and data collection at Flin Flon. When Hudbay normally tests its concentrates for copper recovery, one-kilogram ore samples are ground with precise amounts of water and test chemicals, then fed into a 3.5-litre float cell. Initial conditions are monitored visually: How much froth is there? What colour is the slurry? What shape are the bubbles taking? That visual monitoring and note-taking continues as the tank is aerated, treated with lime and sampled. Concentrate samples are skimmed off after one minute, 2.5 minutes, and 4.5 minutes; filtered; then assayed. O’Rourke said this aspect of the test was practiced and straightforward. The main challenge was maintaining consistency between tests. “You use a spatula to lightly scrape bubbles off the top,” he explained, “and doing that in a consistent manner is probably the greatest unintended variable.” To account for human error, each test was duplicated.

metallurgy To apply Cousins’ testing protocol to the dust suppressant, this procedure was carried out at four different dosages: 0 grams per tonne (g/t), 5 g/t, 25 g/t and 100 g/t. The first dosage was the control. The second was a typical figure for actual use. The third widened the range considerably, and the highest dose of 100 g/t was chosen because it seemed sufficiently extreme to showcase any dosage-related problems. “Dust suppressants have a tendency to change bubble characteristics,” said Cousins. “We knew that. We just didn’t know at what dosage it was going to be a problem.” Normally he would prefer to build the dosage range logarithmically, doubling each dose to create the next, but time constraints necessitated a pared-down test.

The results Testing the dust suppressant at Hudbay showed that it had little effect at a low dose and could augment froth formation at higher doses. At 25 g/t, frothing bubbles began to be noticeable before the tank was aerated. At 100 g/t, so much froth formed that it overflowed from the cell during the aeration stage. Copper recovery stood higher than 90 per cent in the first sample at 100 g/t, which would be expected with more froth. The differences in recovery between the other dosages were not statistically significant. The tests also showed that that froth formation encouraged gangue minerals to float – but only at the highest concentration. At 100 g/t, the total mass of recovered materials was much higher than at other dosages. The assayed grade of copper, despite that higher copper recovery, was lower by several percentage points. Zinc recovery was higher. At 5 g/t and 25 g/t, there was no significant difference in copper recovery or in copper-zinc separation when compared to the control. Cousins concluded that the dust suppressant, recommended at the effective dose 5 g/t to 10 g/t, was safe to use in the bins as it was significantly lower than the 25 g/t dose where the first signs of bubble thickening began to appear. If an accidental overdose did occur, then the visual monitoring lab notes could help diagnose it. That is one reason Cousins’ approach to protocol design includes a dosage highly likely to cause problems. “If someone happens to spill a drum or two of a particular chemical upstream, and suddenly your float circuit goes flat or foams like crazy, you know exactly what happened,” said Cousins. “If you suddenly see a different colour coming through your circuit, for instance, you go: ‘Isn’t that the colour we saw in that float test? Okay, let’s go find out if somebody spilled some of this reagent upstream.’”

Further applications Since conducting their series of tests at Flin Flon, Cousins and his collaborators have moved on to other things. Cousins is now an independent consultant, O’Rourke is a production supervisor at Tolko Industries, and coauthor Spence is now working at Teck Resources. Cousins has not had the opportunity to introduce his testing protocol to other mine sites. But there are numerous potential uses for the basic concept. Had there been unlimited time available, Cousins said

a number of different chemistries could have been examined using this protocol. “We could have taken a look at individual copper ions, for instance,” he said. “If too much copper gets in the water, what will it do to the float circuit? We could have tried other dust suppressants and antiscalants.” Everything that makes its way into the circuit affects flotation kinetics in some way, but how and at what concentrations are the unknowns. Cousins is particularly interested in the effects of buildup as a result of water recycling. This kind of increase over time could be included directly in the design stage before a mill is built. “It’s fairly simple to implement anywhere,” he said. “If you’re going to be introducing a chemistry upstream of your flotation circuit, and you don’t know what it’s going to do, follow the protocol. And if it’s going to do something detrimental, you’ll at least know what dosage range it’ll take to do it. And if your dosage range is significantly under that, then you can implement the chemistry.” The protocol may be simple to implement, but that does not mean its utility is immediately obvious to mining engineers. Cousins said he believes consciousness raising around feed chemistry could have a major impact on plant performance. “One of the things I’m doing with this kind of paper is saying, ‘This is the kind of the thing we can do to learn more about our circuits.’” CIM

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June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 31

Courtesy of Nabila Tahreen

More than mag wheels Canadian scientists in the driver’s seat in the search for automotive-grade magnesium alloys By Ian Ewing

Ryerson University PhD candidate Nabila Tahreen (above) has been studying how the inclusion of various quantities of yttrium affects the texture of a wrought magnesium alloy after annealing.

ome 50 years after it gained popularity among sports car enthusiasts as the original material for die-cast wheels, magnesium may be set to experience an automotive renaissance. At the 2015 Conference of Metallurgists (COM 2015) in Toronto, Ryerson University PhD candidate Nabila Tahreen detailed some of the ground-breaking and potentially industry-changing materials research she and her supervisor Dr. Daolun Chen have been undertaking, in collaboration with the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and Chongqing University, Southwest University, Chongqing Academy of Science and Technology in Chongqing, China. Her paper, “Effect of Yttrium Addition on Texture Evolution During Pre and Post-Deformation Annealing in an Extruded ZM31 Alloy,” is just the most recent entry by Tahreen in a growing body of work investigating the properties of magnesium alloyed with rare earth elements. Her work has implications for both the automotive and aerospace industries, where proponents suggest it could replace steel and aluminum in many applications. Why magnesium? “It is the lightest metallic structural material available so far,” explained Tahreen – 30 per cent lighter, by volume, than aluminum. “If it can be used properly, we can save a lot of weight.” At a time when aluminum is just beginning to find traction in the automotive industry, stringent incoming fuel economy and emissions regulations are pushing researchers in industry and academia to start looking beyond that long-time aerospace staple for an even lighter option. But magnesium – pure or alloyed – has significant shortcomings that minimize widespread use of the material. For one thing, it is not as strong as its competitors, especially in higher-temperature applications like engines. It also has

32 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

strongly anisotropic mechanical properties – that is, its strength, hardness and durability vary depending on the orientation of the material or part. It has poor corrosion resistance. And most importantly for industry, magnesium suffers from poor room temperature ductility and formability. If you try to roll it, extrude it, or otherwise deform it to create usable parts, it can easily crack.

Grains of truth Problems with intrinsic material properties, like strength, hardness and ductility, always come back to the crystallographic make-up of the metal. The size, shape, orientation and elemental composition of microscopic crystallites, or grains, affect the macroscopic material properties. Alloying can help by changing and differentiating the composition of individual grains (or phases). Rare earth elements, including yttrium, are particularly useful in magnesium, according to Tahreen, because they cause texture randomization – they make the grain pattern more isotropic. Metals that have randomly distributed and oriented grains tend to have similar properties in each direction (they are isotropic). Metals with non-random (preferred) grain orientations and distributions are generally anisotropic – like magnesium. These nonrandom crystallographic structures are said to have “texture.” The atoms of yttrium, which are significantly larger than magnesium atoms, help by creating phases with different crystal structures than magnesium forms alone. “Rare earth elements can solve the problems to a great extent,” she said. “The limited room temperature formability of magnesium can be improved with rare earths, and high-temperature strength is also really good after adding rare earths.

metallurgy They also improve the creep resistance, refine the grain size and weaken the texture, which helps to solve the anisotropyrelated problems.”

Lab notes Magnesium alloys, like most metals, can be strengthened by cold working, or compressing them at temperatures well below their melting point. But that increases the texture and anisotropy of the material and increases brittleness. A common solution is to follow cold working with annealing, or heating the metal to a high-enough temperature to allow grain recrystallization, finding a balance between strength and ductility. Tahreen’s COM 2015 paper studied how the inclusion of various quantities of yttrium affected the texture of a wrought magnesium alloy (ZM31) after annealing. The unaltered ZM31 alloy contains three per cent zinc (by weight) and one per cent manganese in magnesium. Tahreen examined the unaltered alloy as well as altered samples with 3.2 per cent and six per cent yttrium by weight. In short, the more yttrium that was included, the greater the effect annealing had on reducing the texture. Getting technical, Tahreen explained, “Adding yttrium promotes non-basal slip and decreases the reliance of magnesium on twinning, and thereby increases the ductility of magnesium at lower temperatures. “One of the phases, the long period stacking order (LPSO) phase [which appeared in the six per cent yttrium version of ZM31 tested] has been regarded as the greatest strengthening phase in magnesium alloys to date,” she added. “This is the only yttrium-containing phase which has been found in the past to not only give good strength, but also improve the ductility of the alloy. This phase also has unique characteristics like uncommon stability: even at high temperature, it retains good strength.” Tahreen’s experiments with yttrium are an important step in developing usable magnesium alloys. By characterizing the properties of each composition after cold working and annealing, Tahreen’s research will help engineers select the correct alloy composition and manufacturing process, depending on the properties they desire for their particular applications. Major areas of research that remain are characterizing the fatigue properties of these alloys, and improving their corrosion resistance. Both will be vital to understanding how magnesium-yttrium parts will age over time.

Directed studies One person paying attention to Chen and Tahreen’s research is Tim Skszek, the senior manager for government partnerships at Magna International, a major automotive parts supplier. In his role coordinating government funding for universities, including the programs that fund Chen and Tahreen’s work, like AUTO21 and NSERC Strategic Partnership Grants led by Dr. Dongyang Li of the University of Alberta, he helps researchers focus on the needs of the auto industry. “I make sure their work is relevant,” said Skszek. “The funding agencies typically require endorsement from industry to say ‘This is

valid; this is potentially of value.’” With industry identifying the knowledge and capability gaps and setting functional targets for materials to perform to, he explained, researchers in academia can assess those gaps and identify ways to address them. At the moment, magnesium enjoys only a limited number of uses as a primary material. Cell phones and laptops often have magnesium frames, and car steering wheels and door inner panels are commonly made from the metal, said Skszek. Some aerospace components are made from cast magnesium, too. But better low-temperature ductility would allow easier and cheaper processing, putting magnesium on more level footing with alternatives like aluminum. The same tooling, dies and lubricants used with aluminum could be used for magnesium, and process time and energy input per part would be reduced compared to current higher-temperature processes. The real prize is to develop a wrought magnesium alloy with good low-temperature formability, which would have higher strength than cast parts and therefore more potential applications.

The uphill road to commercialization Once the material properties are fully characterized, though, it is still a long road to widespread commercial use. “Today, a wrought sheet of magnesium is US$15 per pound, while aluminum is just US$2.50 per pound,” said Skszek. Yttrium, less expensive than other rare earths, also sells at around US$15 per pound, according to Tahreen. “But if you look at the processing cost and the energy and the materials to manufacture magnesium and aluminum,” Skszek noted, “they’re very similar. So it has the capability to be equal or lower in price,” if the cost of the raw material comes down with greater economies of scale. Beyond the commodity price, global magnesium availability will need to become more stable. Currently, some 85 per cent of the metal is produced in China, according to Skszek. Additional sources would give potential users greater purchasing flexibility and greater confidence in the availability of the material. Rolling capacity is currently deficient too. Skszek sees magnesium being widely used first in sheet form, for bolt-on components like car hoods and roofs and deck lids, all of which are “Class A” parts requiring smooth, painted, cosmetic surfaces. “It’s feasible, it’s been demonstrated, there’s no issue there,” he explained. “We just need greater capacity to manufacture Class A wrought sheet.” If the yttrium-magnesium alloys do prove capable, it will be the culmination of years of research by many individuals. For Tahreen, though, this research has even greater personal implications: she is set to defend her PhD thesis on magnesium alloys in August. Afterwards, she hopes to continue developing new materials in industry – perhaps still pushing the capabilities of magnesium until it achieves common use. “I will feel very good once I see that this material is really in use,” she said. “On that day I will feel that my hard work has paid off.” CIM June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 33

Separating sciences The shift in universities from metallurgy programs to materials science and engineering

Courtesy of George Demopoulos

By Peter Braul

rooming young materials engineers is becoming more challenging for George Demopoulos, chair of McGill’s department of mining and materials engineering. An academic veteran, he came to Canada from Greece well before university metallurgy programs were rebranded under the monikers of materials science and engineering. That transition, he has observed, is creating a divide between traditional metallurgical industry and the university programs of today. This can have a serious impact on the industry as schools emphasize scientific knowledge over applied processing fundamentals in an effort to broaden students’ education, depleting the pool of skills needed to operate complex metallurgical plants. The move away from metallurgy in schools, he states in a recent paper in Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly (Vol. 54, No. 2), means the mining industry is missing out on a chance to inspire the next generation. He argues for a more balanced and integrated educational approach between the fields of metallurgy and materials science and for more industrial R&D. CIM Magazine asked him for his perspective on the shift.

CIM: Why is metallurgy being dropped from the names of academic programs? Demopoulos: The materials science and engineering paradigm started 30 years ago in American universities, when they realized that beyond metals are all kinds of other materials that we might use. There are a myriad of possible combinations of elements to create new materials, whereas the traditional metallurgical industry was more associated with large tonnage production of a single metal. The materials revolution happened because they saw all these possibilities of creating new materials for all kinds of exciting applications beyond the traditional ones derived from minerals. It’s a hot topic. This is a challenge but also an opportunity to bridge the “old” [metallurgy] with the “new” [materials science & engineering]. 34 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

CIM: So academic study is becoming divided into those with a materials science and engineering focus, and those with a metallurgy focus. Can’t metallurgists learn to operate the same equipment they always have used, while materials scientists create new materials with the products of the mines? Demopoulos: Metallurgists are better if they can learn from materials scientists and vice versa. Traditionally, they don’t talk to each other enough – they live in the same house, but don’t communicate. These divisions are all a bit artificial.

CIM: Why is it a problem if programs continue to develop the way they have in the last 30 years? Demopoulos: We don’t have metallurgical engineering programs anymore, so the students are less and less exposed to the study of metallurgical processes. But the industry is preoccupied with its own issues. In Canada we have lost a lot of corporate leadership, with the increase in foreign ownership and the closure of R&D departments and centres around the country. So we’re creating more of a gap between the university reality and the Canadian industrial reality.

CIM: Can you give me an example of where you learned something from materials science and were able to apply it to metallurgy? Demopoulos: Ten years ago, when Xstrata was running a metallurgical complex in Timmins, they were using an autoclave process and they ran into big problems. In one end a slurry comes in – acid and minerals entering under pressure at 150 degrees Celsius – and it reacts, releasing the zinc. But the process went completely wrong when they tried to increase production capacity. Suddenly the autoclave filled up

metallurgy with crystals and the plant had to be shut down. We had to rely on new materials science techniques, among others, to understand what happened by identifying the nature of the crystals, thus solving the problem.

CIM: What is the role of companies in nurturing the next generation? Demopoulos: Our program [at McGill] is a co-op program and we strive to find placements for students in the industry. We’ve analyzed the data on this and it’s clear that fewer and fewer students are employed in co-op positions at classical metallurgical operations. At the same time, we have a big growth in our enrollment. We want the industry to offer these jobs even when times are bad. When profits increase in this industry, companies reduce R&D spending and that’s not sustainable or inspirational for our young graduates. I want, personally, to see the industry investing more in programs like MITACS [a non-profit that connects students, companies and government funding]. Companies can influence the kind of research going on at universities by supporting graduate student training and hiring of professors in targeted strategic areas.

CIM: Where do you see instances of collaboration between materials science and metallurgical engineering for problem solving? Demopoulos: I’m working with lithium-ion batteries,

CIM: How could the Canadian minerals industry be different in 10 years if things were to develop your way? Demopoulos: I would hope to see a lot of small and medium-sized companies across Canada with innovative solutions and products using mineral processing and metallurgical processing ideas. That will have a positive influence on the economy and will also influence the big players. Right now I’m not optimistic that the big corporations will bring the change by themselves. We need to create some competition. Big companies will have to buy the cleaner tech that recovers more and generates less waste. The new generation of graduates needs to be given the tools to be able to embrace these new things.

CIM: The shift away from metallurgy programs is near and dear to your heart – why? Demopoulos: I’ve been teaching and researching metallurgical processes since day one, and I have seen the evolution of the profession and the changes in industry. There’s a personal interest and also a responsibility as an academic leader to think about what you teach and why, and what you want your students to become. We’re all preoccupied with everyday deadlines and we don’t stop to reflect on the bigger picture. I’m dealing with students and, obviously, students are the future. CIM

which is a totally new field for me outside of the metallurgical process. The work in that area is done mostly by chemists and physicists. Electric cars are very expensive because of the cost of the battery – just the battery for a Tesla is US$25,000. And when you make the material to build the battery, if you use some hydrometallurgical engineering concepts, you can produce it at a much lower cost. But if you are not careful, you won’t get the same quality product. The material scientists know about the qualities of the materials, and engineers know how to scale things up, but one does not have to be at the expense of the other. There are a lot of opportunities.

CIM: You have suggested starting a new program called materials process engineering. Why do these words matter, and what would that achieve? Demopoulos: It’s like an insurance policy to make sure that as we move forward, with new colleagues, that processing is considered important. Academics can easily isolate themselves in pursuing their research ideas and we may shift too far towards the new things, towards the science end of the spectrum and away from the engineering. In many schools in the United States, the engineering part of materials science and engineering has shrunk quite a bit, and in England, some departments are just called “materials” now, avoiding engineering altogether. As engineers, we have to embrace science but not to lose sight of our identity. June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 35

Miniature miners Courtesy of Contango Strategies

The rise of microbes in the mining industry

Bioremediation is one of several applications of biotechnology, which relies on microbes, in the mining industry.

The mining industry largely concerns itself with the inanimate resources of nature: rocks, metals and chemicals. However, there is an increasing interest in how living organisms – small, singlecelled microbes – can breathe life into the mining cycle and limit its environmental impacts. By Kate Sheridan

onique Haakensen sees a lot of microbes in her role as president and principal scientist at Contango Strategies. Using DNAsequencing technology, the company provides a microbial community profiling service which identifies the microbiological population at mining projects and provides lab results, guidance on remediation strategies or even suggestions on which living plants will add to an ecosystem to help microbes thrive. And according to Haakensen, microbes are finally getting the respect they deserve for their role in remediation. “Until this type of technology came about, it was a guesstimate, and because of that there have historically been a lot of failures in passive water treatment because they were not based on informed decisions,” said Haakensen. By using tools now available, Haakensen said she can understand how the environmental system at a project works, what is influencing the system and develop a more robust remediation project. Remediation is just one of several applications of biotechnology, which rely on microbiology and microbes found in the environment to help extract metal from ore bodies or neutralize contaminants from waste material. Microbes can also be deployed in hydrometallurgical applications to aid in the leaching process. In recent years, the potential environmental and financial benefits of biotechnology and the increasing precision with which it can be applied have made it attractive to mining companies looking for new approaches to engineering problems. The field is set up to grow, with new efforts to understand which microbes can be the most effective partners for a specific mining operation at their basic, genetic level.

Small microbes, big rewards Bioleaching and biooxidation are two common biohydrometallurgy techniques, explained Corale Brierley, consultant and vice-president of the U.S.-based National Academy of

Engineering. Both are microbe-based metal production processes that use a water-based solution. By adding specific microbes to a traditional heap leaching system, bioleaching can extract base metals like copper, nickel and zinc. Biooxidation is a similar process, typically applied to refractory gold ore prior to cyanide leaching. The main difference is that in bioleaching, the targeted metals are brought into solution whereas in biooxidation they remain in a solid state. The microbes used in bioleaching catalyze the chemical leaching redox reaction, helping electrons move between types of iron during a chemical reaction from which they obtain the energy they need to grow. The movement of these electrons transforms sulphide minerals into sulphur, sulphate or both, releasing the metals from the surrounding deposit into a solution and restarting the oxidation process. This process produces higher recovery rates that would otherwise be difficult to achieve for low-grade ore in sulphide-based deposits. Bioleaching already produces between 18 to 20 per cent of the world’s mined copper, Brierley estimated, and about 26 copper heap bioleaching plants have been built since the 1980s. BHP Billiton used the technique at its Cerro Colorado mine in Chile in 1993, and Teck, Freeport-McMoRan, Anglo American and Vale all have experience with the process. Biohydrometallurgy has clear environmental advantages over conventional mineral processing, according to Bangor University professor Barrie Johnson, especially when it comes to preventing the release of arsenic into the atmosphere during smelting. Treating the ore with biological techniques sidesteps that risk because it avoids high temperatures which could volatilize arsenic and turn it into a gas. Instead, the ore can be treated at temperatures between 20 to 50 degrees Celsius. “You don’t have to worry about separating or blending concentrates with high arsenic contents, and the danger of putting arsenic gases into the atmosphere is eliminated,” explained Johnson. “It ends up in the liquid and is then immobilized as an inert solid. The environmental impact is contained.” June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 37

Biohydrometallurgy is also more energy-efficient than a traditional smelter. “Smelting usually involves very high temperatures and therefore high energy requirements and carbon emissions,” Johnson said. One final environmental benefit comes from the microbes themselves. The organisms used in this process need carbon dioxide to survive, so they consume rather than produce the greenhouse gas.

The economic equation

Comprehensive closure In Yukon, Haakensen and Contango Strategies are helping Capstone Mining Corp. develop wetlands as part of its longterm bioremediation strategy at Minto mine to take out copper, selenium and cadmium from its wastewater. (The mine has a traditional wastewater treatment plant for its on-site water treatment needs during the operational period.) “Closure is where we really see the benefits of using bioremediation,” said Courtesy of Contango Strategies

Mineral extraction using biological processes, or biomining, came of age in the mid-1990s when mining companies were looking for a way to cut copper production costs. Prices and grades were falling, “sort of similar to what’s happening today,” Brierley noted. Most of the easily accessible and weathered deposits had been discovered and exploited, leaving mining companies with large but less-weathered (and more difficult-to-exploit) supergene deposits. Making the most of these deposits was a tall order in a tough economic climate, Brierley said, especially when factoring in the cost of crushing, grinding, floating and smelting the metals. “The cost of doing all these processes was more than the ore was worth,” she said. “So bioleaching was a nobrainer.” Combining heap leaching with some useful microbes was a financially viable option to bring recovery rates up without raising capital costs. Unlike smelters and flotation circuits, the microbes did not need to be brought in to remote areas or squeezed onto a small site. “These particular micro-organisms appear all over the world,” Brierley said. “What you have to do is create the kind of conditions that the organisms will thrive in, and they’ll multiply and divide quickly and they’ll break down the ore as rapidly as possible.”

There are a variety of microbes that can do the trick, according to Johnson, who also leads the Bangor Acidophile Research Team. All of the microbes used in bioleaching and biooxidation are known as acidophiles, because they can survive in low-pH conditions required for the chemical reactions that separate valuable metals from waste. Though every microbe used in biomining shares this characteristic, each has its own particular function and each has its preferred environment, Johnson noted. “They occupy different niches, in many cases. Some will work at high temperatures, up to about 80 degrees [Celsius]. Others will work down to about 10 or even five degrees or so,” he noted. While biomining can be considered for any operation extracting ore from a sulphide-based deposit, Brierley noted, there are a few situations in which it is a better choice. The amount of space that can be allotted for a biologically-based heap leaching pad might not be feasible in mountainous areas, for example, because there are technical limits to the height of heap leaching pads. Biomining is also considered more suitable for remote operations. “When accessibility is an issue, it is difficult to transport autoclaves and smelter components to the site,” said Brierley. A sophisticated workforce is also not necessary for bioleaching, but decent water quality at the site is, she added.

“Closure is where we really see the benefits of using bioremediation.” – R. Herbert 38 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Contango Strategies is helping Capstone Mining Corp. develop wetlands as part of its bioremediation strategy at Minto mine in Yukon.

Courtesy of Agnico Eagle

Ryan Herbert, Minto’s envi“We needed to learn The moving bed biofilm reactor (shown here) at ronment manager. more about the bacteria,” Agnico Eagle’s LaRonde mine in Quebec adds structural integrity to the microbes’ environment in Reduced operating costs Laporte said. “We needed to its waste water treatment plant. one such benefit, Herbert is find the bacteria’s limit and said. “You don’t really require optimize the conditions in the same sort of manpower the plant.” to operate the wetlands that Trial and error helps get you would need to operate a new techniques like biotechtreatment plant. There is still nology into the field and the some monitoring and mainmarket, Brierley said, partenance required, but it’s tially because connecting definitely not a 24-hour people in the lab and in the manned treatment system,” field is not always a sure Herbert said. thing. “At a lot of the techniCapstone is also exploring cal meetings that we have, site-specific bioremediation there’s not a real good mix of research at Minto, partnering the people who work in with Contango. Parts of that research and do discoveries research include examining and those that can take those the impact a cold climate and “We have many discoveries and apply them or the engineering that is elements a freeze-thaw cycle could required to make them work,” she said. creating toxicity have on the plants in the That dynamic is evident in the field as well, noted scien[at LaRonde] … wetlands and on contamitist and bioleaching expert Marja Riekkola-Vanhanen. Biological nant re-release. Herbert “These are processes where you need all kinds of people: noted preliminary results metallurgists, biohydrometallurgists, biologists, geologists treatments are from an on-site test area the only ones that and so on,” said Riekkola-Vanhanen, who most recently should be collected this sumworked on a Finnish nickel bioleaching project. could treat all mer. of them.” – P. Laporte Commercializing the chemistry Today, the potential proFor companies that do not want to design their biominductivity of microbes is attracting more attention, particularly in remediation and ing system in-house, as Agnico Eagle did, there are commerwater treatment systems. Laurentian University announced in cial options that can be customized to the site. South May it would dedicate $630,000 to fund a research chair in African-based BIOMIN produces BIOX, the system used at biomining and bioremediation. The chair will work with Vale, most current commercial biooxidation operations. The process works on the sulphides in the minerals, oxidizing Glencore and other partners in industry. them and exposing the gold before it undergoes cyanide leachCase studies ing. Bacteria catalyze the reaction, regenerating the ferric acid Microbes have done a lot for engineers at Agnico Eagle’s that is needed to break down the pyrite by attaching to the LaRonde gold mine in Quebec. The mine stopped releasing surface of the mineral and creating a microenvironment, said the final effluent into the environment in 2000 when the com- BIOMIN’s managing director Jan van Niekerk. pany identified high levels of thiocyanate (SCN). It needed to There are also some newer entrants to the biology-based treat the effluent, so it put the water into tailings ponds while technology field, including Canadian-based EnviraMet, which turning to a biologically-based remediation technique, using presented a paper on bioremediation at the CIM 2016 Convenmicrobes to break down these toxic compounds into other tion in May. (The company has developed technology to target harmless chemicals. a number of common contaminants, including selenium.) “For us, this technology was the safe choice,” said water “EnviraMet’s approach recovers elemental selenium from bioretreatment coordinator Patrick Laporte. “We have many ele- actor sludge, allowing the waste to be applied to land as nonments creating toxicity [at LaRonde],” he said, including SCN, hazardous fertilizer,” said Altair Ioffe, president of Ioffe cyanate (CNO), nitrite (NO2) and ammonia (NH3). “Biological Biotechnologies and a biotechnology consultant for EnviraMet. treatments are the only ones that could treat all of them. Other Bringing the science into the field can be very difficult, and technologies could pass one or two toxicity tests with our getting it right can take time. While Brierley has worked extensively on new projects, her current focus is on biotech waste water, but not all of them.” plants that are already running but may need a bit of help, she LaRonde set up a plant with two stages in 2004, one with said. “It’ s almost universal. You try to design them as best you bacteria of the Thiobacillus genus to hydrolyze CNO and SCN, can, but problems still happen.” and another with Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria to LaRonde’ s treatment plant was no exception. A biofilm had handle NO2 and NH3. Technicians at the company refined the to form in the reactor to allow the microbes to operate, but process through trial and error over three years until going full-scale in 2008. the film was so heavy in the first stage that it broke the equipJune/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 39

Tough to reach, tough to leach Biotechnology has continued to evolve, but so too have the challenges. As supergene deposits are exploited, some are already looking deeper to hypogene deposits in difficult-to-leach chalcopyrite The biotech plants at Agnico Eagle’s LaRonde mine (above) treats waste water for contaminants including and enargite. “Eighty per cent of the thiocyanate, cyanate, nitrite and ammonia. world’s copper going forward is in these types of ores,” Brierley said. “The problem with these types of engineering but science as well, because we’re not close to that ores is not only that it is hard to leach them but they are very yet,” she said. low grade and very deep, in some cases.” Some of that engineering and science is being funded by New techniques and applications for biomining may help the European Union through the BioMOre project, Johnson companies as they think about tackling these and other noted. The project is currently in the pilot stage, but focuses deposits as well as other types of ores. Talvivaara Mining Com- on both deep in-situ mining and “bacteria-assisted” deep inpany’s open-pit nickel mine in northeastern Finland began situ mining. using microbe-based heap leaching operations in 2008 – While deep in-situ mining has been done before at Canawhich Riekkola-Vanhanen helped develop – and started ship- dian uranium mines, those deposits have a basement rock that ping nickel concentrate in 2009. copper deposits lack, Brierley said. That basement rock is cruAt Talvivaara, the ore is crushed and stacked on the leach cial to ensuring the solution used to leach the ore does not pad, then irrigated with acidic water over 13 to 14 months, spread to unintended areas. allowing the bacteria to act and catalyze the chemical reactions. Genetic engineering With biomining in place, the operation has seen an 85 per As microbes continue to prove themselves, the technology cent recovery rate for nickel, as well as 80 per cent for zinc and research needed to optimize their use are finding more even though the mineral composition of the deposit includes support. Haakensen highlighted the federal funds being chalcopyrite. Riekkola-Vanhanen cited the low capital and made available through Genome Canada. Genomics studies operating costs as the reasons the technique was chosen. the genetic makeup of species and organisms, and many “This is a special ore that was on the bottom of the sea projects are hoping to use new knowledge about the genetic about two billion years ago,” said Riekkola-Vanhanen, and the makeup of plants and microbes to customize the organisms deposit has high levels of graphite. “For that reason, it is pos- used in specific environments such as reactor cells or in sible to make a concentrate, but that concentrate contains 1.5 remediation projects to tackle specific contaminants. A per cent nickel. No one will buy such a concentrate. Genome Canada funding competition for genomics projects “If you try to float an ore that contains so much graphite, with mining applications is ongoing. One project seeking the graphite will float in the flotation process,” she said, mak- funding aims to sequence the genomes of 800 trees to find ing bioleaching the most economical option for treating the species that are well-suited to rehabilitating mine sites. ore. Many processes are performed – first taking out nickel Another is specifically looking at the genomes of bacteria in mining wastewater. and cobalt, then copper and zinc. “I think the number of people getting interested in [this “Bioleaching works well, but it’s only part of the whole process,” she said. “For example, you have water insoluble type of technology and process] is growing,” noted Haakmetal sulphides, and then after bioleaching you have water ensen. “There’s always been interest in it, but there weren’t a soluble sulphates in solution, so you must have effective lot of tools. We are now seeing the number of tools increasing hydrometallurgical (or chemical) processes to produce metals and the amount of academic research in the area has been increasing.” from the solution.” With the variety of new developments coming up, and the In-situ mining is one kind of technique that may be used impact biotechnology has had, it is clear that microbes may to go after deep deposits, Brierley said, possibly with a biobe minuscule, but they have the power to pack a big punch logical boost. “In-situ mining is going to be an absolutely huge for mineral processing and remediation projects alike. CIM step because there’s going to have to be a great deal of not only 40 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Courtesy of Agnico Eagle

ment, which was already weakened by the microbes. Changing the system from a rotating, cylindrical biodisc to a movingbed biological reactor solved that problem, which in turn created more ammonia than the second-stage plant could handle. (Their solution was to use a stripping pond. That pond has since been emptied.)

project profile

ALL CLEAR At the end of May, the Renard processing plant had all major equipment and process controls installed.

Stornoway Diamond Corporation expects to bring its Renard mine into commercial production by the new year, a full five months ahead of schedule and $36 million below budget. BY EAVAN MOORE

he Renard mine sits in the James Bay region of Quebec, about 250 kilometres north of Mistissini. Soon after acquiring the project in 2007, Stornoway took advantage of provincial programs to support mineral development. Quebec’s flow-through share program funded its exploration during the credit crisis, and by the time the province’s ambitious northern development program Plan Nord launched in 2011, Renard was one of the star properties justifying regional infrastructure investment by the province. The feasibility study released that year anticipated an 11-year mine life based on a Probable Mineral Reserve of 18 million carats. An updated mine plan, released in March, extended the life of mine to 14 years, following an increase in the reserve to 22.3 million carats. Stornoway joined other mining companies and communities to plan an all-season gravel highway. The first project approved under Quebec’s Plan Nord initiative, it extends Route 167 northward by 260 kilometres and “makes Renard the only diamond mine in Canada with an all-season road,” according to Matt

All images courtesy of Stornoway Diamonds

Manson, Stornoway’s CEO. The company used a $77-million loan from the province to build the last 100 kilometres and put in an airport to fly employees and contractors in and out. With the road completed in 2013, Stornoway raised its entire capital budget in time to start construction in July 2014. Manson said: “We were able to say to investors, ‘Listen, everything’s done, the road is in, the airport is in, permits are in place, we’re ready to go. We just need the money.’” The total capital to take Renard to commercial production comes to $776 million. Without the road, there would have been a mere six-week winter shipping window and all the overbuilding, overstocking and potentially expensive errors that would entail. Having the road not only made just-in-time deliveries possible, it also enabled an innovative power source: liquefied natural gas (LNG). “Being the first diamond mine in Canada with a road allowed us to be the first mine in Canada with an LNG power plant,” said Manson. Tapping into the electrical grid would have cost about $170 million for infrastructure, so the 2011 feasibility study called for traditional diesel generators. But with the road, LNG can be trucked in daily from Montreal and used in a Caterpillar-supplied gensets at a cost of 18 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with 30 cents for diesel.

Large diamond recovery Renard can chalk up another distinction: first diamond mine in the world to include large diamond recovery (LDR) in June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 41

the primary flowsheet. “The standard method of calculating grade and value for a diamond deposit assigns only a very nominal estimate of revenue for diamonds above 10.8 carats in size,” said Manson. But one of the project’s kimberlites – Renard 2, which accounts for the bulk of production in the first ten years – has the potential for larger stones. The samples collected so far predict that for every 100,000 carats, there could be one or two stones more than 100 carats in size and three to six stones that could be between 50 to 100 carats. At full production, Renard would recover 100,000 carats every few weeks. Other mines with a coarse size distribution are plentiful worldwide, but Manson said they tend to install the technology to recover large stones only after losing some to breakage in the normal crushing circuit. “Because we have this potential,” said Manson, “and because it’s potentially a material impact on our revenue – we’re talking about some big numbers here – the plant is being designed from day one to recover those diamonds, should they exist.” He stressed that while size could be predicted, quality could not; Stornoway is not making any public estimates as to the added revenue that large diamonds could net. Any large diamonds would be “gravy.” After a cone crusher breaks the ore down to under 45 millimetres, anything over 19 mm cycles through the LDR circuit, an x-ray transmission machine supplied by European company TOMRA. “The TOMRA XRT machine is essentially a high-speed belt that takes large amounts of ore,” said Manson. “You are blasting with air anything that fluoresces with x-rays.” The rest of the mining and processing setup is standard for diamond mines. Three kimberlites will be mined in the first decade, using a combination of open pits and (as of 2018) an underground ramp. Between 1.5 million and three million tonnes of ore will head to the process plant annually; the nameplate capacity of the plant is 6,000 tonnes per day. After the first round of crushing and the LDR circuit, there is a recrush, dense media separation to produce concentrate, another recrush between high-pressure grinding rolls, and another round through the dense media separator. Stornoway postponed a planned shaft to cut costs in its 2013 feasibility update. The ramp corkscrews around the planned future location of the shaft down to a depth of about 700 metres, the base of the Indicated Resource. Once it becomes prohibitively expensive to use the ramp at depth, Manson said the shaft will go in. Renard’s kimberlite pipes seem to depart from the typical carrot shape; one of them measures the same width 1,000 metres below ground as it does at surface, providing strong incentive to build deeper infrastructure. “But that’s a pretty long way out there,” he said. “We can worry about it then.”

Waste and water management To deal with its tailings, Renard opted to build a dry stack facility – partly for lack of an alternative. “In the mid-2000s, the federal government decided to rewrite the standards by which it would permit the 42 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

An all-season road, shown here under construction in 2012, solved many of the logistical challenges that Canada’s other diamond producers still must contend with.

deposition of mine tailings in water bodies,” explained Manson. “So they ripped up all the existing standards and they began creating new standards for the mining industry. They did base metals, they did gold and precious metals. But in 2008, when the credit crisis hit, De Beers Canada decided to temporarily suspend production at Snap Lake and the Victor Mine, and the federal government used that as an excuse to cut the funding to the team at the Ministry of the Environment who were rewriting the standards for the last mining sector, which was diamonds.” Still without standards in 2011, Stornoway could not obtain a permit for its first choice, a valley with a stream. “So we then chose, as a strategy, to do a dry stack,” said Manson. “Lucky for us, our tailings don’t have any metals in them. There’s no sulfides in the rock so there’s no acid-generating potential. So after all the tests, it was concluded that we could do that quite cheaply.” Martin Boucher, vice-president of sustainable development at Stornoway, pointed out that the dry stack solution has inherent advantages: no dams and berms to build; reduced demand for fresh water; and a lighter post-closure responsibility. “When you’re forced to develop new ideas, most of the time the final decision is better,” he remarked. In other ways, Stornoway sought to get out ahead of the government. Current federal and provincial water management rules only require that the runoff from waste storage facilities be collected and treated, but Boucher foresees more comprehensive rules coming down the pike. “We hate surprises,” he said. “It is way cheaper to design your site and do it during construction than after. After, it costs two to three times more.” So Stornoway spent a little extra to build a system of drainage ditches surrounding the entire mine site. “Every drop of precipitation, snow or water, that lands on the site gets collected in these ditches, sent to a water treatment facility, and treated to remove suspended solids before it’s released

project profile into the environment,” said Manson. The Renard project also reevaluated its plan for domestic sewage treatment in anticipation of more stringent federal rules about toxins. After sitting down with two consultants and a budget for one day, Boucher’s team switched from an aerated lagoon to a series of membrane bioreactors that produce drinking-quality water.

The mine will generate electricity using liquid natural gas, which provides a deep discount compared to diesel.

Good timing Building all of this has gone very quickly. The depressed mining market, according to Manson, makes it easier to find quality local suppliers and contractors who can work within Stornoway’s budget and are available immediately. “Between the Rainy River project in Red Lake, Ontario, and the Atlantic, we’re the only mine under construction,” he said. The same is true of global procurement. Caterpillar is supplying the mine’s mobile fleet. “When we did our feasibility study in 2011, the lead time for Caterpillar equipment was about eighteen months,” said Manson. “Now, the lead time for their mining trucks is a few weeks.”

Speedy contracting and procurement shaved three months off Renard’s construction schedule. Another month has been saved by pure productivity. One month set aside for risk also appears unnecessary. Stornoway expects Renard to be producing at 60 per cent of nameplate capacity by December 31, 2016, five months ahead of schedule. As a result, the initial capital budget has dropped from $811 million to $776 million. Life-of-mine operating costs are expected to be $56.20 per tonne, or $84.37 per carat. Stornoway estimated a 59 per cent operating margin in its 2016 update, which revised the

Project specs Capex $776 million Mine life 14 years Projected commissioning Oct. 2016 Projected commercial production Jan. 2017 Capacity 6,000 tonnes per hour Power demand 9.5 MW Mineral Resources Tonnes Carats Avg. carats per 100 tonnes Avg. dilution %

Equipment highlights 7 CAT R1700 scooptrams 12 CAT AD60 haulage trucks 3 Atlas Copco Boomer 282 twoboom jumbo drills

Indicated

Inferred

42,627,000 30,175,000 70.8 50.6

24,490,000 13,348,000 54.5 n/a

Rough diamond price estimate US$155/carat Avg. diamond production year 1 to 10 1.8 million carats Life-of-mine operating expense $84.37/carat Net present value $974 million

3 Maclean Series 900 rock bolters 1 Putzmeister SPM4210 & MM BT3 shotcrete pump and boom truck 3 Maclean Mine Mate SL3 scissor lifts 1 Machines Roger V30 Cubex reaming kit 3 Cubex 6200HH ITH drills with PT50 rod handlers

June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 43

rough diamond price downward to US$155 per carat in response to market conditions. The second half of 2014 and 2015 saw a significant drop in spot prices, widely attributed to slowing consumer demand. There were, however, more positive signs in 2016; the gem industry information service Rapaport, identified a first-quarter increase in dealer demand and in the price of polished diamonds, while De Beers inched its asking price back up. De Beers CEO Philippe Mellier suggested a “fragile recovery” in an interview with the Financial Times. “Everybody wants to build their projects in the down cycle and mine them in the upcycle, and we raised all of our money in spring of 2014,” said Manson. “We are the poster child for good timing in the mining business. We hope. Right?” He laughed. “We’re certainly hitting the down cycle for Ramp development for the underground mine extended 1,635 metres at the end of May. In the fall, construction. We’re hoping we’re going to hit underground progress will accelerate with the addition of a second development team. the upcycle in terms of the pricing of our commodity.” As long as Renard can withstand some volatility, Manson “Diamonds are genuinely hard to find,” he said. “And it takes is not worried. He sees stability in the cultural value of dia- a long time to bring a new diamond mine to production. Our monds and in the relative difficulty of adding new mines. mine was 16 years from discovery to production.” CIM

Global expertise delivereed locally. We support our clientts in building world-class mining and metallurg gy projects anywhere in the world, including reemote locations such as the James Bay region n of north-central Quebec. STUDIES | SU STAINING G CAPI TAL AND CON SU LTING SE RVIC ES | MAJ OR PRO JECTS

snclavalin.com

Renard D Diamond Project, James Ba ay region (Quebec) Stornoway Diamond Corporation

44 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

B U L K M AT E R I A L H A N D L I N G

| technology

Handling innovation New ideas in material handling have the potential to answer the demands of miners eager to cut operation costs By Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco

ulk material handling technology accounts for some 25 per cent of a mining operation’s capital costs. Like the veins in an organism, this technology moves the very life source of a mining operation – its ore – from the mine to the processing plant and eventually to profits. Yet the technology has largely been taken for granted, resulting in limited innovation and performance expectations, according to Todd Swinderman, a consultant on bulk materials handling technology who worked for more than 30 years for Martin Engineering, includ-

Courtesy of Sandvik

Innovations in component design and construction have followed the increasing size and speed of conveyors.

ing a seven-year stint as the company’s president and CEO. “Customers focus more on things like the crushers, concentrators and mills in terms of specifications and performance,” he said. “We’re still essentially designing conveyors the same way they were designed in the late 1800s.” Still, over the last 15 years, electrically-powered conveyor belts have become wider, reaching 96 inches or more. They are stronger and faster and can reliably convey about 16,000 tonnes per hour and 1,000 feet per minute, said Charlie Beck, Sandvik Mining & Construction Canada’s conveyor components business line manager. Conveyor technology has also gotten smarter with high-tech monitoring systems by such companies as Sandvik and Phoenix, which offer belt monitoring and protection systems that monitor belts for such things as wear and damage to help better predict potential problems and schedule shut downs for inspection. A 19th-century design with 21st-century speeds and capacity, however, has led to problems, said Swinderman. Belts – the most expensive replacement part of a conveyor belt that represent as much as two-thirds of the installation cost – are wearing down far earlier than their expected life. It is also causing lot of spillage and dust, which is a major health and safety issue. “A significant portion of major accidents that occur around a conveyor occur when workers are cleaning up around it. They happen at the loading zone or the discharge area where most of your dust and spillage is generated,” said Swinderman. “Social values have changed, workers’ feelings about working in a dirty environment have changed, safety laws have changed, production has gone way up, and so what might have worked 50 years ago is no longer enough.” Swinderman believes it is time to rethink the traditional conveyor design to prevent these problems, and so he is doing it. The area in a conveyor most associated with premature wear and tear and spillage is by the tail pulley where the belt comes to the end of its return run and turns up to receive the bulk material. He has designed a three-dimensional belt-picking idler that allows loading close to the tail pulley with far less dust, spillage or fewer high-pressure points on the belt. His new transition system, which can be retrofitted on old conveyors, was installed a few months ago on a client’s site. “Their dust and spillage have declined by an average of 93 per cent,” said Swinderman. June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 45

Courtesy of Rail-Veyor

hour to operate each of the approximately 40 haul trucks at the mine.

Reimagining material moving At this moment, a three-kilometre underground system using an alternative to conveyors, trucks and rail is being installed at Agnico Eagle’s Goldex mine in Val-d’Or, Quebec and will be up and running in 2017. The fully-automated electrical Rail-Veyor, which Frank Ward, vice-president of sales and marketing for Rail-Veyor Technologies Global Inc., said costs 80 to 90 per cent less to operate than a haul truck, looks like a small engineless train with continuous open rail cars and drive stations that only turn on when the Rail-Veyor is approaching The Rail-Veyor is propelled by drive stations, the yellow structures shown above, which are spaced along the haulage to push it forward. It can travel at up route. to 22 kilometres per hour and has a minimum turn radius of 27 metres. The increased size and speeds of conveyors have also cre“We don’t have the emissions,” said Ward. “In underground ated new problems for rollers, which have traditionally been applications the Rail-Veyor reduces the need for ventilation, so made from steel. “Historically, there were not any challenges they can extend a mine deeper and not be limited by the venwith rollers,” said Beck. Over the years, the size and weight of tilation requirements of diesel equipment.” rollers has grown to accommodate the faster speeds and larger As well, “the Rail-Veyor doesn’t even have to be bolted capacity, making replacing and maintaining them a higher down into the ground. We’ve moved 650 feet of track plus a safety risk for workers. drive station in six hours,” said Ward. They are also noisier. “Conventional steel rollers have a Designed to last at least 20 years with little maintenance, seam and as it rotates that seam becomes like a flat spot on a the Rail-Veyor can operate on incline grades up to 22 per cent. tire. If you’re only going 10 miles an hour, you don’t hear it, The company has also built a demo site of its system in Sudbut at 60 miles an hour it’s very loud,” said Beck. Efforts to bury. First developed in 1999, the Rail-Veyor “is now a mature make seamless rollers from lighter-weight materials such as plastics or aluminum have resulted in quieter rollers – but they product ready for the world,” said Ward. are also less stable in extreme weather and have a higher rate of failure. In March, Sandvik launched a new seamless roller, the Skip forward… HR185 low-weight, low-noise roller which is made from a When it comes to steep inclines in open pit mines, there composite material developed by the company that has the have been no viable options other than building roads up the durability of steel but is between 55 per cent and 60 per cent terraces and using haul trucks. But that is changing. lighter. “That’s a huge difference when you’re talking about “Our research and development group and sales departguys having to manhandle these rollers sometimes overhead or ment are working on three types of open pit conveying sysoff a walkway,” said Beck. tems,” said Franz Wolpers, Thyssenkrupp Industrial Quieter rollers are important today thanks to improve- SolutionsAG executive vice-president and head of materials ments in conveyors that make it possible to use them for handling and R&D mining world. In fact, the company is aimlonger distances, sometimes near residential areas. Sandvik, ing for once-unimaginable heights in conveying by choosing for example, is currently building a 21-kilometre long, curved the most direct – and shortest – route. overland conveyor, one of the world’s longest, for Sasol MinOne of the systems Thyssenkrupp together with ContiTech ing’s new Shondoni coal mine shaft in South Africa. and Siemens are working on is the MegaPipe Conveyor that There is a growing demand for longer conveyor belts will be able to transport pre-crushed material up a 35-to because “many mines would like to reduce hauling as it 45-degree slope with up to 5,000 t/h capacity. The second is increases their carbon footprint, manpower and safety risks,” a system for open pit mines based on the kind of cable crane said Rudi Pieterse, Sandvik Mining Systems’ vice-president of technology used in building large dams. Instead of conveyor market operations, for the United States and Canada. belts or light rail, Thyssenkrupp’s Skip Way System uses Haul trucks, after all, are expensive to operate. For exam- counterbalanced skips that travel up and down cables in tanple, Teck Resources recently estimated it cost its Elkview steel- dem over inclines as steep as 60 degrees. The Skip Way Sysmaking coal operation in southeast British Columbia $450 an tem can transport, via a lift, 350 to 2,000 tonnes of uncrushed 46 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

| technology

material per hour from the bottom of the mine up 100 to 300 metres to a station at the top, where the skips are automatically unloaded into a crusher hopper or haul trucks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over a full working day, the skip conveying system with an hourly conveying capacity of 2,000 t/h gives a carbon dioxide reduction of 29,000 kilograms compared to a truck fleet of seven trucks with approximately 136-tonne payload each used also for the haulage of 2,000 t/h,â&#x20AC;? said Wolpers, adding â&#x20AC;&#x153;The system can be operated even under very rough weather conditions and can be employed in earthquake-prone regions or mines with unstable slopes because the rope support masts are located off the mine slope and are Thyssenkruppâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Skip Way System is designed to hoist ore up the pit wall and limit the need for long trips by haul anchored flexibly in ground founda- trucks and road maintenance such routes require. tions using pins. The entire system including loading, unloading and drive station can also be down a rail track system as they transport between 3,000 and relocated as soon as new anchorage points have been con- 5,000 tonnes of uncrushed material per hour up 200 to 700 metres, over inclines between 55 degrees and 90 degrees. creted in the mine.â&#x20AC;? These innovations may have been a long time coming, but For even steeper slopes, the company is also working on developing a counterbalanced Skip Conveyor System which it might just be that a new era in bulk material handling in the will also use cables but in this case to pull the skips up and mining industry has begun. CIM

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Courtesy of Thyssenkrupp

B U L K M AT E R I A L H A N D L I N G

All images by Jon Benjamin

Considering new solutions CIM Convention-goers adopt new technologies and new ways of thinking to overcome industry challenges By CIM Magazine staff

Despite a year of low commodity prices, budget cuts and tough choices, the mood among attendees at the CIM Convention, hosted this year at the Vancouver Convention Centre from May 1 to 4, was optimistic for the year ahead. CIM welcomed 5,000 industry professionals from 45 countries to learn about current best practices and emerging methods to overcome problems faced by miners worldwide, under the theme of Leading Excellence. The busy schedule included the EXPO trade show, eight technical session streams, a robust social calendar and a forward-looking plenary discussion.

The future of mining Hundreds of conference-goers attended the convention’s opening Plenary Session on May 2, with more than 100 livestreaming remotely, to hear four industry titans discuss their perspectives on navigating the commodities downturn and the future of mining. Moderator Colin Joudrie, Teck Resources’ vice-president of business development and general manager of hydrometallurgy, kicked off the session by introducing the four headliners: Hecla Mining president and CEO Phillips S. Baker, Jr.; Silver Wheaton president and CEO Randy Smallwood; Teck president and CEO Don Lindsay; and Arizona Mining president and CEO Jim Gowans. “We have an opportunity to engage and lead ourselves into the future and these are the guys that are going to do it for us,” said Joudrie. 48 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

In line with the conference and plenary theme, Joudrie noted five leadership qualities common to all of the panelists that have contributed to their success: their ability to manage diverse teams and organizations, broad and extensive experience with different companies producing diverse commodities, skill for raising and managing capital, their approachability and a strong sense of personal and professional charity. According to Lindsay, there has been evidence that markets are improving and there is an increasing optimism within the industry. “After a long period of oversupply, I believe low prices have had a significant impact on production and are pushing most markets in the balance and even deficit,” he said. “At the same time, we’re seeing steady demand.” Lindsay said he believes cost discipline, the ability to adapt to a lower-car-

4 1) Student industry luncheon; 2) Attendees cut loose at the convention-capping Joy Global Gala; 3) CIM Magazine beer social; 4) The RazzmaJazz Ensemble led conferencegoers down to the EXPO opening June/July â&#x20AC;˘ Juin/Juillet 2016 | 49

bon future and sound management of community relations are three factors that will characterize successful companies in the future. In terms of project financing, Smallwood said he sees streaming agreements as the key to capital for miners, given its flexibility. “I do think this financing model will be a player for the mining industry for many years,” he said. Hecla’s Baker said he believes the way precious metals companies are valued today is all wrong. Rather than focus on net asset value and discounted cash flow analysis, “we want long-life, low-cost mines that create real value,” he said. In addition, Baker, whose 16-year tenure as Hecla CEO far outstretches the average, said he believes it is important to maintain continuity in management while developing long-term strategies. For Gowans, innovation is critical to advancing the industry. He has seen mining adopt its share of new technologies over the years, but he said he is concerned that there may be a lack of cohesion among the many innovation-focused organizations in Canada, noting that there are eight such groups in Ontario alone. “The question is,” he said, “is that allowing us as an industry…to be able to get the concentration of effort?” The plenary livestream can be viewed at convention.cim.org.

Getting technical Answers to mining’s most pressing and challenging questions could be found at the convention’s technical sessions, which brought out close to 1,000 delegates. The sessions were organized into eight streams touching on topics from exploration to geology to automation: Excellence in Operations, Standards of Excellence, Rock Mechanics, Geology and Exploration, The Mining Footprint, Sustainable Organizations, Innovations and New Ideas, and Management and Finance Day. The latter, an annual conference favourite where the session rooms were often standing room only, drew conference-goers interested in learning about short-term access to capital, ways to create stronger feasibility studies investors can trust and rely on, and how companies can better connect their environmental, social and community work with engineering studies. Plan to be at the 2017 CIM Convention in Montreal from April 30 to May 3 to discuss a “New state of mine”! CIM

Everyone’s talking about #CIMBC16 Holy Sh*tballs! @CIMorg #CIMBC16 [EXPO] has the coolest toys!! I might need to jump to #mining! – Andy Randell, @StrataGeoData @NewGoldInc are digesting bugs at New Afton #gold mine - using #genomics to measure how green is green #mining #CIMBC16 #biodiversity #BC – Kylie Williams, @resourceswriter So nice to finally meet you @tigaworkwear love what you’re doing! #CIMBC16 #womenworkingtogether – Alicia Woods, @Woods07A Fascinating conversation on the bankers’ perspective of mining feasibility at #CIMBC16. Outlining the gaps in NI 43-101 reporting and more! – Veronica Knott, @vcaknott Great meetings, great talks, great convention! A successful event for our #mining, #metallurgy & #environment experts @AnnualCIM, #CIMBC16 – SNC-Lavalin, @SNCLavalin Making some new friends: the guys from @SavonaEquipment and Marty the Marmot! You guys are awesome :) #CIMBC16 – Maria Olaguera, @Maria_CIM_Mag A lively talk from Adrian Dance of @SRKConsulting on “mine-tomill 2.0” in which feed size merits as much attention as hardness #CIMBC16 – Ryan Bergen, @Ryan_CIM_Mag

AWARDS GALA

EXPO More than 450 exhibitors packed the 2016 EXPO floor to demonstrate the latest products, technologies and services from around the globe. 50 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

lunch Fred Pletcher, a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais, delivered the keynote address at the CIM Convention Closing Lunch, focusing on the growth of shareholder activism.

CIM feted the industry’s best and brightest in its annual awards gala, sponsored by Caterpillar and its Canadian dealers.

Hatch senior advisor Chris Twigge-Molecey, who received the CIM Distinguished Service Medal, was one of many honoured at the CIM awards gala.

CIM AWARD WINNERS Excellence in mining deserves recognition, and on May 2 industry leaders gathered to celebrate the achievements of their peers at the annual CIM Awards Gala, sponsored by Caterpillar and its Canadian dealers. Here are this year’s award winners: CIM FELLOWSHIP CIM Fellowships are handed out for outstanding continuous contributions to the mining, metallurgical and petroleum industries. Peter Edmunds, Daniel M. Gagnon, Louis Gignac, Robert Henderson, Eric Hinton, Georges Kipouros, Bruce Knight, Matthias Militzer, Patty Moore, Sergei A. Shipilov, Michael Sopko, Sean Waller

CIM DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS These individuals are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in scientific, technical, management or educational activities related to the minerals industry. The recipients present their lectures at CIM branch and student chapter meetings across the country. Hani Henein, professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta. Lecture: Advanced microalloyed steels for sustainable pipelines. Daniel Marshall, professor of economic geology and geochemistry at Simon Fraser University’s Earth Sciences Department. Lecture: A new model for native-metal enrichments comparing natural samples with experimental and in-situ melting studies. Lawrence Devon Smith, principal consultant at Lawrence Devon Smith & Associates. Lecture: Discount rates and risk in long life projects. Patrick Stephenson, director and principal geologist at AMC Mining Consultants Canada. Lecture: Mineral Resources, Mineral Reserves or pie in the sky? Dirk van Zyl, professor and chair of Mining and the Environment at the University of British Columbia. Lecture: Tailings risk management. CIM DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL This medal is awarded to an individual for exceptional service to the Institute and industry. Chris Twigge-Molecey is a Senior Advisor at Hatch Ltd., a consulting engineering, project and construction management company, where he has worked for 43 years. He has held a wide range of both technical and management positions.

VALE MEDAL FOR MERITORIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO MINING This medal is presented to an individual for his or her distinctive contributions to the mining and metallurgical industry. Graham Clow is Chairman and Principal Mining Engineer of RPA Inc. He is a senior mining executive with more than 42 years of experience, with particular emphasis on mineral resources and reserves and economic assessments of projects and operations worldwide. A.O. DUFRESNE EXPLORATION ACHIEVEMENT This award is given in recognition of exceptional achievement or distinguished contribution to mining exploration in Canada. Robert A. Quartermain is the Chairman and CEO of Pretium Resources Ltd. He has over 40 years of experience with geology, exploration and development. He was previously the president of Silver Standard Resource Inc. from 1985 to 2010. CIM PRESIDENTS’ ROLE MODEL MEDAL This medal is presented to recognize an individual who has set an outstanding example for others and achieved early-career accomplishments as a role model within CIM. Fenna Poelzer is currently the chief estimator for Abalone Construction, working mainly in Alberta’s oil sands and related development. Her role includes detailed analytics of equipment productions, front-end job planning, labour relations acumen and marketing. SYNCRUDE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT This award is presented to companies or individuals for demonstrating excellence in sustainable development. David T. Lynch was previously the dean of engineering at the University of Alberta from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Lynch led the establishment of major initiatives including the National Institute for Nanotechnology, the Imperial Oil Institute for Oil Sands Innovation, and the Canadian Centre for Clean Coal/ Carbon and Mineral Processing Technologies. BARLOW MEDAL FOR BEST GEOLOGICAL PAPER This medal is awarded to the best geological paper published in CIM publications during the preceding year Michel Proulx is currently the president at Géo-Consilium, a position he has held since 1995. He has a master’s degree in geochemistry and has previously worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources of Quebec. CIM DISTRICT DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS Every year the Western, Central and Eastern districts recognize one of their own for significant contribution to the mineral industry and CIM. Central District: Mohammed Ali, regional director for the environmental services at Hatch Western District: John D. Cairns, senior mining engineer at WorleyParsons Eastern District: Ian Turner, mining engineer at Sitec Quartz Inc. June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 51

MEL W. BARTLEY OUTSTANDING BRANCH AWARD This award is given to the CIM branch demonstrating the most progress in reaching the aims and objectives of the Institute. CIM Sudbury

CIM COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD This award recognizes a CIM member who has fully given his or her time and devotion to several aspects of community service and support in the minerals industry. Oliver Koski was previously a project manager at the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation. He has been a member of CIM Sudbury branch since the 1970s, and for over ten years has contributed to the branch as a director. ROBERT ELVER MINERAL ECONOMICS AWARD This award is presented to a member of the Institute who made significant contribution in mineral economics over the course of the previous year. William H. McNeil was the senior mining engineer for Scotiabank up to his retirement in January 2016. He has been active in the mining industry for over 40 years with Falconbridge Nickel Mines Limited, Amax Inc., Strathcona Mineral Services Limited and Scotiabank. CIM-BEDFORD CANADIAN YOUNG MINING LEADERS AWARD These awards celebrate the bright future of leadership in the mining industry by recognizing the exceptional achievement and potential of young Canadian leaders. Anne Gent, senior environmental scientist at Cameco Corporation Dominique Girard, vice-president, Nunavut operations at Agnico-Eagle Andrew Randell, principal geologist at Strata GeoData Services David Stein, CEO of Aberdeen International HATCH-CIM MINING & MINERALS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SAFETY AWARD This award assesses each of the candidates’ safety performances in their respective projects and recognizes the team(s) that best meet or exceed the criteria. Cameco Corporation – McArthur River Electrical Substation Project Glencore Corporation – Process Gas Project J.C. SPROULE AWARD This award is given for distinguished contributions to the exploration and development of Canada’s mineral resources in the northern regions. James Mortensen is a professor at the University of British Columbia. He has over 40 years of field experience focused on regional tectonic and metallogenic studies, which have focused mainly in the northern Cordillera and the Canadian Shield, as well as Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, China, Mexico, and Tibet. SELWYN BLAYLOCK MEDAL This award is given to an individual for distinguished service to Canada through exceptional achievement in the field of mining, metallurgy or geology. Chuck Jeannes was the CEO and president of Goldcorp from 2009 to 2016. Before that he served as the executive vice president of corporate development at Goldcorp. 52 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

JOHN T. RYAN TROPHIES These trophies are awarded to mines that experience the lowest reportable injury frequency per 200,000 hours worked in each category. The respective categories include national trophies for coal, metal and select mines, and regional trophies for four different metal mine regions and two select mine regions. National: Cameco Corporation – McArthur River Mine (Metals) Rambler Metals and Mining Canada Ltd. – Ming Mine (Metals) North American Construction Group – Kearl Lake Mine Site (Select) Mosaic Potash Esterhazy Limited – K1 Mine (Select) De Beers Canada – Victor Mine (Select) PotashCorp – New Brunswick Division (Select) Vale – Voisey’s Bay Mine (Select) Teck Coal Limited – Greenhills Operations (Coal)

Regional: Goldcorp – Éléonore Mine Glencore – Kidd Operations Claude Resources Inc. – Seabee Mine New Gold Inc. – New Afton Mine Syncrude Canada Ltd. – Mildred Lake & Aurora Mines Tata Steel Minerals Canada – DSO Project MCPARLAND MEMORIAL AWARD This award is granted for outstanding performance in the minerals industry. Allan Akerman is the President of Akerman Consultants Inc., which focuses on large R&D projects. He is also a director at CAMIRO. He has 35 years of experience in the mining industry. JULIAN BOLDY GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SERVICE AWARD This award recognizes an individual’s exceptional service to the Geological Society of CIM. Damien Duff is the vice-president of geoscience and geotechnical R&D at the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation. MINING ENGINEERING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD This award, previously the Underground Mining Society Award, was established to recognize outstanding achievement or contribution in the field of mining engineering. Eric Hinton works in mining services at Boge & Boge, and has over 25 years of mining experience in Canada, the United States of America, Ghana and Zimbabwe, which involves operations engineering, feasibility studies and mining research in cutting edge technologies. TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE MINING (TSM) AWARDS The TSM Awards acknowledge companies, facilities and individuals that have implemented projects and initiatives to expand and promote sustainable development within the mining sector. The two categories for this award are environmental excellence and community engagement. Environmental Excellence: Raglan Mine, Glencore Community Engagement: Kidd Operations, Glencore

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June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 53

focus on standards

Improved guidance for better compliance CIM Commodity Price Guidance gets a facelift By Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco

he CIM Commodity Price Guidance document has been updated for the first time since 2009 at the request of the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), which partnered with CIM in a joint committee to work on issues concerning National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) in 2002, the year after the regulators’ instrument came into effect. CIM released the updated CIM Commodity Price Guidance for NI 43101 compliant technical reporting in November. The revision addresses six questions that had been posed by CSA regarding issues such as how to select the method for calculating commodity prices used in Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates, how to determine cut-off grades and what type of expertise and support is needed for this, as well as the best way to classify different mineral resource categories in one mineral resource. It also provides guidance on the components needed for a preliminary feasibility study and a new version of the CIM Standards and Definitions for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, as well as guidance on the “reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction” clause in NI 43-101. “The section on commodity prices is the most important,” said John Postle, co-chair of the Commodity Price Sub-Committee of the CIM Best Practices Committee, which was responsible for the revisions. “There are several price-selection methods they can use. Some of these are not readily acceptable to regulators. The Qualified Person has to select a method and discuss why they chose it.” To help a Qualified Person do this, the revised guidance document includes a list of the methods used for calculating commodity price esti-

54 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

mates. Recognizing there is no onesize-fits-all method given the wide array of variability at a given project, the CIM guidance document also provides analysis of each method to help the Qualified Person preparing the report choose the most appropriate and supportable method for the particular mineral project.

Postle. “In certain cases where you have very early stage exploration, you want to get a rough idea so people use a cut-off rate that is used by the industry for that type of deposit without going into it in a lot of detail. For early-stage projects most people find that reasonably acceptable but not after you get further on. If you com-

“There are several price-selection methods [Qualified Persons] can use. Some of these are not readily acceptable to regulators. The Qualified Person has to select a method and discuss why they chose it.” – J. Postle Grey areas in commodity price estimate methods are also discussed in the revision. For example, while high and low metal price sensitivities is a common industry practice in economic analyses, CIM’s Commodity Price SubCommittee has observed that many companies only disclose the high sensitivities. This, according to the updated guidance, could be misleading. The committee also reviewed the practice of reporting a table of Mineral Resource or Reserve cut-off grades without choosing one estimate. In this case, there is no question: the updated guidance document clearly states that this practice is misleading. It goes one step further and notes that in fact CSA considers a technical report that does not choose one estimate to be noncompliant with NI 43-101. As with commodity prices, explaining the rationale behind the chosen approach is key. “Transparency is important. In some of the technical reports that I’ve read, how they calculate the cut-off rate is not written out plainly,” said

pare your deposit to several other deposits in a similar location, at least you’ve explained what you’ve done.” Postle added that choosing cut-off grades can, in fact, be very complex and recommends anyone preparing a technical report also refer to the CIM Best Practice Guidelines and CIM Standards and Definitions. On the other hand, when it comes to feasibility studies, the revised document concedes that the CIM Standards and Definitions document lacks detailed descriptions of the components of a preliminary feasibility study. “Many people had suggested to us that the references for feasibility studies we used were old and arcane, so we put in as a reference for that the Canadian Mineral Processors’ NI 43-101 Best Practice Guidelines for Mineral Processors, that discusses in great detail various types of feasibility studies,” said Postle, who teaches a CIM course on Mineral Project Reporting Under NI 43-101. “That’s a fairly large change,” he said. CIM

SECTION francophone 59 L’émergence des micro-organismes dans l’industrie minière

Par Kate Sheridan

56 Lettre de l’éditeur 56 Mot du président 57 La ruée vers les ressources spatiales est lancée, alors que les pays adoptent de nouvelles lois et intensifient leurs activités de recherche Par Sahar Fatima et Vince Morello

La version française intégrale du CIM Magazine est disponible en ligne : magazine.CIM.org/fr-CA

58 Guide de l’OCDE sur l’engagement des parties prenantes dans les industries extractives

64 Profil de projet : Les excellentes caractéristiques Par Kelsey Rolfe

économiques du projet Renard et ses délais d’exécution réduits ont ajouté un éclat supplémentaire à cette première mine de diamant au Québec.

Par Eavan Moore

Les participants au congrès de l’ICM adoptent de nouvelles technologies et manières de penser pour surmonter les difficultés auxquelles est confrontée l'industrie. Par l’équipe du CIM Magazine

lettre de l’éditeur

mot du président

Fièvre printanière Chaque année en vue de notre congrès, toute l’équipe de l’ICM déploie une énergie considérable. Les mois précédant cet événement sont ponctués de nombreuses réunions, de publications diverses et multiples et d’une myriade de présentations. Dehors, il fait froid et gris. Ainsi, nous nous dévouons corps et âme à la préparation du congrès et ne lâchons prise jusqu’à notre arrivée à Vancouver, accueillis par une ville où les arbres sont déjà en fleurs, pour découvrir le fruit de notre dur labeur. Tout le mérite revient à l’équipe Événements du bureau national de l’ICM, ainsi qu’aux volontaires qui travaillent à leurs côtés pour l’organisation du congrès. Si le nombre de participants varie d’une année sur l’autre au gré des aléas du secteur, la valeur de cet événement ne fait aucun doute. En attestent les salles de réunion où des dirigeants miniers associant des décennies d’expérience et une liste enviable de projets à leur nom griffonnent en posant des questions aux conférenciers ; en témoignent également les conversations qui vont bon train à l’étage de l’EXPO, le salon commercial du congrès, lesquelles offrent aux participants une perspective et une profondeur que jamais l’on ne pourra retranscrire dans un communiqué de presse. Passer à côté de ce genre d’événement par souci d’économie, indiquait pendant la séance plénière Phillips Baker Jr, président et chef de la direction de Hecla Mining, est une erreur à partir du moment où cela se fera au détriment du perfectionnement professionnel et sera une occasion manquée de se familiariser avec de nouvelles approches. La réalité est qu’à force de se serrer la ceinture, on laisse malheureusement de côté certaines idées. Toute l’équipe du bureau national de l’ICM était cependant présente, et c’est avec plaisir que nous nous efforcerons de vous communiquer au mieux les idées évoquées durant le congrès au travers des pages du CIM Magazine et du CIM Journal. Nous espérons que ceux et celles d’entre vous n’ayant pu assister au congrès cette année à Vancouver pourront se joindre à nous à Montréal en avril 2017. Nous tenons également à remercier tous ceux et celles d’entre vous qui nous ont donné un coup de main supplémentaire en prenant le temps de répondre au questionnaire de notre sondage auprès des lecteurs. Que ce soit par vos paroles d’encouragement ou par vos critiques très pointues, vos réponses et commentaires sont d’excellents conseils qui nous permettront de déterminer ce que nous devons améliorer, et la façon d’y parvenir. Ne manquez pas notre édition du mois d’août dans laquelle seront révélés les résultats de ce sondage. En attendant, je vous souhaite à tous et à toutes de passer un été très agréable.

Échanges sur la sécurité Ce sera un privilège de servir les membres de l’ICM au cours de l’année à venir. L’industrie minière m’a apporté énormément et, comme je suis membre de l’ICM depuis les années 1970, j’estime que l’occasion est idéale pour « redonner » de façon bénévole. En tant que professionnels du secteur minier, dès que nous commençons une tâche, nous avons le réflexe de penser à l’aspect sécurité. Durant mon mandat, j’aimerais que l’ICM donne un caractère plus définitif à son rôle de chef de file en matière de sécurité et contribue à l’industrie minière canadienne et internationale. Comme Canadiens, nous nous démarquons à l’échelle mondiale au chapitre de l’exploration minérale ainsi que de la mise en valeur et de l’exploitation de mines et d’usines de traitement. Comme l’ICM compte 14 000 experts miniers, je crois que nous pouvons jouer un rôle tout aussi important dans les efforts visant à éliminer les blessures au sein de notre industrie. À cette fin, un groupe de chefs de file de l’industrie s’est réuni au Congrès de l’ICM à Vancouver, et nous nous sommes donné pour mission de définir la meilleure façon de mettre les compétences et l’infrastructure de l’ICM au service de la sécurité dans les mines. La sécurité-incendie est un sujet d’actualité chez nos amis du secteur minier à Fort McMurray. Le travail des intervenants et planificateurs d’urgence mérite d’être souligné puisque, alors que les résidents fuyaient le brasier et que la ville était envahie par la fumée, le feu n’a fait aucune victime jusqu’à présent. Les ravages causés par le feu chez les résidents de Fort Mac sont terribles, mais le soutien extraordinaire donné par les collectivités d’un bout à l’autre du pays est également inspirant. Nos pensées vous accompagnent. L’ICM s’est mobilisée afin de contribuer financièrement au fonds d’urgence destiné aux victimes de l’incendie. Au moment d’aller sous presse, un montant de plus de 100 000 $ avait été remis à la Croix-Rouge canadienne par le bureau national de l’ICM et les sociétés, sections locales et membres individuels de l’ICM. Des dons peuvent encore être remis à la Croix-Rouge canadienne par l’intermédiaire de CIM.org ou de la section Sables bitumineux de l’ICM ou la Fondation de l’ICM. Prudence!

Michael Winship Président de l’ICM Ryan Bergen, Rédacteur en chef editor@cim.org @Ryan_CIM_Mag

56 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Les actualités en bref Un autre pas de géant pour l’humanité La ruée vers les ressources spatiales est lancée, alors que les pays adoptent de nouvelles lois et intensifient leurs activités de recherche Par Sahar Fatima et Vince Morello

Le Luxembourg, qui annonçait en février son intention de créer un cadre juridique applicable à l’exploitation minière dans l’espace, a indiqué début mai avoir signé une entente avec Deep Space Industries (DSI), une société de recherche spatiale américaine. L’entente porte sur le développement d’un prototype d’engin spatial visant à tester des technologies d’exploitation minière d’astéroïdes. Tout juste un mois plus tôt, Deltion Innovations, une entreprise du nord de l’Ontario, obtenait un contrat de l’Agence spatiale canadienne (ASC) pour le développement d’une foreuse capable d’extraire des ressources sur Mars et la Lune. Ces contrats reflètent l’intérêt grandissant du Canada et du Luxembourg à l’égard de l’exploitation des ressources de l’espace, activité à laquelle d’autres pays, comme les États-Unis et la Chine, consacrent énormément d’efforts. Le président Barack Obama a signé la Space Act of 2015 en novembre, qui autorise les citoyens à extraire et à exploiter les ressources de l’espace. Plus récemment, les Émirats arabes unis et le RoyaumeUni ont signé une entente de partenariat afin de mettre au point et de partager des technologies d’exploration, et en mai, le Danemark a adopté une loi visant à réglementer les activités dans l’espace. « Le niveau de prix est présent, et cela commence à être intéressant sur le plan économique. Je crois que l’exploitation minière dans l’espace va devenir réalité, notamment parce que les agences spatiales s’y intéressent, tout comme le fera très bientôt le secteur privé », a affirmé le chef de la direction de Deltion, Dale Boucher. L’entente conclue avec le petit pays européen prévoit que DSI mettra au point Prospector-X, un engin spatial

expérimental devant tester ses technologies dans l’orbite basse terrestre. DSI fera l’essai de trois technologies principales au moyen de Prospector-X en vue de se préparer pour son engin spatial Prospector-1 : un système de propulsion utilisant de l’eau comme carburant, un système de navigation optique et un système électronique d’aviation. « Dès que nous aurons validé ces technologies, nous les installerons dans un engin spatial plus gros et plus robuste adapté à l’espace lointain », a expliqué Meagan Crawford, vice-présidente, Communications, à DSI. Prospector-1 irait explorer les astéroïdes afin de repérer des cibles minières potentielles et permettre à DSI de mettre au point un équipement d’exploitation minière adapté à ces astéroïdes. Deltion, entreprise établie à Capreol, en Ontario, travaille sur ce que Dale Boucher décrit comme un « couteau suisse de l’ère spatiale ». L’outil, qui pèsera environ cinq kilos, pourra être fixé à un bras robotique et déployer six pièces aux fonctions diverses, notamment le forage de différentes formations rocheuses, la collecte d’échantillons et le vissage de boulons. « Ce domaine donné ne nous est pas étranger, et nous avons d’ailleurs énormément appris depuis 16 ans sur la façon de construire de l’équipement d’exploitation minière », a affirmé M. Boucher. Il a ajouté que Deltion travaille depuis 2000 avec la NASA et l’ASC à développer des foreuses et des excavateurs. « Nous pouvons intégrer ce savoir-faire au prototype de vol. » Le contrat de 700 000 $ prévoit que Deltion a jusqu’à l’été 2017 pour fabriquer un outil qui sera testé dans des environnements terrestres extrêmes, notamment dans des climats polaires et

désertiques. Il ne pourra pas être utilisé dans l’espace, mais pourrait être utilisé comme un prototype à perfectionner. Deltion confie également des contrats de sous-traitance à deux autres entreprises ontariennes. Neptec Design Group, dont certains produits sont déjà utilisés dans l’espace, mettra à contribution ses compétences en ingénierie, et Atlas Copco fournira des services de nature mécanique. « [L’exploitation minière spatiale est] vraiment une nouvelle frontière », a déclaré Gilles Leclerc, directeur général de l’exploration spatiale à l’ASC. « Le but premier est scientifique. Toutefois, nous sommes bien conscients que les ressources ont des applications. » La technologie mise au point pour l’espace peut également être utilisée dans des conditions difficiles sur Terre, a-t-il précisé, et bien qu’au moins une dizaine d’années nous séparent de cette réalité, le marché futur de l’exploitation minière spatiale pourrait représenter un potentiel énorme pour les entreprises canadiennes. « La première entreprise qui exploitera des ressources spatiales aura réellement une longueur d’avance », a affirmé M. Leclerc. De son côté, M. Boucher estime que l’exploitation minière spatiale pourrait également s’avérer utile pour acheminer des ressources, comme de l’eau, aux astronautes. « Pour explorer au-delà de la station spatiale, ou pour n’importe quel voyage extraplanétaire, nous devons pouvoir transporter nos provisions avec nous », a-t-il expliqué. « Cependant, plus les explorateurs s’aventurent loin, plus cela coûte cher de les approvisionner en eau. » Mme Crawford a elle aussi affirmé que DSI est surtout intéressée à accéder June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 57

à l’eau contenue dans les astéroïdes. « L’eau joue un rôle important au chapitre de l’habitat humain, de l’eau potable et de l’air, et de la protection contre le rayonnement », a-t-elle expliqué. « De plus, étant donné sa composition, elle se transforme en hydrogène et en oxygène ; elle devient du carburant pour fusées. L’eau contient une énergie potentielle considérable. » Transporter du combustible dans l’espace peut coûter jusqu’à 50 millions de dollars par tonne métrique, estime Chris Lewicki, chef de la direction de Planetary Resources qui, l’an dernier, a lancé son engin spatial Arkyd 3 Reflight de la Station spatiale internationale pour tester sa technologie d’exploitation d’astéroïdes. Les matériaux extraits pourraient également être ramenés et vendus sur Terre, ce qui inclut des ressources en combustible potentielles pour l’avenir. Par exemple, souligne M. Boucher, il est prévu que le gaz hélium 3 alimente les nouvelles centrales nucléaires. Le gaz est présent sur la Terre, mais pas en quantités importantes. On en trouve toutefois des quantités considérables sur la Lune. Les astéroïdes sont censés renfermer du fer, du nickel et du cobalt, et les roches présentes dans l’espace pourraient receler des quantités de métaux du groupe platine « cent fois plus importantes » que les mines les plus productives sur Terre, a souligné M. Lewicki. Toute éventuelle activité d’exploitation minière spatiale risque d’entraîner d’importantes difficultés diplomatiques. Selon M. Leclerc, les règles internationales des Nations Unies, notamment le Traité de l’espace de 1967, stipulent que l’espace appartient à tout le monde et interdit l’appropriation nationale de corps célestes. « Il y a donc un conflit entre ce qui peut être revendiqué aux fins d’exploitation commerciale et la propriété », a affirmé M. Leclerc. « Le cadre international n’a pas été établi. » Entre-temps, ditil, il faudra encore mener quantité de travaux scientifiques afin de mieux comprendre la Lune, les astéroïdes et les autres corps exploitables. « Certes, il s’agit d’un aspect intrigant, mais potentiellement déstabilisant. » ICM 58 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Guide de l’OCDE sur l’engagement des parties prenantes dans les industries extractives À l’occasion du congrès de l’ICM en mai dernier, l’organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE) a présenté son nouveau guide sur le devoir de diligence pour l’engagement des parties prenantes dans les industries extractives, lequel préconise de s’axer davantage sur les parties prenantes les plus vulnérables et les plus touchées par les projets spécialisés dans les ressources. Dans les grandes lignes, ce guide examine les manières de s’engager auprès de toutes les parties prenantes, mais souligne également l’importance de dialoguer avec quatre groupes spécifiques, à savoir les peuples autochtones, les travailleurs et les syndicats, les femmes ainsi que les exploitations minières artisanales et à petite échelle (EMAPE). Barbara Bijelic, experte juridique de l’unité sur la conduite responsable des entreprises auprès de l’OCDE, expliquait que le guide adopte une approche « fondée sur les risques » envers l’engagement. « Les parties prenantes sont souvent les mieux placées pour identifier les risques qui leur sont posés, et également pour formuler des stratégies sur la façon dont on peut les éviter ou les atténuer », expliquait-elle. Comme l’indiquait Mme Bijelic, l’OCDE a spécifiquement orienté son guide sur les industries extractives car elle a constaté que plusieurs cas avaient été soumis à ses points de contact nationaux (PCN, des modérateurs se trouvant dans chaque pays membre de l’OCDE qui tiennent lieu de conciliateurs pour résoudre les éventuels problèmes pouvant se présenter entre les entreprises et les parties prenantes), notamment des cas relatifs à ce secteur et à l’engagement médiocre des parties prenantes. « L’industrie extractive est l’un des secteurs les plus complexes sur les-

quels nous travaillons. L’empreinte environnementale et sociale associée aux activités d’extraction est énorme », indiquait-elle. « Aussi c’est un domaine qui, semble-t-il, nécessite davantage de conseils. » Le guide, dont la version préliminaire est disponible en ligne en version anglaise, est en préparation depuis trois ans, dont deux années ont été consacrées au processus de rédaction, et a initialement été proposé par le gouvernement du Canada. Ce document a été conjointement rédigé par un groupe consultatif composé de 50 personnes représentant les gouvernements (dont ceux de Norvège, de France, des Pays-Bas et de Colombie), l’industrie, des groupes autochtones et des associations industrielles dont la Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC, l’association canadienne des prospecteurs et entrepreneurs) et l’association minière du Canada (AMC). Ben Chalmers, vice-président du développement durable pour l’AMC, précisait que l’association considère ce document comme étant « très complémentaire » du protocole d’engagement communautaire de son initiative Vers le développement minier durable (VDMD). Suivre les conseils de ce guide est une démarche volontaire, mais d’après M. Chalmers, les sociétés s’y référeront car « il expose réellement une opinion générale plurilatérale sur la façon de mener au mieux les activités d’engagement. » Le document est en cours de traduction en versions française et espagnole, et l’OCDE collecte actuellement des fonds pour la mise en œuvre de ce guide. L’organisation espère mener un projet pilote avec quelques sociétés, et organiser des ateliers en partenariat avec les PCN. – Kelsey Rolfe

Avec l’autorisation de Contango Strategies

La bioremédiation fait partie des diverses applications de la biotechnologie, qui s'appuie sur les micro-organismes, dans l'industrie minière.

Les microbes au service de l’extraction minière L’émergence des micro-organismes dans l’industrie minière L’industrie minière s’intéresse principalement aux ressources inanimées de la nature, à savoir les roches, les métaux et les substances chimiques. Cependant, le secteur accorde un intérêt croissant à l’action positive des organismes vivants (des microorganismes unicellulaires) sur le cycle minier et à leur capacité à réduire son impact sur l’environnement.

Par Kate Sheridan

onique Haakensen, scientifique principale et présidente de Contango Strategies, a souvent l’occasion d’observer les micro-organismes. S’appuyant sur la technique de séquençage de l’ADN, la société Contango Strategies propose un service de profilage de la communauté microbienne qui identifie la population microbiologique dans des projets miniers et fournit des résultats de laboratoire, des conseils sur les stratégies de remédiation ou encore des suggestions quant aux végétaux vivants

que l’on pourrait ajouter à un écosystème de manière à créer un environnement propice au bon développement des microorganismes. D’après Mme Haakensen, les micro-organismes reçoivent enfin le respect qu’ils méritent pour leur rôle dans la remédiation. « Jusqu’à l’apparition de ce type de technologie, nous estimions au jugé, ce qui explique bien des échecs en matière de traitement passif des eaux dans l’histoire car nos décisions ne reposaient sur rien de fondé », indiquait Mme Haakensen. À l’aide des outils dont nous disposons désormais, expliquaitJune/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 59

elle, nous pouvons enfin comprendre comment fonctionne le système environnemental au sein d’un projet, ce qui l’influence, et développer un projet de remédiation plus solide. La remédiation fait partie des diverses applications de la biotechnologie, qui s’appuie sur la microbiologie et les microorganismes que l’on trouve dans l’environnement pour extraire le métal des corps minéralisés ou neutraliser les contaminants provenant des déchets. On peut aussi déployer des micro-organismes dans des applications hydrométallurgiques afin de contribuer au processus de lixiviation. Ces dernières années, les avantages financiers et environnementaux potentiels de la biotechnologie, ainsi que la précision croissante avec laquelle est appliquée cette discipline, en ont fait une option intéressante pour les sociétés minières qui sont à la recherche de nouvelles approches envers les problèmes techniques. Cette discipline est amenée à se développer, et de nouveaux efforts sont déployés pour comprendre quels microbes constitueront les partenaires les plus performants pour une exploitation minière spécifique à leur niveau génétique fondamental.

Petits microbes, grandes récompenses La biolixiviation (ou lixiviation biologique) et la bio-oxydation (ou oxydation biologique) sont deux techniques couramment utilisées en biohydrométallurgie, expliquait Corale Brierley, conseillère et vice-présidente de la National Academy of Engineering (NAE, l’académie nationale d’ingénierie) des États-Unis. Ce sont des procédés de production des métaux mettant en jeu des micro-organismes qui utilisent une solution aqueuse. L’ajout de micro-organismes spécifiques à un système classique de lixiviation en tas permet d’extraire par biolixiviation des métaux communs tels que le cuivre, le nickel et le zinc. La bio-oxydation est un système identique que l’on applique généralement au minerai d’or réfractaire avant la lixiviation par cyanuration. La principale différence est qu’avec la biolixiviation, les métaux ciblés sont mis en solution alors qu’avec la bio-oxydation, ils restent à l’état solide. Les micro-organismes intervenant dans le procédé de biolixiviation catalysent la réaction chimique d’oxydoréduction par lixiviation, ce qui aide les électrons à se déplacer entre divers types de fer pendant une réaction chimique d’où ils tirent l’énergie dont ils ont besoin pour se développer. Le mouvement de ces électrons transforme les minéraux sulfurés en soufre, sulfate ou les deux, libérant ainsi les métaux du gisement environnant dans une solution et relançant le procédé d’oxydation. Ce procédé donne lieu à des taux de récupération plus élevés qui pourraient être difficiles à atteindre pour un minerai à faible teneur dans des gisements sulfurés. D’après Mme Brierley, on extrait aujourd’hui entre 18 et 20 % du cuivre par biolixiviation à l’échelle mondiale, et environ 26 installations de biolixiviation en tas du cuivre ont été construites depuis les années 1980. BHP Billiton a eu recours à cette technique à sa mine Cerro Colorado au Chili en 1993 ; quant à Teck, Freeport-McMoRan, Anglo American et Vale, elles ont toutes de l’expérience avec ce procédé. Comme l’expliquait Barrie Johnson, professeur à l’université de Bangor, la biohydrométallurgie présente des avantages indéniables du point de vue de l’environnement par rapport 60 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

au traitement classique des minerais, notamment lorsqu’on tente d’éviter la libération d’arsenic dans l’atmosphère durant la fusion. Traiter le minerai à l’aide de techniques biologiques permet d’éliminer ce risque car on évite les températures élevées qui pourraient entraîner la volatilisation de l’arsenic et le transformer en gaz. Au contraire, on peut traiter le minerai à des températures situées entre 20 et 50° Celsius. « Nul besoin de se préoccuper de la séparation ou du mélange des concentrés à haute teneur en arsenic ; en outre, le danger de l’évaporation des gaz riches en arsenic dans l’atmosphère est éliminé », expliquait M. Johnson. « Il finit dans le liquide et est ensuite immobilisé sous forme d’élément inerte. L’impact sur l’environnement est donc maîtrisé. » La biohydrométallurgie affiche en outre un meilleur rendement énergétique qu’une fonderie classique. « La fusion implique généralement de recourir à de très hautes températures, aussi les besoins énergétiques et les émissions de CO2 sont élevés », indiquait M. Johnson. Les micro-organismes offrent par ailleurs un avantage supplémentaire à cette technique, non négligeable du point de vue environnemental. En effet, les organismes utilisés dans le procédé ont besoin de dioxyde de carbone pour survivre ; ainsi, au lieu de produire des gaz à effet de serre (GES), ils les consomment.

Équation économique L’extraction de minerais qui repose sur des processus biologiques, ou bioextraction minière, a vu le jour au milieu des années 1990 alors que certaines sociétés minières commençaient à chercher des moyens de réduire leurs coûts de production du cuivre. Les prix et les teneurs étaient à la baisse, « un peu comme la situation actuelle », faisait remarquer Mme Brierley. La plupart des gisements facilement accessibles et érodés avaient été découverts et exploités, laissant aux mains des sociétés minières des gisements supergènes plus grands mais moins érodés (et donc plus difficiles à exploiter). L’exploitation de ces gisements n’a pas été une mince affaire dans un contexte économique plus que sombre, expliquait Mme Brierley, notamment si l’on tient compte du coût du concassage, du broyage, de la flottation et de la fusion des métaux. « Le coût de ces procédés était supérieur à la valeur du minerai », déclarait-elle. « Ainsi, la biolixiviation était une option qui tombait sous le sens. » L’association de la lixiviation en tas et de quelques micro-organismes utiles constituait une option financièrement viable permettant d’augmenter les taux de récupération sans pour autant décupler les coûts d’investissement. Contrairement aux fonderies et aux circuits de flottation, il n’était pas nécessaire d’amener les micro-organismes dans des régions isolées ou de les entasser dans un site de petite taille. « On trouve ces micro-organismes spécifiques partout dans le monde », déclarait Mme Brierley. « Il suffit de créer des conditions qui permettront aux organismes de bien se développer, de manière à ce qu’ils se multiplient et se divisent rapidement, puis qu’ils décomposent le minerai aussi vite que possible. » D’après M. Johnson, qui dirige également l’équipe de recherche sur les organismes acidophiles de l’université de

Avec l’autorisation de Contango Strategies

Contango Strategies aide la société Capstone Mining Corp. à développer des zones humides dans le cadre de sa stratégie de remédiation sur le long terme à la mine Minto, dans le Yukon.

Bangor, plusieurs micro-organismes sont adaptés à ce type de procédé. On appelle acidophiles tous les micro-organismes utilisés dans la biolixiviation et la bio-oxydation, car ils parviennent à survivre dans les conditions de faible pH nécessaires aux réactions chimiques qui séparent les métaux précieux des déchets. Tous les micro-organismes utilisés dans la bioextraction minière présentent cette caractéristique, mais chacun est doté d’une fonction spécifique et s’adapte mieux à certains environnements qu’à d’autres, faisait remarquer M. Johnson. « La plupart du temps, ils occupent des niches différentes. Certains prospéreront à température élevée, parfois jusqu’à 80° [Celsius] ; d’autres seront optimaux à des températures situées entre 10, voire même 5° Celsius », ajoutait-il. Toute exploitation procédant à l’extraction de minerai à partir d’un gisement sulfuré peut envisager la bioextraction minière, indiquait Mme Brierley, mais dans certaines situations, elle représente un choix bien plus adapté. L’espace que l’on peut affecter à un remblai biologique de lixiviation en tas pourrait ne pas être une option réalisable dans des zones montagneuses par exemple, en raison des limitations techniques quant à la hauteur de ces remblais. La bioextraction minière est également une solution plus adaptée aux sites se trouvant dans des zones isolées. « Lorsque l’accessibilité au site est un problème, il est difficile d’y amener des autoclaves et des pièces de la fonderie », indiquait Mme Brierley. Si la présence d’une main-d’œuvre qualifiée n’est pas forcément nécessaire, la qualité de l’eau sur le site devra par contre être correcte, précisait-elle.

Fermeture intégrale Dans la province du Yukon, Mme Haakensen et Contango Strategies aident la société Capstone Mining Corp. à développer des zones humides dans le cadre de sa stratégie de remédiation sur le long terme à la mine Minto afin d’éliminer le cuivre, le sélénium et le cadmium présents dans ses eaux usées (la mine dispose d’une usine de traitement des eaux usées pour ses besoins locaux de traitement de l’eau pendant la phase opérationnelle). « C’est au moment de la fermeture d’un site minier que l’on constate les véritables avantages de

la bioremédiation », déclarait Ryan Herbert, gestionnaire de l’environnement à Minto. L’un des avantages de cette technique concerne la réduction des coûts opérationnels, indiquait M. Herbert. « Les effectifs nécessaires pour exploiter les zones humides ne sont pas exactement les mêmes que ceux dont on pourrait avoir besoin pour gérer une usine de traitement. Il faut certes assurer un certain contrôle et entretien, mais ce n’est pas comparable à un système de traitement qui requiert une présence humaine 24h/24 », indiquait M. Herbert. Capstone s’intéresse également à la recherche sur la bioremédiation spécifique à chaque site à Minto et fait équipe avec Contango. Une partie des travaux de recherche consiste à déterminer l’impact d’un climat froid et d’un cycle de gel et dégel sur les végétaux dans les zones humides et sur la relibération des contaminants. M. Herbert indiquait que les premiers résultats concernant une zone pilote sur le site seront recueillis dans le courant de l’été. Aujourd’hui, la productivité potentielle des micro-organismes fait l’objet d’un intérêt croissant, notamment pour leur utilisation dans des systèmes de remédiation ou de traitement de l’eau. L’université Laurentienne a annoncé en mai qu’elle prévoit d’octroyer 630 000 $ au financement d’une chaire de recherche dédiée à la bioextraction minière et à la bioremédiation. Cette chaire de recherche collaborera avec Vale, Glencore et d’autres partenaires de l’industrie.

Études de cas Les micro-organismes ont beaucoup aidé les ingénieurs de la mine d’or LaRonde d’Agnico Eagle au Québec. En 2000, la mine a arrêté de rejeter son effluent final dans l’environnement lorsque la société y a identifié des niveaux élevés de thiocyanate (SCN). Il a fallu procéder au traitement de l’effluent, aussi la société a transféré l’eau dans des bassins de décantation des résidus et s’est tournée vers une technique de remédiation biologique en utilisant les micro-organismes pour décomposer les composés toxiques en des substances chimiques inoffensives. « Cette technologie représentait pour nous la solution la plus sûre », indiquait Patrick Laporte, coordinateur du traiteJune/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 61

Avec l’autorisation d’Agnico Eagle

Les usines reposant sur la biotechnologie de la mine LaRonde d’Agnico Eagle au Québec (ci-dessus) traitent leurs eaux usées afin d’éliminer des contaminants tels que le thiocyanate, le cyanate, le nitrite et l’ammoniac.

ment de l’eau. « De nombreux éléments sont responsables de la toxicité [à LaRonde] », déclarait-il, dont le SCN, le cyanate (CNO), le nitrite (NO2) et l’ammoniac (NH3). « Les traitements biologiques sont les seuls à pouvoir tous les traiter. D’autres technologies se sont avérées positives dans un ou deux tests de toxicité avec nos eaux usées, mais pas toutes. » En 2004, LaRonde a installé une usine de traitement biologique séparée en deux sections, l’une contenant des bactéries appartenant au genre Thiobacillus pour hydrolyser le CNO et le SCN, et l’autre des bactéries appartenant aux genres Nitrosomonas et Nitrobacter pour maîtriser le NO2 et le NH3. Les techniciens de la société ont perfectionné le procédé au travers d’expériences empiriques menées sur trois ans, jusqu’à son déploiement à grande échelle en 2008. « Nous devions approfondir nos connaissances sur ces bactéries », indiquait M. Laporte. « Il nous a fallu déterminer les limites de ces bactéries et optimiser les conditions dans l’usine. » Cette approche par tâtonnement permet d’intégrer de nouvelles techniques telles que la biotechnologie sur le terrain et le marché, expliquait Mme Brierley, notamment car le lien entre les personnes travaillant en laboratoire et celles sur le terrain n’est pas toujours facile à établir. « Dans la plupart des réunions techniques que l’on organise, on ne parvient pas à promouvoir une bonne collaboration entre les personnes travaillant dans le domaine de la recherche et faisant des découvertes et celles qui peuvent utiliser ces découvertes et les mettre en pratique ou qui sont capables de déceler les techniques nécessaires pour qu’elles fonctionnent », indiquait-elle. Cette dynamique est également évidente sur le terrain, expliquait Marja Riekkola-Vanhanen, scientifique et experte en biolixiviation. « Ces processus requièrent l’intervention d’une multitude de spécialistes, notamment des métallurgistes, des biohydrométallurgistes, des biologistes, des géologues et autres », expliquait Mme Riekkola-Vanhanen, qui a récemment travaillé sur un projet de biolixiviation du nickel en Finlande. 62 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

Commercialisation de la chimie Pour les sociétés ne souhaitant pas concevoir leur propre système de bioextraction minière en interne, comme c’est le cas pour Agnico Eagle, il existe des options commerciales pouvant être adaptées à leur site. La société sud-africaine BIOMIN est à l’origine de BIOX, le système utilisé dans la plupart des exploitations de bio-oxydation commerciales. Ce procédé agit sur les sulfures dans les minéraux, les oxyde et expose l’or avant qu’il ne subisse la lixiviation par cyanuration. Les bactéries catalysent la réaction, régénérant l’acide ferrique nécessaire à la décomposition de la pyrite en s’attachant à la surface du minéral et en créant un micro-environnement, expliquait Jan van Niekerk, directeur exécutif de BIOMIN. On observe aussi des nouveaux venus sur la scène de cette technologie reposant sur la biologie, notamment EnviraMet, une société canadienne qui a présenté une recherche sur la bioremédiation à l’occasion du congrès de l’ICM 2016 en mai (la société a développé une technologie qui cible un certain nombre de contaminants courants, dont le sélénium). « L’approche adoptée par EnviraMet implique de récupérer le sélénium élémentaire dans les boues du bioréacteur, permettant d’utiliser les déchets dans la terre comme engrais non dangereux », expliquait Altair Ioffe, président d’Ioffe Biotechnologies et conseiller en biotechnologie pour EnviraMet. Il n’est pas évident d’accorder une plus grande place à la science sur le terrain, et gérer correctement la situation peut prendre du temps. Mme Brierley a beaucoup travaillé sur de nouveaux projets ; cependant, elle se concentre principalement sur les usines reposant sur la biotechnologie qui sont déjà en service mais pourraient avoir besoin d’un petit coup de pouce, indiquait-elle. « C’est presque universel. On tente de concevoir des usines aussi performantes que possible, mais on ne peut éviter certains problèmes. » L’usine de traitement de LaRonde n’a pas fait exception à la règle. Il fallait laisser se former une pellicule biologique (un

biofilm) dans le réacteur pour que les micro-organismes puissent agir ; malheureusement, cette pellicule était si lourde dans la première section de l’usine qu’elle a cassé l’équipement, déjà abîmé par les micro-organismes. Le problème a été résolu en remplaçant le biodisque pivotant cylindrique par un bioréacteur à lit mobile, qui a, à son tour, généré plus d’ammoniac que ne pouvait le supporter la deuxième section de l’usine (leur solution consistait à le placer dans un bassin d’assèchement, lequel a depuis été vidé).

Approche difficile, lixiviation difficile La biotechnologie continue d’évoluer, tout comme les difficultés. Les gisements supergènes sont exploités, aussi certains se tournent déjà vers des gisements hypogènes plus profonds renfermant de la chalcopyrite et de l’énargite, pour lesquels la lixiviation est difficile. « À l’avenir, on trouvera 80 % du cuivre à l’échelle mondiale dans ce genre de minerais », expliquait Mme Brierley. « Le problème avec ce type de minerais est qu’il est difficile de procéder à leur lixiviation, qu’ils sont de teneurs très faibles et sont dans certains cas enfouis très profonds. » De nouvelles techniques et applications pour la bioextraction minière pourraient s’avérer utiles pour les sociétés alors qu’elles envisagent d’exploiter ces gisements et d’autres, ainsi que d’autres types de minerais. C’est en 2008 que la mine à ciel ouvert de nickel de Talvivaara Mining Company, dans le nord de la Finlande, a pour la première fois eu recours à la lixiviation en tas utilisant les micro-organismes, activités auxquelles Mme Riekkola-Vanhanen a contribué ; l’exploitation a expédié son premier concentré de nickel en 2009. Sur le site de Talvivaara, le minerai est concassé et empilé sur le remblai de lixiviation puis irrigué avec de l’eau acide pendant 13 à 14 mois, ce qui permet aux bactéries de réagir et de catalyser les réactions chimiques. Grâce à la bioextraction minière, l’exploitation a pu atteindre un taux de récupération de 85 % pour le nickel, et de 80 % pour le zinc et ce, malgré que la composition minérale du gisement comprenne de la chalcopyrite. Mme RiekkolaVanhanen expliquait que c’est en raison des faibles coûts d’investissement et d’exploitation que cette technique a été choisie. « C’est un minerai spécial que l’on trouvait dans les fonds océaniques il y a deux milliards d’années », indiquait Mme Riekkola-Vanhanen, et le gisement présente des niveaux élevés de graphite. « Ainsi, il est possible d’obtenir un concentré, mais il contient 1,5 % de nickel. Personne n’achètera ce genre de concentré. » « Si l’on tente d’enrichir un minerai contenant autant de graphite par flottation, ce graphite remontera à la surface pendant le procédé de flottation », expliquait-elle, ce qui fait de la biolixiviation l’option la plus économique pour traiter le minerai. De nombreux procédés sont menés ; on retire tout d’abord le nickel et le cobalt, puis le cuivre et le zinc. « La biolixiviation fonctionne bien, mais il ne s’agit que d’une partie du procédé complet », indiquait-elle. « Par exemple, on peut avoir des sulfures métalliques insolubles dans l’eau, puis après la biolixiviation, on trouve dans la solution des sulfates solubles dans l’eau, aussi il faut disposer de pro-

cédés hydrométallurgiques (ou chimiques) efficaces pour produire des métaux à partir de la solution. » On peut utiliser la technique d’exploitation minière in situ pour chercher des gisements profonds, indiquait Mme Brierley, éventuellement avec une aide sur le plan biologique. « L’exploitation minière in situ est fort susceptible de constituer une étape extrêmement importante car elle fera appel à de grandes connaissances en matière de génie et également de savoir-faire scientifique ; cependant, nous n’y sommes pas encore », ajoutait-elle. L’Union européenne (UE) finance une partie de ces recherches techniques et scientifiques au titre du projet BioMOre, faisait remarquer M. Johnson. Le projet se trouve actuellement en phase pilote, mais se concentre sur l’exploitation minière profonde in situ simple et « aidée par les bactéries. » L’exploitation profonde in situ a déjà été testée dans des mines d’uranium canadiennes, mais ces gisements présentent un socle rocheux qui n’existe pas dans les gisements de cuivre, indiquait Mme Brierley. Ce socle rocheux est essentiel pour garantir que la solution utilisée pour la lixiviation du minerai ne se répande pas involontairement dans des zones non concernées par cette technique.

Génie génétique Dans un contexte où les micro-organismes continuent de prouver leur utilité, la technologie et la recherche nécessaires pour optimiser leur utilisation bénéficient d’un soutien croissant. Mme Haakensen indiquait que des fonds fédéraux ont été mis à disposition par l’intermédiaire de Génome Canada. La génomique étudie la composition génétique des espèces et des organismes, et de nombreux projets espèrent pouvoir mettre à profit ces nouvelles connaissances sur la composition génétique des plantes et des micro-organismes pour adapter les organismes utilisés dans des environnements spécifiques tels que des cellules de réacteurs ou dans des projets de remédiation en vue de maîtriser certains contaminants spécifiques. Un concours de Génome Canada visant à octroyer un financement à des projets de génomique pour des applications minières est en cours. L’un des projets à la recherche d’un financement souhaite établir la séquence des génomes de 800 arbres pour trouver des espèces qui seront bien adaptées à la restauration des sites miniers. Un autre projet s’intéresse spécifiquement aux génomes des bactéries se trouvant dans les eaux usées issues des activités minières. « Le nombre de personnes s’intéressant à [ce genre de technologies et de procédés] ne cesse de croître », déclarait Mme Haakensen. « On s’y est toujours intéressé, mais on ne disposait souvent pas des outils nécessaires. On voit maintenant grandir le nombre d’outils à notre disposition, et le corpus de recherches universitaires consacrées à ce sujet ne cesse de s’étoffer. » Au vu des nombreux développements qui voient le jour et de l’impact de la biotechnologie, il est clair que les micro-organismes ont beau être minuscules, ils pourraient avoir d’importantes répercussions sur le traitement des minerais et les projets de restauration des sites miniers. ICM June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 63

PAR EAVAN MOORE

Stornoway Diamond Corporation prévoit que sa mine Renard entrera en production commerciale d’ici le début de la nouvelle année, soit cinq mois plus tôt que l’échéancier prévu et pour 36 M$ de moins que le budget initial. a mine Renard est située dans la région de la baie James, au Québec, à environ 250 km au nord de Mistissini. Peu après avoir fait l’acquisition du projet en 2007, Stornoway a bénéficié de programmes provinciaux de soutien au développement de l’industrie minière. Le programme de financement par actions accréditives du Québec a permis à la société de financer ses activités d’exploration pendant la crise du crédit. En 2011, lors du lancement du Plan Nord, ambitieux programme de développement des régions nordiques de la province, Renard était l’une des propriétés vedettes nécessitant, à juste titre, un investissement provincial dans les infrastructures régionales. L’étude de faisabilité publiée cette année prévoyait que la durée de vie de la mine serait de 11 ans, en fonction de réserves minérales probables de 18 millions de carats. Dans un plan d’exploitation dont la mise à jour a été publiée en mars, la durée de vie de la mine a été portée à 14 ans, par suite d’une augmentation des réserves, qui se chiffrent maintenant à 22,3 millions de carats. Stornoway a fait équipe avec d’autres sociétés minières et diverses collectivités pour planifier la construction d’une route de gravier utilisable en toute saison. Ce projet, le premier à être

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approuvé dans le cadre du Plan Nord du Québec, prolonge la route 167 de 260 km en direction nord et « fait de Renard la seule mine de diamant avec une route toutes saisons au Canada », a souligné Matt Manson, chef de la direction de Stornoway. La Société a utilisé un prêt de 77 M$ du gouvernement provincial pour construire les derniers 100 km de la route ainsi qu’un aéroport pour transporter le personnel et les entrepreneurs. Une fois la route terminée en 2013, Stornoway a réuni tout son budget d’investissement à temps pour entreprendre les travaux de construction en juillet 2014. M. Manson a déclaré : « Nous avons pu dire aux investisseurs : “Écoutez, tout est prêt, la route, l’aéroport, les permis, nous pouvons y aller. Nous avons juste besoin d’argent.” » Le montant total des immobilisations nécessaires pour lancer la production commerciale à Renard se chiffre à 776 M$. Sans la route, nous n’aurions disposé que d’une courte période de six semaines pour les livraisons en hiver, sans compter tous les problèmes de surconstruction et de surstockage et les erreurs éventuellement coûteuses que cela aurait.

Avec l’autorisation de Stornoway Diamonds

PRÊT

TOUT EST

Durant la phase de construction de son projet, Stornoway a bénéficié, entre autres, de courts délais d’approvisionnement pour son équipement lourd.

profil de projet La route a non seulement permis d’effectuer les livraisons en temps opportun, mais aussi d’utiliser une source d’énergie novatrice : le gaz naturel liquéfié (GNL). « Le fait d’être la première mine de diamant au Canada desservie par une route a aussi permis d’en faire la première mine au pays dotée d’une usine fonctionnant au GNL », a mentionné M. Manson. Puisqu’un raccordement au réseau électrique aurait coûté quelque 170 M$ en infrastructure, l’étude de faisabilité de 2011 préconisait l’utilisation de groupes électrogènes diesel classiques. Cependant, grâce à la route, on peut transporter quotidiennement par camion depuis Montréal le GNL qui permet d’alimenter des groupes électrogènes Caterpillar au coût de 0,18 $/kWh, au lieu de 0,30 $/kWh avec le diesel.

Récupération de diamants de grande taille Renard se distingue également d’une autre façon : elle est la première mine de diamant au monde à inclure la récupération de diamants de grande taille (LDR, pour « large diamond recovery ») dans son schéma de traitement primaire. « La méthode normale pour calculer la teneur et la valeur d’un gisement diamantifère n’attribue qu’une part très peu importante des recettes estimées aux diamants d’un poids supérieur à 10,8 carats », a déclaré M. Manson. Cependant, l’une des kimberlites du projet – Renard 2, d’où proviendra la plus grande partie de la production pendant les dix premières années – peut produire des pierres de plus grande taille. Les échantillons recueillis jusqu’à présent laissent présager qu’à tous les 100 000 carats, on pourrait récupérer une à deux pierres de plus de 100 carats et de trois à six pierres pesant entre 50 et 100 carats. En période de production à plein régime, on pourrait récupérer 100 000 carats à Renard en quelques semaines. Les mines ayant une distribution granulométrique grossière sont nombreuses dans le monde, mais M. Manson a indiqué qu’elles ont tendance à installer la technologie nécessaire pour récupérer les pierres de grande taille seulement après en avoir perdu quelques-unes par fragmentation dans le circuit normal de broyage. « Parce que nous avons cette possibilité et parce que celle-ci pourrait avoir une incidence importante sur nos revenus – on parle de sommes importantes ici –, l’usine est conçue de façon à permettre d’emblée la récupération de tels diamants, s’ils existent », a poursuivi M. Manson. Il a insisté sur le fait que, même si on peut prévoir la taille des diamants, on ne peut en prédire la qualité; Stornoway ne communique publiquement aucune estimation des revenus supplémentaires que des diamants de grande taille pourraient rapporter. N’importe quel diamant de grande taille, ce serait excellent. Après qu’un concasseur à cône a réduit le minerai en particules de moins de 45 mm, tout ce qui mesure plus de 19 mm passe par le cycle complet du circuit LDR, machine de transmission à rayons X fournie par la société européenne TOMRA. « La machine TOMRA XRT est constituée essentiellement d’une courroie à haute vitesse pouvant traiter de gros volumes de minerai », a expliqué M. Manson. « Tout ce qui apparait fluorescent aux rayons X est soufflé par un jet d’air. »

Les autres équipements d’extraction et de traitement du minerai sont les mêmes que ceux utilisés habituellement dans les mines de diamant. Trois kimberlites seront exploitées pendant la première décennie, à la fois sur des sites à ciel ouvert et (à partir de 2018) par une rampe d’exploitation souterraine. De 1,5 million à trois millions de tonnes de minerai seront envoyés par année à l’usine de traitement ; la capacité nominale de traitement de l’usine est de 6 000 tonnes par jour. Le premier cycle de concassage et le passage dans le circuit LDR sont suivis d’un nouveau concassage, d’une séparation par milieu dense pour produire un concentré, d’un autre passage entre des cylindres de broyage à haute pression, puis d’un nouveau cycle dans le séparateur par milieu dense. Afin de réduire les coûts, Stornoway a remis à plus tard le forage du puits de mine qui était prévu dans la mise à jour de son étude de faisabilité de 2013. La rampe descend en spirale autour de l’emplacement futur du puits, jusqu’à une profondeur d’environ 700 m, soit la base des ressources indiquées. Comme l’a expliqué M. Manson, lorsque le coût d’utilisation de la rampe en profondeur deviendra prohibitif, le puits prendra la relève. Les cheminées kimberlitiques de Renard semblent différer de la forme typique en carotte ; l’une d’elles mesure la même largeur à 1 000 m sous terre qu’à la surface, ce qui incite fortement à construire des infrastructures plus profondes. « Mais il y a beaucoup à faire d’ici là. On pourra y penser quand le moment sera venu », dit-il.

Gestion de l’eau et des résidus Pour régler la question des résidus à la mine Renard, on a choisi de construire une installation en lisse sèche, ce qui s’explique en partie par l’absence d’une autre solution. « Au milieu des années 2000, le gouvernement fédéral a décidé de réviser les normes en vertu desquelles il autoriserait le dépôt de résidus miniers dans des plans d’eau », a expliqué M. Manson. « Le gouvernement a donc aboli toutes les normes existantes et commencé à en créer de nouvelles pour l’industrie minière. Il l’a fait pour les métaux communs, pour l’or et pour les métaux précieux. Cependant, en 2008, quand la crise financière a frappé, De Beers Canada a décidé de suspendre temporairement sa production à Snap Lake et à la mine Victor, et le gouvernement fédéral s’est servi de ce prétexte pour cesser de financer l’équipe du ministère de l’Environnement chargée de réécrire les normes pour le dernier secteur minier qui restait, celui du diamant. » Toujours en l’absence de normes en 2011, Stornoway n’a pu obtenir de permis pour la solution qu’elle privilégiait, une vallée avec un ruisseau. « Nous avons alors choisi comme stratégie de laisser les résidus en lisse sèche », a expliqué M. Manson. « Heureusement, nos résidus ne contiennent pas de métaux. Il n’y a pas de sulfure dans la roche, et donc aucun potentiel d’acidification. Après tous les essais, nous en avons conclu que nous pouvions le faire à un coût très bas. » Martin Boucher, vice-président, Développement durable, à Stornoway, a souligné que la solution en lisse sèche comprend des avantages inhérents : pas de barrage ni de talus à construire, une demande réduite en eau douce, et une responsabilité moins contraignante après la fermeture du site. « La plupart June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 65

Avec l’autorisation de Stornoway Diamonds

l’Atlantique, nous sommes la seule mine en construction », a-t-il souligné. C’est également vrai en matière d’approvisionnements mondiaux. Caterpillar fournit la flotte mobile de la mine. « Quand nous avons réalisé notre étude de faisabilité en 2011, le délai pour obtenir l’équipement de Caterpillar était d’environ dix-huit mois, alors qu’il ne faut maintenant que quelques semaines pour leurs tombereaux de chantier », a déclaré M. Manson. La rapidité du processus d’approvisionnement et de passation de contrats a réduit de trois mois l’échéancier de la construction à Renard. La productivité à elle seule a permis de gagner un autre mois. En outre, il semble que le délai supplémentaire d’un mois, prévu pour tenir compte des risques, soit superflu. Stornoway s’attend à ce que la mine Renard produise à 60 % de sa capacité Plus de trois quart des dépenses d’investissement, d’une valeur totale de 400 millions $ pour l’année 2015, nominale d’ici le 31 décembre 2016, soit ont été engagées au Québec. cinq mois plus tôt que prévu. Par conséquent, le budget d’investissement initial du temps, quand il faut développer de nouvelles idées, la déci- est passé de 811 M$ à 776 M$. sion finale est meilleure », a-t-il fait remarquer. Les coûts d’exploitation pendant la durée de vie de la Autrement dit, Stornoway a cherché à devancer le gou- mine devraient se chiffrer à 56,20 $ par tonne, ou 84,37 $ vernement. À l’heure actuelle, les règlements fédéraux et par carat. Dans sa mise à jour de 2016, Stornoway a estimé provinciaux sur la gestion de l’eau exigent uniquement que les que la marge d’exploitation serait de 59 % et, compte tenu eaux de ruissellement provenant des installations de stockage des conditions du marché, a revu à la baisse le prix du diades résidus soient recueillies et traitées, mais M. Boucher mant pour le fixer à 155 $ US le carat. Le second semestre de entrevoit des règlements d’une plus grande portée à l’horizon. 2014 et l’année 2015 ont été marqués par une chute impor« Nous détestons les surprises », a-t-il précisé. « Il est bien plus tante des prix au comptant, attribuée en grande partie au économique de concevoir le site de stockage et de l’aménager ralentissement de la demande des consommateurs. Cepenpendant la construction plutôt qu’après. Cela coûte deux ou dant, des signes plus positifs sont apparus en 2016 : le servtrois fois plus cher alors. » ice d’information sur l’industrie des gemmes, Rapaport, a Stornoway a donc dépensé un peu plus pour aménager un constaté une hausse de la demande des courtiers et du prix système de fossés de drainage entourant tout le site minier. des diamants taillés au premier trimestre, tandis que De « Chaque goutte de précipitation, sous forme de neige ou de Beers révisait de nouveau à la hausse son cours vendeur. Le pluie, qui atterrit sur le site est recueillie dans ces fossés, directeur général de De Beers, Philippe Mellier, a évoqué une envoyée à une installation de traitement des eaux où les solides « reprise fragile » dans une entrevue accordée au en suspension sont filtrés avant que l’eau soit relâchée dans Financial Times. l’environnement », a indiqué M. Manson. « Tout le monde veut construire ses projets pendant un Le plan de traitement des eaux usées domestiques du projet cycle baissier et les exploiter pendant un cycle haussier, et Renard a également été réévalué en prévision de règlements nous avons réuni tous nos capitaux au printemps de 2014 », fédéraux plus sévères sur les toxines. Après avoir soumis le a indiqué M. Manson. « Nous sommes un modèle de bon synbudget à l’attention de deux conseillers pendant une journée, chronisme dans le secteur minier. Nous l’espérons. Pas vrai? », l’équipe de M. Boucher a abandonné l’idée d’une lagune a-t-il ajouté en riant. « Nous profitons certainement du cycle d’aération et opté pour une série de bioréacteurs à membrane baissier pour la construction. Nous espérons profiter du cycle produisant de l’eau potable. haussier pour l’établissement du prix de notre produit. » Tant que la mine Renard pourra supporter un peu de Le bon moment volatilité, M. Manson n’est pas inquiet. Il voit de la stabilité Toutes ces constructions sont allées bon train. Selon M. dans la valeur culturelle des diamants et dans la relative difManson, la faiblesse du marché minier a fait en sorte qu’il est ficulté de construire de nouvelles mines. « Les diamants plus facile de trouver des fournisseurs et des entrepreneurs sont vraiment difficiles à trouver, et la mise en production locaux de qualité qui peuvent travailler dans les limites du d’une nouvelle mine est un long processus. Pour notre mine, budget de Stornoway et qui sont disponibles immédiatement. il aura fallu 16 ans entre l’étape de la découverte et celle de « Entre le projet de Rainy River à Red Lake, en Ontario, et la production. » ICM 66 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

2016

Photos par Jon Benjamin

Envisager de nouvelles solutions Les participants au congrès de l’ICM adoptent de nouvelles technologies et manières de penser pour surmonter les difficultés auxquelles est confrontée l’industrie. Par l’équipe du CIM Magazine

L’année qui vient de s’écouler a été marquée par les prix extrêmement bas des substances utiles, des réductions budgétaires et des décisions difficiles à prendre ; et pourtant, au congrès de l’ICM qui s’est tenu cette année du 1er au 4 mai dernier au palais des congrès de Vancouver, les participants se sont tous montrés optimistes pour l’année à venir. Sur le thème L’excellence au premier plan, l’ICM a accueilli quelque 5 000 professionnels de l’industrie originaires de 45 pays afin qu’ils se familiarisent avec les pratiques exemplaires et les méthodes émergentes qui permettront de surmonter les problèmes que rencontrent les sociétés minières aux quatre coins du monde. Au programme bien rempli figuraient l’Expo (le salon commercial du congrès), des sessions techniques organisées en huit volets, un programme exhaustif d’activités sociales et une discussion en plénière à caractère prospectif.

L’avenir de l’exploitation minière Malgré le grand ciel bleu en ce lundi matin, c’est le regard vif que les participants au congrès de l’ICM 2016 se sont rués vers la salle de bal C du palais des congrès de Vancouver pour assister à la séance plénière d’ouverture du lundi 2 mai présidée par quatre titans de l’industrie venus y exposer leurs points de vue sur la façon de faire face à la crise qui touche les matières premières et de préparer l’avenir de l’exploitation minière.

Le modérateur de la séance plénière Colin Joudrie, viceprésident à la prospection commerciale et directeur général du procédé CESL chez Teck Resources, a ouvert la séance en présentant les quatre conférenciers d’honneur, MM. Phillips S. Baker Jr, président et chef de la direction de Hecla Mining Company ; Randy Smallwood, président et chef de la direction de Silver Wheaton ; Don Lindsay, président et chef de la direction de Teck Resources ; et Jim Gowans, président et chef de la June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 67

direction d’Arizona Mining. « Nous avons cette grande chance de pouvoir nous engager et nous projeter vers un avenir meilleur pour l’exploitation minière, et ces personnes sont là pour nous représenter », déclarait M. Joudrie. Dans le respect du thème de la conférence et de la séance plénière, M. Joudrie a évoqué cinq qualités en matière de leadership que partagent tous les conférenciers de la plénière et qui ont contribué à leur réussite, à savoir leur capacité à diriger plusieurs équipes et organisations, une très grande expérience avec différentes sociétés qui produisent des matières premières variées, des compétences certaines pour lever des fonds et gérer des capitaux, leur disponibilité ainsi qu’un sentiment profond de générosité sur les plans personnel et professionnel. D’après M. Lindsay, les marchés commencent à remonter la pente et l’industrie retrouve peu à peu son optimisme. « Après une longue période d’offre excédentaire, les prix bas ont eu des répercussions importantes sur la production et poussent la plupart des marchés à retrouver un certain équilibre ou même à être déficitaire », indiquait-il. « Parallèlement, la demande reste régulière. » À l’avenir, avançait M. Lindsay, les trois facteurs qui définiront le succès des sociétés seront la discipline en matière de coûts, leur capacité à réduire leurs émissions de dioxyde de carbone (CO2) et une bonne gestion des relations avec les communautés. En termes de financement de projet, M. Smallwood considère les accords d’écoulement comme essentiels aux biens capitaux des sociétés minières étant donné la flexibilité qu’ils leur offrent. « Selon moi, ce modèle de financement restera un moteur pour l’industrie minière pendant de nombreuses années à venir », déclarait-il. Quant à M. Baker de Hecla, il déplorait la façon dont les sociétés spécialisées dans les métaux sont évaluées de nos jours, une approche qu’il qualifiait de totalement erronée. Plutôt que de se concentrer sur la valeur de l’actif net et l’analyse de la valeur actualisée des flux de trésorerie, « nous avons besoin de mines à longue durée de vie et peu onéreuses qui créent une réelle valeur ». En outre, M. Baker, dont le mandat de 16 ans en tant que président et chef de la direction de Hecla

EXPO

Plus de 450 exposants ont envahi l’étage de l’Expo, le salon commercial du congrès de l’ICM, pour présenter leurs tous derniers produits, technologies et services des quatre coins du monde.

68 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

dépasse de loin la moyenne, rappelait qu’il est important de maintenir une certaine continuité au niveau de la direction tout en développant des stratégies à long terme. Pour M. Gowans, l’innovation est synonyme de progrès dans l’industrie. Le secteur minier a certes adopté sa part de nouvelles technologies ces dernières années, mais M. Gowans s’inquiète cependant du manque de cohérence parmi les nombreux organismes orientés sur l’innovation au Canada, faisant remarquer que la province de l’Ontario à elle seule en compte déjà huit. « La question est de savoir si cela nous permet, en tant qu’industrie, […] de parvenir à une concentration des efforts », indiquait-il. Vous trouverez la diffusion en direct de la séance plénière sur le site du congrès de l’ICM, convention.cim.org/fr-CA.

Côté technique Les sessions techniques du congrès de l’ICM, auxquelles ont pris part près de 1 000 personnes, ont répondu aux questions les plus pressantes et complexes de l’industrie minière. Ces sessions, organisées en huit volets et abordant des sujets aussi variés que l’exploration, la géologie ou l’automatisation, portaient sur les thèmes suivants : l’excellence opérationnelle, les normes d’excellence, la mécanique des roches, la géologie et l’exploration, l’empreinte écologique de l’exploitation minière, les organisations durables, l’innovation et les nouvelles idées ainsi que la journée Gestion et finances. Le dernier thème est l’un des plus populaires au congrès chaque année et a souvent lieu dans des salles sans places assises. Il présentait un intérêt tout particulier pour les participants au congrès souhaitant en savoir plus sur l’accès à court terme à des capitaux, les façons d’élaborer des études de faisabilité plus solides sur lesquelles les investisseurs peuvent compter et s’appuyer, et la façon dont les sociétés peuvent mettre en corrélation leurs travaux sur l’environnement, les aspects sociaux et la communauté ainsi que les études techniques. Prévoyez dès maintenant votre visite au congrès de l’ICM l’année prochaine, du 30 avril au 3 mai 2017 à Montréal, afin de débattre du renouveau minier ! ICM

DÉJEUNER DE CLÔTURE

GALA DE REMISE DES PRIX DE L’ICM

Fred R. Pletcher, associé chez Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, a orienté son discours liminaire lors du déjeuner de clôture du congrès de l’ICM sur le thème de l’expansion de l’activisme actionnarial.

L’ICM a mis à l’honneur les esprits les plus éminents et les plus brillants de l’industrie à l’occasion de son gala annuel de remise des prix, commandité par Caterpillar et ses distributeurs canadiens.

2016

LAURÉATS DES PRIX DE L’ICM L’excellence dans l’industrie minière mérite d’être reconnue ; le lundi 2 mai, à l’occasion du gala annuel de remise des prix de l’ICM commandité par Caterpillar et ses distributeurs canadiens, les chefs de file de l’industrie se sont réunis pour célébrer les accomplissements de leurs pairs. Voici la liste des lauréats des prix cette année : CONFRÉRIE DE L’ICM Les prix de la confrérie de l’ICM sont octroyés pour des contributions remarquables constantes aux industries des mines, de la métallurgie et du pétrole. Peter Edmunds, Daniel M. Gagnon, Louis Gignac, Robert Henderson, Eric Hinton, Georges Kipouros, Bruce Knight, Matthias Militzer, Patty Moore, Sergei A. Shipilov, Michael Sopko, Sean Waller

ÉMINENTS CONFÉRENCIERS DE L’ICM Les éminents conférenciers de l’ICM sont choisis en fonction de leurs accomplissements dans des activités scientifiques, techniques, de gestion ou éducatives dans des domaines liés à l’industrie minière. Hani Henein, professeur du département de génie chimique et des matériaux à l’université de l’Alberta. Présentation : Des aciers microalliés avancés pour des pipelines durables Daniel Marshall, professeur de géologie économique et de géochimie au sein du département des sciences de la Terre de l’université Simon Fraser. Présentation : Un nouveau modèle pour l’enrichissement des métaux natifs qui compare les échantillons naturels aux études expérimentales et in situ sur la fusion Lawrence Devon Smith, conseillère principale chez Lawrence Devon Smith & Associates. Présentation : Prix réduits et risques dans les projets à long terme Patrick Stephenson, directeur et géologue principal chez AMC Mining Consultants Canada. Présentation : Ressources minérales, réserves minérales ou chimères ? Dirk van Zyl, professeur et chaire de recherche sur les mines et l’environnement à l’université de la Colombie-Britannique (UBC). Présentation : Gestion des risques associés aux résidus miniers MÉDAILLE DE L’ICM POUR SERVICES REMARQUABLES Chris Twigge-Molecey est conseiller supérieur chez Hatch Ltd., société de génie-conseil, gestion de projets et de construction, où il travaille depuis plus de 43 ans. Il a occupé divers postes techniques et de direction.

MÉDAILLE VALE POUR DES CONTRIBUTIONS MÉRITOIRES À L’EXPLOITATION MINIÈRE Graham Clow est le président et principal ingénieur des mines

auprès de RPA Inc. Il est dirigeant de l’exploitation minière et a à son actif plus de 42 ans d’expérience, plus particulièrement en matière de ressources et de réserves minérales ainsi que d’évaluation économique des projets et des activités à l’échelle mondiale. PRIX A.O. DUFRESNE POUR DES ACCOMPLISSEMENTS REMARQUABLES EN EXPLORATION Robert A. Quartermain est le président et directeur général de

Pretium Resources Ltd. Il a à son actif plus de 40 ans d’expé-

rience en géologie, exploration et développement. De 1985 à 2010, il était président de Silver Standard Resource Inc. MÉDAILLE DES PRÉSIDENTS DE L’ICM POUR UN RÔLE EXEMPLAIRE Cette médaille met à l’honneur un individu qui a

donné un exemple remarquable et dont le début de carrière a été marqué par des accomplissements en tant que modèle de rôle au sein de l’ICM. Fenna Poelzer est actuellement évaluatrice en chef pour Abalone Construction, et travaille principalement dans le domaine des sables bitumineux et du développement connexe en Alberta. Son rôle comprend l’analytique détaillée des productions d’équipement, la planification préparatoire des emplois, le sens aigu des relations professionnelles et le marketing. PRIX SYNCRUDE POUR L’EXCELLENCE EN DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE David T. Lynch était doyen de la faculté d’ingénierie de l’univer-

sité de l’Alberta de 1994 à 2015. Dr Lynch est à l’origine de la création de grandes initiatives dont l’institut national de nanotechnologie (INNT), l’Imperial Oil Institute for Oil Sands Innovation (l’institut de l’Impériale pour l’innovation dans le domaine des sables bitumineux), et le Canadian Centre for Clean Coal/Carbon and Mineral Processing Technologies (le centre canadien dédié aux technologies de charbon propre/de carbone et de traitement des minerais). MÉDAILLE BARLOW POUR LE MEILLEUR ARTICLE DANS LE DOMAINE DE LA GÉOLOGIE Michel Proulx est le président actuel de Géo-Consilium, poste

qu’il occupe depuis 1995. Il a à son actif une maîtrise en géochimie et travaillait auparavant avec le ministère des ressources naturelles du Québec. MÉDAILLE DES DISTRICTS POUR SERVICES REMARQUABLES

Chaque année, les districts Ouest, Centre et Est mettent à l’honneur l’un de leurs membres pour ses contributions importantes à l’industrie minière et à l’ICM. District Centre : Mohammed Ali, directeur régional des services environnementaux chez Hatch District Ouest : John D. Cairns, ingénieur principal des mines chez WorleyParsons District Est : Ian Turner, ingénieur des mines chez Sitec Quartz Inc. PRIX MEL W. BARTLEY POUR LES TRAVAUX REMARQUABLES DES SECTIONS LOCALES Ce prix est attribué à la section de

l’ICM ayant fait les plus grands progrès vers la réalisation des objectifs fixés par l’institut. Section de Sudbury de l’ICM

PRIX DE L’ICM POUR LES SERVICES RENDUS À LA COMMUNAUTÉ Ce prix récompense un membre de l’ICM qui s’est

entièrement dévoué à plusieurs aspects des services rendus à la communauté et au soutien à l’industrie minière. June/July • Juin/Juillet 2016 | 69

Oliver Koski a été directeur de projet au Centre for Excellence in

Mining Innovation (CEMI, le centre d’excellence en innovation minière). Il est membre de la section de Sudbury de l’ICM depuis les années 1970 et a été directeur de la section pendant plus de 10 ans. PRIX D’ÉCONOMIE DES MINÉRAUX ROBERT ELVER Ce prix

récompense un membre de l’institut qui a contribué de manière importante à l’économie des minéraux au cours de l’année qui s’est écoulée. William H. McNeil était ingénieur principal des mines pour la banque Scotia jusqu’à son départ à la retraite en janvier 2016. Il a joué un rôle important dans l’industrie minière pendant plus de 40 ans en travaillant avec Falconbridge Nickel Mines Limited, Amax Inc., Strathcona Mineral Services Limited et la banque Scotia. PRIX JEUNES LEADERS CANADIENS DU SECTEUR MINIER ICMBEDFORD Ces prix mettent à l’honneur l’avenir brillant du lea-

dership dans l’industrie minière en récompensant les accomplissements exceptionnels et le potentiel de jeunes chefs de file de l’exploration minière au Canada. Anne Gent, scientifique principale de l’environnement chez Cameco Corporation Dominique Girard, vice-président de l’exploitation du Nunavut chez Mines Agnico Eagle Andrew Randell, géologue principal chez Strata GeoData Services David Stein, président et directeur général chez Aberdeen International PRIX POUR LA SÉCURITÉ DES CHANTIERS DANS LE DOMAINE DES MINES ET DU MINERAI DE HATCH-ICM Cameco Corporation – Projet de poste électrique à McArthur River Glencore Corporation – Projet sur le gaz de procédé

PRIX J.C. SPROULE Ce prix récompense les contributions remarquables à l’exploration et au développement des ressources minérales dans les régions du nord du Canada. James Mortensen est professeur à l’université de la ColombieBritannique (UBC). Il a à son actif plus de 40 ans d’expérience sur le terrain dans les études tectonique et métallogénique dans la région, lesquelles ont principalement porté sur les régions de la Cordillère septentrionale et du Bouclier canadien ainsi que sur l’Espagne, le Portugal, la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Australie, la Chine, le Mexique et le Tibet. TROPHÉES JOHN T. RYAN Ces trophées sont attribués aux mines d’une catégorie donnée qui affichent la fréquence la plus faible d’accidents déclarables sur 200 000 heures de travail. Les catégories respectives comprennent des trophées nationaux pour les mines de charbon, métallifères et « sélectes », ainsi que des trophées régionaux pour des mines métallifères de quatre régions différentes et des mines « sélectes » de deux régions. Cameco Corporation – Mine McArthur River (métallifère) Rambler Metals et Mining Canada Ltd – Mine Ming (métallifère) North American Construction Group – Site minier Kearl Lake (sélecte) Mosaic Potash Esterhazy Limited – Mine K1 (sélecte)

70 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

DeBeers Canada – Mine Victor (sélecte) PotashCorp – Division du Nouveau-Brunswick (sélecte) Vale – Mine de la baie Voisey (sélecte) Teck Coal Limited – Exploitation Greenhills (charbon)

TROPHÉES RÉGIONAUX POUR LES MINES MÉTALLIFÈRES Goldcorp – Mine Éléonore Glencore – Exploitation Kidd Claude Resources Inc. – Mine Seabee New Gold Inc. – Mine New Afton Syncrude Canada Ltd. – Mines Mildred Lake & Aurora Tata Steel Minerals Canada – Projet DSO

PRIX COMMÉMORATIF MCPARLAND Ce prix récompense des

performances remarquables dans l’industrie des minéraux. Allan Akerman est le président d’Akerman Consultants Inc., qui

se spécialise dans les grands projets de R&D. Il est également directeur de CAMIRO. Il a à son actif 35 ans d’expérience dans l’industrie minière. PRIX JULIAN BOLDY POUR LES SERVICES RENDUS À LA SOCIÉTÉ DE LA GÉOLOGIE Damien Duff est le vice-président de la recherche et du dévelop-

pement (R&D) dans le domaine de la géotechnique et des sciences de la Terre au Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI, le centre d’excellence en innovation minière). PRIX POUR DES ACCOMPLISSEMENTS REMARQUABLES EN GÉNIE MINIER Ce prix, qui s’appelait auparavant le prix de la

société d’exploitation minière souterraine, a été créé dans le but de récompenser les accomplissements ou les contributions remarquables dans le domaine du génie minier. Eric Hinton travaille dans les services miniers chez Boge & Boge, et a à son actif plus de 25 ans d’expérience dans ce secteur au Canada, aux États-Unis d’Amérique, au Ghana et au Zimbabwe, notamment en matière de génie des opérations, d’études de faisabilité et de recherches sur les technologies de pointe appliquées au secteur minier. PRIX D’EXCELLENCE SELWYN BLAYLOCK Ce prix récompense

un individu pour les services remarquables qu’il a rendus au Canada par une contribution exceptionnelle dans le domaine de l’exploitation minière, de la métallurgie ou de la géologie. Chuck Jeannes était président et directeur général de Goldcorp de 2009 à 2016. Avant d’occuper ce poste, il était vice-président de l’expansion de l’entreprise chez Goldcorp. Il est maintenant à la retraite. PRIX VERS LE DÉVELOPPEMENT MINIER DURABLE (VDMD) Le

prix VDMD récompense des sociétés, des installations et des individus qui ont contribué à la mise en œuvre de projets et d’initiatives visant à développer et à promouvoir le développement durable au sein du secteur minier. Les deux catégories récompensées par ce prix sont l’excellence environnementale et l’engagement communautaire. Excellence environnementale : mine Raglan, Glencore Engagement communautaire : exploitation Kidd, Glencore

technical abstracts

CIM Journal Abstracts from CIM Journal, Vol. 7, No. 2.

Preliminary investigation of rockmass response to undercut blasting in a block cave mining system using VRSV J. D. Tibbett, F. T. Suorineni, and B. K. Hebblewhite, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia

Block caving is the preferred underground mining method to profitably extract massive, low-grade orebodies; however, lack of cave access inhibits understanding the rockmass response to mining, which is needed for safer, more productive operations. Combining large datasets from multiple sources with virtual reality scientific visualization (VRSV) is an alternative method for understanding complex cave behaviour, by providing virtual access to the cave. A customized VRSV module was developed at UNSW Australia to investigate rockmass response to undercut developments at a case-study block caving operation. Time/sequence effects are investigated in rockmass response to blasting, which is an important factor in hard-rock mines.

Inverse slope method for interpreting vertical electrical soundings in sedimentary phosphatic environments in the Al-Sharquieh mine, Syria J. Asfahani, Geology Department, Atomic Energy Commission, Damascus, Syria

The inverse slope method (ISM) was applied to reinterpret vertical electrical soundings (VES) data from pits at the Al-Sharquieh phosphate mine, in order to demonstrate applicability and suitability of the ISM for interpreting VES data from sedimentary phosphatic environments. The ISM overcomes limitations of the curve matching method and the complexity of lithological sections. The ISM geoelectrical interpretation results correlated well with lithologies of the pits. This method characterized resistivity and thickness of the phosphatic layer, and identified favourable phosphate-prospecting areas using the newly developed thickness/depth parameter. The ISM is recommended for interpreting VES measurements in similar sedimentary phosphatic regions.

Relative-value, discrimination-factor, and vector-ratio method for defining anomalies in geochemical data C. I. Godwin, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Godwin Consultants Ltd., Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada

The relative-value (R-value), discrimination-factor (D-factor), and vector-ratio (V-ratio) method (RDVM) provides a geological knowledgebased statistical and geological-genetic interpretation scheme for geochemical data that enhances discovery in geochemical exploration. The practical advantage of RDVM is that it synthesizes geochemical features geologically related to ore-deposit discovery in three steps: reclassifying element concentrations using log-probability plots into R-values; calculating geologically defined D-factors from R-values; and determining V-ratios. D-factors are the sum of R-values, divided by the number of R-values summed. Based on the analyses selected, D-factors mimic rock or mineral deposit signatures. V-ratios refine interpretations of rock type and vector to orebody locations.

A laboratory protocol to evaluate potential chemical interferences in flotation circuit applications B. G. Cousins, B. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke, Formerly of Ashland Water Technologies, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; and C. Spence, Formerly of Hudbay Minerals, Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada

Some non-flotation chemicals are added to flotation circuits directly and indirectly to control issues such as scaling and dust in other areas of the operations. Since dosage levels are generally not high, a standard laboratory float test may not be able to determine the effect of a specific chemical on the productivity of the flotation circuit. This paper presents a laboratory testing protocol that uses kinetic float studies to test the effect of normal to extreme doses of antiscalant and dust chemistries (5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;100 g/t). Results indicate that this protocol helps to predict potential interference by a particular chemistry on the flotation circuit.

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technical abstracts

Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly Papers in CMQ, Vol. 54, No. 2.

Influence of thermal diffusion on decarburisation of iron–chromium alloy droplets by oxygen–argon gas mixtures P. Wu, Y.D. Yang, M. Barati, and A. McLean, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Effects of Al2O3, CaO and Cr2O3 on liquidus temperatures of Fe–Mg–Si–O slags A. Ilyushechkin, CSIRO Energy Technology, Kenmore, QLD, Australia; P.C. Hayes and E. Jak, Pyrosearch, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Manufacturing of copper foams through accumulative roll bonding (ARB) process: structure and damping capacity behavior M. Asadi Zeidabady, M. Tajally, and E. Emadoddin, Faculty of Materials Engineering and Metallurgy, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

Creep deformation and damage evaluation of service exposed reformer tube N. Roy, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, India; A. Raj, R.V.S. College of Engineering and Technology, Jamshedpur, India; B. N. Roy, Birsa Institute of Technology, Sindri, India; A. K. Ray, Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, India

Combined influence of fluorides and ferric ions on corrosion of titanium and Pd alloyed titanium in 100 g L−1 sulfuric acid solution P. Laihonen and M. Lindgren, Outotec Research Center, Pori, Finland

Statistical model for gas holdup in flotation column in presence of minerals K. Bhunia, G. Kundu, and D. Mukherjee, Chemical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

Solid reaction between Al and B4C S. Wu, S. Wu, G. Xiao, L. Xue, M. Zhai, and W. Zhu, College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China

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Mining Lore Canada’s forgotten silver boomtown By Douglas Baldwin

ost Canadians know about the Klondike Gold Rush, his account of the resources in Cobalt aroused only “languid” but few realize that the stampede for silver in Cobalt, interest. Ontario only five years later far surpassed the Only when rail lines reached Cobalt in the fall 1904 and Klondike in terms of profits, production and long-term several mines shipped trainloads of silver south, did the genimpact. Concentrated in an area less than 13 square kilome- eral public finally begin to take an interest in the area, and tres, Cobalt mines supplied within the year every available almost 90 per cent of Canada’s piece of land within several silver production between 1904 miles of the first discoveries and 1920, and by the time the was staked. The Bureau of boom petered out in the 1920s, Mines reported that the previthe camp had become the ous indifference “quickly fourth-largest silver producer changed to feverish anxiety for ever discovered. The early histhe possession of a claim.” tory of hard rock mining in Based on the number of Ontario is essentially the story prospecting licenses sold that of the discovery of silver near year there were approximately Cobalt in 1903. 1,200 individuals scouring the Despite the size and grade of silver nuggets found in Cobalt (pictured), many In August 1903 two J.R. area for silver. of Ontario’s mining men initially believed the samples were little more than Booth Lumber Company The main reason for the freak occurrences. employees, Ernest Darragh and renewed interest in the area James McKinley, were exploring near the southeast end of a was the Coniagas and Trethewey properties, discovered and boot-shaped lake called Long Lake (Cobalt Lake) for timber developed by William G. Trethewey, a Vancouver attorney and suitable for railway ties for the proposed Temiskaming & real estate agent who enjoyed spending his summers prospectNorthern Ontario Railway (Ontario Northland) when the ing in the Rocky Mountains. In May 1904 he was in Cobalt, unusual colour of several rocks attracted their attention. when a glint among recently-blasted rock caught Trethewey’s When ore samples assayed at 4,000 ounces of silver to the ton attention. The ore in the Coniagas mine proved so rich that the – about twelve per cent silver – the prospectors soon became initial shipments consisted almost entirely of slabs of silver richer than they had ever dreamed. The next month, Alfred stripped off the walls and disproved the prevailing impression LaRose discovered rich silver outcroppings at the north end of that the silver deposits were isolated freaks of nature. Cobalt Lake. Provincial geologist Dr. Willet G. Miller noted The Cobalt boom continued. First came Alexander Longthat although there were “pieces of native silver as big as stove well’s discovery of the Buffalo mine. The Lawson Mining Comlids and cannon balls” laying about the lake, they were so tar- pany’s Lawson vein, which was several feet of almost pure nished that previous prospectors had overlooked them. silver, was one of the most spectacular sights in the camp and In October, Tom Hébert made the final discovery of the attracted sightseers from all over. By 1907 there were 29 shipyear. The lumberjack from Hull, Quebec was working for the ping mines in operation and about 30,000 people in the area J.R. Booth Lumber Company when he stumbled upon a rich – many of them living in the newly-formed town of Cobalt. vein on the east side of Cobalt Lake. Fearing that other workSpreading out in all directions, prospectors discovered silers might jump his claim, Hébert only showed his ore samples ver in South Lorrain, Gowganda and Elk Lake, and gold in to Haileybury hotel owner Arthur Ferland. The two men sub- Larder Lake, Kirkland Lake and Timmins. These discoveries sequently established a prospecting syndicate that uncovered encouraged further exploration in northern Canada and several other rich veins. beyond. For the next half century, nearly every major discovInitially, the existence of possible riches 500 kilometres ery in Canada – from Noranda to Eldorado to Elliott Lake – north of Toronto aroused little attention. The province’s min- was due to the skills and financial resources acquired at ing men believed that the high-grade samples were merely Cobalt. In the process, the foundations were laid for the estabfreak occurrences. At this time, mining activity in Ontario was lishment of an important mining industry in a part of the conin the doldrums and the total value of mineral production in tinent that had previously been almost unknown. CIM 1902 was only slightly in excess of $13 million. When Miller spoke at the Canadian Mining Institute’s (now CIM) annual Douglas Baldwin is a retired history professor from Acadia University, Nova Scotia. This piece has been adapted from his new book, Cobalt: Canada’s general meeting early in 1904 the Toronto News reported that Forgotten Silver Boom Town (Indigo Press, 2016). Courtesy of the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines

74 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 11, No. 4

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