CIM Magazine May 2024

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35 Names to Know 2024

Once a year, we put a spotlight on a selection of people making a difference in the mining industry. This year’s list includes those advocating collaboration, innovation and the creation of opportunities for the workforce. These are CIM Magazine’s Names to Know for 2024.

By Ashley Fish-Robertson, Ailbhe Goodbody, Robert Hiltz, Alice Martin, Tijana Mitrovic, Kelsey Rolfe, Sarah St-Pierre

43 Contractually innovative

Pan American Silver utilized an unconventional contractual approach to a shaft sinking project at its La Colorada mine, which was completed by Dumas Mining earlier this year

By Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco

46 Efficient blasting

Precision and efficiency—from how data is collected to how blasts are initiated—are the focus of explosives companies that are offering a wide range of blasting and fragmentation technologies

By Mehanaz Yakub

25 Traditional support

Cameco connects Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers with employees at its northern Saskatchewan operations to provide guidance and connection through culture

By Tijana Mitrovic

In each issue

8 Editor’s letter

10 President’s notes

Tools of the trade

12 The best in new technology

Compiled by Ashley Fish-Robertson

Developments

14 Space-powered mineral exploration

Compiled by Silvia Pikal

15 B.C. First Nations win partial appeal to pause online claim staking

By Tijana Mitrovic

20 Empowering tomorrow’s engineers

By Ashley Fish-Robertson

Columns

27 Communication is critical before and during a cyberrelated incident

By Rob Labbé

29 The critical path for successful mine development has become increasingly weighted towards permitting, closure, mine finance and social issues

By Morgan Schauerte

Critical minerals in Canada

30 Cyclic Materials has quickly grown over the last few years, establishing itself as a key player in rare earth element recycling

By Ashley Fish-Robertson

32 Why some in the mining industry are calling for a twotiered approach to pricing nickel

By Trish Saywell

CIM news

49 CIM debuts a fresh look

By Ryan Bergen

50 This year’s CIM Awards winners are recognized for their outstanding contributions in various fields. Their achievements and dedication are what make Canada’s global mineral industry a force to be reckoned with

Compiled by Michele Beacom

Mining the archives

65 How merging several operations in British Columbia’s Highland Valley created Canada’s largest copper mine

By Ailbhe

Goodbody

Contenu francophone

55 Table des matières

55 Lettre de l’éditeur

56 Mot du président

Article de fond

57 Les noms à connaître 2024

Chaque année, nous dressons le profil de personnalités qui, d’une manière ou d’une autre, influencent l’industrie minière. La liste de cette année comprend des personnes qui prônent la collaboration, l’innovation et la création d’opportunités pour la maind’œuvre. Ensemble, elles constituent Les noms à connaître du dossier 2024 que nous vous présentons dans ce numéro du CIM Magazine.

Par Ashley Fish-Robertson, Ailbhe Goodbody, Robert Hiltz, Alice Martin, Tijana Mitrovic, Kelsey Rolfe, Sarah St-Pierre

An annual rite and an apology

It has arrived! Our annual Names to Know issue has always been a favourite of mine. In creating this section, we make a point of sidestepping the superlatives. You will not find the biggest, the top, the most of anything among the people we have featured in this section. Our coverage is not organized by a measuring stick. I appreciate lists of largest miners or major new deposits; they offer great snapshots of the industry and there are publications and websites that do these quite nicely.

The goal with this section is to provide a different picture, a kind of mosaic. Whereas much of our editorial calendar is driven by our interest in projects, technology, engineering practices and the production of metals, this issue is a moment to put some faces forward.

Each profile in our feature (see p. 35) is, on its own, an introduction to a member of the minerals community. Some of those we write about to celebrate a career accomplishment: we salute Jean-François Verret and his team’s accomplishments in adding life to the Raglan mine; we also learn more about Sabrina Bouchard, a woman who has been at the forefront of establishing Quebec as a battery manufacturing hub.

There are others we interviewed who are noteworthy for the major challenges that still lay ahead of them. In the case of Burgundy Diamond Mines CEO Kim Truter, it is adding more life to a mine in the Northwest Territories, a region whose fortunes are tightly bound with the mining industry. For Keerit Jutla, the new CEO of the B.C.-based Association of Mineral Exploration, he begins his tenure at a time when

Editor-in-chief Ryan Bergen, rbergen@cim.org

there are important and unresolved questions about how mineral exploration is conducted in that province.

Read together, these profiles touch on project development and execution, technology, human resources, electrification, policy and Indigenous relations and represent some of the tensions, successes and innovations that inform the industry.

This issue is always a pleasure to put together and all of us at the magazine hope you will enjoy it, too.

I also want to use this space to apologize to the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME), our sister society in the United States, for my reckless commentary in the last issue of the magazine. I painted the proceedings of its February conference and the organization unfairly. In addition, framing, as I did, the dynamic between CIM and SME as competitive forgets the enormously productive relationships the global community of mining societies have in working together to answer our common challenges, whether they are decarbonizing or managing tailings.

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

Managing editor Michele Beacom, mbeacom@cim.org

Senior editor Ailbhe Goodbody, agoodbody@cim.org

Section editor Silvia Pikal, spikal@cim.org

Editorial intern Ashley Fish-Robertson, afrobertson@cim.org

Contributors Robert Hiltz, Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco, Alice Martin, Tijana Mitrovic, Kelsey Rolfe, Trish Saywell, Sarah St-Pierre, Mehanaz Yakub

Editorial advisory board Mohammad Babaei Khorzhoughi, Vic Pakalnis, Steve Rusk, Nathan Stubina

Translations Karen Rolland, karen.g.rolland@gmail.com; Michèle Tirlemont, micheletirlemont@gmail.com

Layout and design Clò Communications Inc., communications.clo@gmail.com

Published 8 times a year by: Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum 1040 – 3500 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West Westmount, QC H3Z 3C1

Tel.: 514.939.2710; Fax: 514.939.2714 www.cim.org; magazine@cim.org

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This issue’s cover Jack Milton, vice-president, geology, Fireweed Metals

Photo: Jon Benjamin Photography

Pivotal times in mining and metallurgy

As I step into the role of CIM President, a profound sense of excitement for the future fills me. I am deeply convinced that looking back 30 years from now, we will see an industry as transformed as today’s is when compared to the early days of my career in the 1970s and 1980s.

I vividly remember starting my career in an era when automation and control were unheard of. It was a time when the spreadsheet program Lotus 123 was a revolutionary platform. Mainframe computers occupied huge floor space, and desktop computing was just emerging. Mills were loaded based on the sound they made, using the human ear. Calculating tonnes to the mill involved stopping the feed conveyor, taking a belt cut, weighing it and then

using a table to convert it to tonnes per hour. Grindability was measured by feeling the grittiness with your fingers in the cyclone overflow. If it was too gritty, we added water to the cyclone feed; if there was no fine grit, we cut back on the water we added.

Safety practices have also come a long way since then. In the past, we would celebrate a million shifts without a loss of life. But in today’s safety culture, the absence of a fatality is too crude a measure for modern mining operations. The speed at which technology is advancing in our field is truly breathtaking. Today’s computing power enables us to pioneer new, more sustainable methods of extracting and processing essential resources. These innovations not only enhance efficiency but also redefine our approach to mining and metallurgy, ensuring a more environmentally conscious industry.

So much has changed, and I expect that such change will only accelerate. It will be a benefit to our industry, our society and our planet.

Government (civil society), academia (from trade schools to universities) and industry need to collaborate to find ways to provide vital resources to society. Each entity needs to seek ways to co-deliver value in a collaborative manner. By working seamlessly as one cohesive unit, we can better address industry challenges and capitalize on opportunities for growth and development.

I firmly believe that CIM, its societies and branches must function as a fully integrated organism. Together, we form a powerful foundation for that collaboration. Our institute can stimulate new recruits to our sector and can encourage muchneeded capital to return.

Looking ahead, I am eager to delve deeper into these topics, exploring how we at CIM can foster leadership, collaboration and diversity within our industry. Together, we can pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable future for mining and metallurgy, ensuring our continued success for generations to come. The journey ahead is sure to be challenging, but with our collective dedication and drive, we can overcome any obstacle and achieve remarkable advancements in our field.

Ian Pearce CIM President

Courtesy of Ian Pearce

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AI-powered eyes in the sky

Matrix Design Group has launched a new visual artificial intelligence (AI) collision avoidance system, the OmniPro Vision AI, which aims to prevent injuries and equipment collisions at mine sites. The system notifies mobile equipment operators when hazards enter the machine’s path of travel, without the need for tags or other wearable technology devices, and provides visual and audible alerts for both the operators and people on the ground to prevent collisions. Using up to four cameras, with each camera generating up to five customized alert zones, the system provides equipment operators with 360-degree coverage of any people or vehicles in blind spots and reports real-time data back to the OmniPro Hub hardware processor. The system can be installed on all mobile site equipment and can be synchronized with OEM controls in order to halt machines upon detecting hazards. It can also be paired with the OmniPro InFocus, a cloudbased application that offers continuous access to an advanced dashboard with real-time data of zone breach incidents that can be recorded and stored.

An automated approach to drilling and blasting

RCT and Jevons Robotics recently partnered up to provide automated technology to replace manual loading of blast holes, with the aim of making the drill and blast process at surface mining operations safer. Jevons Robotics’ latest product, the ARTEV6000, is an automated remote all-terrain electric vehicle that can deliver explosives or stemming when paired with RCT’s remote control, which allows operators to control machines from a safe distance. It can be set in one of two modes—the line-ofsight or teleremote control mode. By automating this process, workers are protected from risks such as electric shock from drilling equipment or fires, which can occur if equipment is not used properly or is faulty.

Self-extinguishing screen panels

Multotec has released a range of flame-resistant rubber screen panels that are designed to reduce the risk of fires caused by hot work during maintenance of screen decks at iron ore operations. The company stated that with the ability to self-extinguish fires in under 60 seconds, these panels could significantly reduce potential fire-related damage, protecting workers and saving the costs of downtime. According to Multotec, these panels are suitable across all screening applications, whether wet or dry, and can also enhance screening efficiency. They are available in both hard and soft durometer rubber to withstand harsh mining environments.

Compiled by Ashley Fish-Robertson

Courtesy of Matrix Design Group

Courtesy of RCT

Courtesy of Multotec

Developments

Space-powered mineral exploration

Compiled by Silvia Pikal

Fleet Space Technologies, an Australian space exploration company, has sent its next-generation Centauri-6 satellite into space via a “rideshare” mission on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which was

(continued on page 15)

Fleet Space’s Centauri-6 satellite, which was launched into space via the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is part of the company’s group of satellites that service its ExoSphere mineral exploration technology.

launched on April 7 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellite hitched a ride on the Bandwagon-1 mission, a service that goes for approximately US$300,000 and carries spacecraft for companies looking to fling their small satellites into mid-inclination orbits. Fleet Space stated in an April 8 press release that the launch of the satellite will enhance the capabilities of its ExoSphere mineral exploration technology—

which uses a fleet of satellites and connected seismic sensors to produce 3D subsurface maps of a survey area to allow geologists to identify mineral deposits and improve drilling accuracy—and also to improve its ability to deliver advanced SATCOM capabilities with microsatellite architectures. ExoSphere has been utilized in over 300 critical mineral surveys worldwide by miners such as Rio Tinto and Barrick Gold. Centauri-6 has been

designed with greater uplink capacity and redundancy, which the company said allows for more resilient data transfer from its satellite-enabled seismic sensors at mine sites. “Centauri-6 is a portal into a future of efficient, mass-scale satellite manufacturing that can unlock previously unimaginable satellite-enabled solutions to hard problems on Earth,” said Flavia Tata Nardini, co-founder and CEO of Fleet Space, in the release.

First Nations win partial appeal

B.C. suspends mining activities on the traditional territories of the Gitxaała and Ehattesaht Nations

By Tijana Mitrovic

Leaders of the Gitxaała Nation and Ehattesaht First Nation have effectively won their partial appeal to prevent mineral claim staking on their territory while the B.C. government revises its Mineral Tenure Act (MTA).

On March 7, the provincial government announced new interim measures that suspend mining activities until 2029, and suspend the registration of new mineral claims indefinitely, in the traditional territories of the Gitxaała Nation and Ehattesaht First Nation—unless companies reach an agreement with the respective Nations. The two Nations also agreed to support amendments to the interim orders if they reach agreements with companies looking to mine or explore in their territories.

The interim measures are the latest update in response to a September 2023 B.C. Supreme Court ruling in which Justice Alan Ross found that there is a constitutional duty to consult First Nations before registering mineral claims, something which the current mineral claims process—where anyone can register a mineral claim online—had violated.

In the ruling, based on claims from two separate petitions by the Gitxaała Nation and the Ehattesaht First Nation, Ross gave the provincial government 18 months to update the MTA in consultation with First Nations and to include the duty to consult. H owever, the ruling allowed the current claim staking system to remain in effect, which prompted the Gitxaała and Ehattesaht Nations to submit a partial appeal of the decision to

Further claim staking will be restricted on the lands of two First Nations in B.C., including the Ehattesaht First Nation on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, while the province develops a new approach to mineral tenure.

Courtesy of the Ehattesaht First Nation

prevent further staking on their lands in the interim period.

“We have continually told the province and proponents that we are not against mining, but if you want to mine here, we have to find ways that keep our lands and waters healthy and that respect our rights and culture,” said Chief Simon John of the Ehattesaht First Nation in the March 7 press release from the province. “We know what bad mining looks like and we can’t go back there again.”

The measures have spurred a number of reactions from the industry. In a March 7 statement, Keerit Jutla, president and chief executive officer of the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME), assured the industry that the orders restricting mineral claim registrations and mining activities are a “temporary” measure that will be repealed when the new MTA is released in 2025. “The government has also assured us no further interim orders that restrict mineral claims in other parts of the province are expected,” he stated. “It remains business as usual for our members in the rest of B.C.”

McMillan law firm, however, raised concerns around what it referred to as an “unprecedented use of the Environment and Land Use Act power to suspend previously issued permits” in a March 11 bulletin, stating that “there is nothing that would preclude their future use in other areas of B.C. and other sectors.”

Speaking to CIM Magazine , Merle Alexander, a specialist in Indigenous resource law and principal of the Indigenous law group at the Vancouver-based law firm Miller Titerle + Company, pushed back on these concerns. “To my understanding, the [Gitxaała and Ehattesaht] Nations, in advance of [the measures] becoming public news, were reaching out to and working with exploration mining companies that were already in their territories,” Alexander said. “After the case came down, there were a lot of calls for a province-wide moratorium. And the provincial government rejected the idea to put interim measures in place.”

“They have only protected these particular two First Nations to get them to settle that aspect of the litigation,” Alexander further explained. “No matter how you look at it, it’s actually very much a sniperlike approach versus a shotgun approach.”

In its March 7 press release, the provincial government also announced that it was beginning consultations with First Nations, industry and other stake -

holders on reforming the MTA. The government stated that the process will include a technical working group comprised of par ticipants from the First Nations Leadership Council, the First Nations Energy and Mining Council, the B.C. government and a First Nations technical advisory group. Both AME and the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) have expressed their support for the industry to be part of the mineral tenure modernization process.

“It is unfortunate that industry is not yet part of this working group, despite our geological expertise and knowledge,” Jutla said in AME’s March 7 statement. “It is also very important the province is aware of, and carefully considers, the broader implication modernization has for our industry and how international capital markets perceive British Columbia as a place to invest.”

MABC president and CEO Michael Goehring expressed in a March 7 statement that it is critical that “adjustments to the MTA are incremental, respect exist-

Program aims to close knowledge gap around mine closure

According to ICMM, mine closure is “one of the most significant industry challenges facing mining companies, commu-

ing mineral tenure holders’ rights and maintain certainty,” and added that “open, transparent and timely engagement that includes B.C.’s exploration and mining industry is imperative.”

While work on the MTA gets under way, the case is still not closed. The Gitxaała and Ehattesaht Nations are seeking a declaration from the B.C. Court of Appeal that the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act applies to all B.C. laws and that the courts should enforce it, which Justice Ross rejected in his September 2023 ruling.

Despite the concerns, Alexander does not see the interim measures as a major change, particularly as the industry has already been taking on the responsibility of consulting with First Nations for years. “[Mining companies] were presuming that there was a consultation obligation that they had to do the heavy lifting on,” he said. “[And] I don’t know that it radically changes things because I think that B.C. is a place of [consultation] best practice in the country.” CIM

nities and governments around the world” and very few mining companies globally have achieved the milestone of a closure certificate followed by transferring the mine site to a government or the next landowner.

With hundreds of mines expected to close around the world in the next decade, along with the projected demand for critical

by

The former Sheerness coal mine in Alberta is well on its way to reclamation, with constructed wetlands sitting where coal pits used to be.

Photo

Silvia Pikal

minerals putting pressure on the mining sector to develop more projects, the issue will only grow more urgent. All of this means that mine closure requires an educated workforce prepared to tackle the challenge.

A new program offered by the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), called the Leadership in Sustainable Mine Closure Program, is aiming to help close the knowledge gap that exists when it comes to closure and its many components, which include everything from community engagement and Indigenous relations, to water and tailings management and financial planning.

The program is a result of a partnership between UBC’s BRIMM, Australia’s Curtin University, Rio Tinto and Ernst & Young (EY), and aims to educate workers about the best practices for ethical, sustainable and socially responsible mine closure. The program incorporates case studies and learnings from mine closure professionals, academics and researchers, and consults with industry and First

SUSTAINABLE THINKING.

“The goal of this program is to create an industry—and by industry, I don’t mean only companies, I mean rights holders, everyone that is involved in mining— that really understands and plans and works towards responsible, effective, ethical mine closure.”

– Clara Araujo, program manager for BRIMM

Nations and Indigenous Peoples in Canada and Australia on course content through its advisory board.

Clara Araujo, program manager for BRIMM, told CIM Magazine in an interview that the program was an industry

response to the gap in capacity, knowledge and understanding of the complexity of mine closure and the impact that closure has not only on the environment but also on people. The goal of the program, she said, is “to contribute to an industry that understands, and actually plans and implements, for responsible closure— from the beginning of operations to the end. Because closure is often something that’s tackled as, ‘We’re going to have to close in five years, what should we do?’ But that is never successful, that is never responsible or sustainable. So really [the goal is] having closure as being planned out from the very beginning.”

The program’s inaugural course, New Perspectives on Mine Closure, examines the social and environmental dimensions of closure, and provides an overview of the best practice frameworks for closure. It was first piloted by 35 employees from Rio Tinto and EY from 10 different countries before it was officially launched in September 2023.

The first course is running two more times this year, from June 10 to July 19 and from Sept. 16 to Oct. 25. Each course

is offered remotely and includes a mix of live sessions, online readings, activities and assessments. The live sessions are presented by Jocelyn Fraser, a lecturer and senior researcher at UBC’s Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering who also leads a working group on community engagement for CIM, and André Xavier, an honorary professor at the same institute, and senior manager of natural resources management and sustainable development at the Canadian Executive Service Organization, an international economic development organization.

Araujo said the courses are not only targeted to mining industry professionals, but would be useful to aspiring mining

From the wire

Compiled by Ashley Fish-Robertson

Richard O’Brien, former president and chief executive officer of Newmont from 2007 to 2013, has joined New Gold Inc.’s board and is expected to be appointed chair following the retirement in August of Ian Pearce, who has held the position since 2017. O’Brien has over 40 years of experience in the mining and energy sectors and has served in several CEO and chief financial officer roles.

E3 Lithium has welcomed Sonya Savage, former cabinet minister and minister of energy for Alberta, to its board of directors. Savage was heavily involved in the implementation of policies, legislation and regulations related to critical mineral development in Alberta during her time as minister of energy from April 2019 to October 2022.

Sarah Goodman has joined the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy as president and CEO. Goodman is an experienced climate policy expert, previously holding the role of the prime minister’s senior advisor on climate action and sustainable economy from January 2020 to August 2022.

Evolution Mining appointed Nancy Guay as its new chief technical officer to manage several technical functions, such as its projects, long-term planning and technical services, starting June 1. Guay has over 30 years of operational experience in the mining industry, and most recently worked as VP of technology, optimization and innovation for Agnico Eagle Mines.

engineers, government representatives and First Nations and Indigenous communities impacted by mine closure.

An additional three courses of the program are currently in development and will tackle the environmental and technical aspects of closure, topics on First Nations and Indigenous Peoples in the context of closure and post-mining land use, infrastructure and transition. Each course runs for six weeks and will be offered several times a year.

The Indigenous-focused course will be taught by both Curtin and UBC and will include instructors who provide Indigenous perspectives from Australia and Canada.

“It’s really going to be based on storytelling,” Araujo said. “We’re going to work with Elders of different nations, and

[examine] the implications that mining has on the land, on the culture, on the spirit, on all the different aspects—air, water, biodiversity—[with teachings] from Indigenous instructors, while also focusing on global frameworks, like the UNDRIP [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples].”

The cost of the New Perspectives on Mine Closure course is $949 and learners can register online. The program is also in the process of developing scholarships for Indigenous learners.

“The goal of this program is to create an industry—and by industry, I don’t mean only companies, I mean rights holders, everyone that is involved in mining—that really understands and plans and works towards responsible, effective, ethical mine closure,” she said. –

Silvia Pikal

The Gaspé Copper mine officially closed in 1999, but its new owner, Osisko Metals, is aiming to restart its operations by 2030.

Osisko

Metals

pushes ahead on copper project

Following the decommissioning and rehabilitation of the Gaspé Copper mine in Quebec by previous owner Glencore Canada in 1999, Osisko Metals bought the project in July 2023, with the plan of potentially reopening it by the end of the decade.

As part of these efforts, Osisko announced on Feb. 27 that it had recently

formed a technical consultation committee and tasked it with devising a plan to dewater the Mount Copper open pit at the mine “as soon as possible” following past flooding, to permit “deeper in-pit” resource evaluation and geotechnical drilling of the pit and establish if it is possible to advance the project to commercial production. The mine is located near the town of Murdochville in Quebec’s Gaspé region.

The committee, which is being guided by Ann Lamontagne, the company’s recently hired vice-president of environment and sustainable development, is also comprised

Courtesy of Osisko Metals

of specialists from an array of organizations, including the secretariat of the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi First Nation and the Northern Gaspesie Water Council. Lamontagne’s first task in this new role will be to develop a safe plan to dewater the flooded pit, and she will be in charge of all tasks associated with environmental monitoring and any impact studies that need to be conducted in order to progress to the permitting phase of the project.

The dewatering plan will build upon earlier environmental studies carried out by Osisko in late 2023, which examined local fish species and habitats as well as vegetation in the area’s riparian zone. A geomorphological study was also completed to better understand the area’s stream banks and flow beds to pinpoint potential sites of erosion. Additionally, water quality analyses were done at the Mount Copper pit, which deemed the flood water to be environmentally safe for discharge. The company stated it will take measures to protect the local York River and its diverse salmon population. The river is located approximately three kilometres downstream from the mine site.

Once completed, the dewatering plan will be shared with the public to inform the local population of any mitigation efforts.

“We are committed to developing the Gaspé Copper project in collaboration with all stakeholders in the region, while meeting the highest standards of environmental management,” said Robert Wares, chairman and chief executive officer of Osisko Metals, in the Feb. 27 press release.

The company reported that the copper project’s deposit contains 3.1 billion pounds of copper sulfide in the inferred category, which it said is currently the largest untapped copper resource located in eastern North America.

The mine, which first began production in 1955, yielded a total of 150 million tonnes of ore averaging 0.87 per cent copper and produced 2.8 million tonnes of copper anode before operations ceased in 1999. The project’s mine, mill and smelter complex were dismantled, and the site has been in care and maintenance since then. Osisko estimates that restarting commercial production at the mine could commence around 2030.

– Ashley Fish-Robertson

Developments

Biotechnology company Allonnia has formed a new mining advisory board, which aims to draw on industry experts to guide the company in creating and delivering its biological solutions to the industry amidst the projected demand for critical minerals. The advisory board has recently welcomed five members: Corby Anderson, president of Allihies Engineering Incorporated; Lee Bolden, manager of mineral processing innovation at BHP; Hubert Fleming, an experienced consultant in water management in the natural resources industry and former global head of water management at Anglo American; Marc LeVier, who served as past president on the board of directors for the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration; and Stephen Potter, senior advisor of decarbonization at Vale.

BHP has shared that Don Lindsay, the former CEO of Teck Resources, joined the company as a non-executive director on May 1, replacing Ian Cockerill, who is retiring from the position. Lindsay was Teck’s president and CEO from 2005 to 2022. Cockerill will be starting a new position as CEO and executive director of Endeavour Mining.

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Empowering tomorrow’s engineers

Cassondra Fonseca was inspired to create STEM-focused camps for girls after observing a lack of female students in engineering

By Ashley Fish-Robertson

When faced with the challenge of how to increase enrolment of women in engineering programs across Canada—with women representing a mere 22 per cent of engineering undergraduates, according to Engineers Canada—a team of volunteers in Ontario brainstormed how to reach young girls, especially considering the fact that there is a significant drop in girls’ confidence come puberty.

Inspired to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to young minds, Cassondra Fonseca, a cybersecurity manager for LifeLabs, officially launched Camp Engies in 2018. The not-for-profit organization is led by women in engineering and promotes careers and education in STEM for young girls in grades five to eight. By engaging young campers in STEM-related activities in an inclusive environment, the organization aspires to increase young girls’ confidence in their abilities, so that they will hopefully pursue a career in STEM in the future.

Recalling her own experience as an electrical engineering student, Fonseca

noticed at the time when she began her studies in 2006 that there was a startling lack of female students in the program. Despite being an avid participant of engineering events, conferences and competitions, she knew there was more that had to be done to increase women’s interest in STEM and to encourage more female students to enroll in these programs.

When doing research prior to starting the organization, she noticed that initiatives similar to Camp Engies were primarily focused on encouraging high school girls to get involved in STEM. “Everyone was targeting high school girls, but they weren’t targeting kids when they were young and [still] malleable,” Fonseca said.

Karen Callery, the organization’s director of logistics, added that promoting STEM to younger girls is key to piquing their interest. “We thought if we can [encourage] them in that grade five to grade eight range, while they still believe in themselves and they’re still excited [by math and science], that maybe we could

give them a unique experience [to] show them that STEM is fun,” said Callery.

Callery explained that some examples of activities offered by Camp Engies include building flashlights and fans, while others also delve into important issues, such as sustainable mining. One activity in a previous camp required participants to dig through various layers of “soil,” which was constructed using food items such as Oreo cookies, pudding and rock candies. The campers were assigned the challenge of recovering lima beans from the “soil” without disturbing too much of the “land.”

“They were encouraged to be very conscious about the land and not just rip everything apart to try and find these beans,” Callery said. Other activities provided campers a chance to learn about chemical engineering by producing their own face masks, lip balms, bath bombs and even toothpaste. To learn about physics, campers last year were offered the chance to participate in archery courses. Every year, new activities are

The 2023 edition of Camp Engies was a success, especially for the Ontario camp, which welcomed nearly 200 young girls. Courtesy

introduced, as Callery has noticed that past campers tend to return.

In addition to these activities, Camp Engies also invites influential female engineering speakers from academia and industry to share their experiences as women in STEM.

“It’s really important to show these kids that opportunities like this exist and to encourage girls and women to go into engineering.” – Karen Callery, Camp Engies

Callery noted that there are also opportunities for post-secondary engineering students and engineers to get involved as volunteers. Girls in high school can also participate and gain credit towards mandatory volunteering if they live in a province that requires community service hours to graduate.

Since Camp Engies first started, Callery has noticed a significant increase in participants. “Our very first camp, we had about 65 students,” she recalled. “And this year, when we opened up registration for the Ontario camp, we originally capped it at 200 students, and it filled up within hours.”

The Ontario camp ended up making space for 90 more students, namely those who are considered underrepresented in engineering. While there is a nominal fee charged to participate in the Ontario and B.C. camps, Fonseca explained that, thanks to fundraising efforts organized by the volunteers, young girls belonging to any marginalized group will be able to participate in the camps for free. Additionally, the camps located in Yukon and Nunavut are offered at no charge.

“We fully cover the costs for kids [who are] refugees, part of the Big Sisters program, Indigenous girls, as well as homeless girls,” said Fonseca. “So that covers transportation, gifts and prizes…and accommodation.” During one of the early Ontario camps, the organization offered free participation to refugees from Nigeria and Syria.

In addition to the in-person camps scattered across the country, Camp Engies also offers the unique option of a virtual camp, which will take place on Oct. 9. This

virtual camp, which usually spans one day, is targeted towards students who may be in more remote communities but still want to be part of the experience. This option was originally offered at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but has persisted thanks to sustained interest from campers and volunteers.

Last year, Camp Engies offered four camps, located in Ontario, B.C., Nunavut and in Yukon for the first time. The Yukon camp turned out to be a great success, inspiring the team to try to introduce two new camps in the Northwest Territories— one in Yellowknife, and the other in the community of Behchokǫ, pending volunteer help, resources and sponsorship.

“It’s really important to show these kids that opportunities like this exist and to encourage girls and women to go into engineering,” Callery said.

Fonseca noted that the activities presented to young girls at these camps really help them to understand the important role engineers play in society. “I think they can’t see themselves in these roles [until] they have an idea of what an engineer does,” she said. “We try to teach them that [engineering] is all around you and it’s in your everyday life.”

This year the Ontario camp will run from June 8 to 9, the Yukon camp from

July 23 to 24, and the new Northwest Territories camps from July 26 to 29. Due to time constraints, the B.C. and Nunavut camps will not be open this year, though the organization has offered to fly some of its B.C. leaders-in-training to Ontario this summer to participate in the camp experience. Organizers say that the camps are filling up quickly.

The camps are sponsored by a variety of companies, including Ausenco, Tetra Tech, Hatch and more. Emin Meka, Ausenco’s vice-president of western Canada, said that supporting young women interested in STEM professions is an important part of ensuring a future generation of industry leaders.

“As a father of two young girls, I’m proud to support the outstanding work Camp Engies is doing to foster the curiosity and confidence of these young minds, and as a company this is something we will continue to prioritize,” Meka said in a written statement to CIM Magazine. “By supporting Camp Engies, we’re investing not only in girls’ education but in the progress of the next generation.”

Those interested in participating as volunteers or sponsors are encouraged to visit the Camp Engies website at www.campengies.com CIM

Several factors have influenced the price of copper to skyrocket. Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia is just one example of mines being affected by the recent surge.

The global copper surge explained

A surge in the price of copper spanning the last few months —as high as US$9,590.50 per ton on the London Metal Exchange on March 15—has given a boost to copper miners. While there are

several forces that are responsible for this recent increase, one key factor involves Chinese copper smelters, which have been struggling to turn a profit. Let’s break down what has been causing this, what it could mean for the market and copper miners, and the outlook for the metal.

Courtesy of Rio Tinto

Why is this price surge happening now?

There are several factors at play. The most recent catalyst that is contributing to this surge is the response to Chinese copper smelters cutting their production. A number of smelting companies, including Jiangxi Copper and Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group, convened for a meeting to discuss next steps on March 13. Following this meeting, some of the country’s key smelters agreed to slash production by five to 10 per cent, sources told Reuters. The cuts are one more indicator that copper will be in short supply.

China, one of the largest refined copper producers and consumers across the globe, has recently experienced declining fees related to the smelting of copper. These fees are typically covered by mining companies to have their raw materials processed into metals. The drop is due to a combination of a shortage in concentrate

#ICYMI

In case you missed it, here’s some notable news since the last issue of CIM Magazine, which is just a sample of the news you’ll find in our weekly recap emailed to our newsletter subscribers.

Equinox Gold’s Greenstone project in Ontario (pictured) began processing ore on April 6 and the company said that it plans to pour its first gold bar in May. The project, which is being developed as a 60/40 partnership between Equinox Gold and Orion Mine Finance Group, is expected to be one of the country’s largest gold mines and will produce roughly 400,000 ounces of gold. Commercial production is planned for the third quarter of this year.

The Canadian government has announced that it will be extending its Mineral Exploration Tax Credit by an extra year until March 31, 2025. The 15 per cent-credit offers support to junior mineral exploration companies as they strive to tap into

to process and an expansion of processing capacity; more smelters are competing for a smaller supply and that is forcing them to lower their prices.

According to a Bloomberg article from March 8, the volume of copper concentrate being traded on the spot market has dropped more than 90 per cent over the last six months.

What other factors are impacting this surge?

While the cuts to production at China’s smelters has played a role in the most recent global copper price surge, several other variables are at work, including the tightening of supply. Closures of copper mines, such as First Quantum’s Cobre Panama mine late last year, have contributed to this slump in supply. The mine, which was forced to close by Panama’s government in response to public pressure, was responsible for around one per

the country’s mineral resources by providing investors with incentives to finance juniors through flow-through shares. The previous renewal of the credit in 2019 had been for five years.

Canada saw a seven per cent rise in its exports of thermal coal in 2023, the highest export level in nearly a decade. The growth in exports comes despite a pledge by the national Liberal party to stop thermal coal exports by 2030. Much of the coal exported comes from the United States, where attempts to build port facilities for coal have been met with heavy opposition.

According to research released by Global Energy Monitor, there was a two per cent increase in coal-fired power globally in 2023, the highest annual increase since 2016. Even as many countries are beginning to shift away from coal, roughly 70 gigawatts of new coal power capacity was introduced globally last year, largely due to new coal-fired power plants in China.

Winsome Resources announced it has entered into an exclusive option deal to acquire Stornoway Diamonds’ shuttered Renard operation, which includes a diamond mine, processing facility and other infrastructure, near Winsome’s Adina lithium project in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec. If Winsome decides to make the acquisition, it would be granted the option to acquire these assets for $52 million before Sept. 30, following approval from the Quebec Court. In the meantime, Winsome

cent of global copper concentrate production. Following the closure of the Cobre Panama mine, Anglo American also announced that it would be reducing its copper output by roughly 200,000 tonnes.

This comes at a time when copper, which is a key metal for electrification, is expected to be in high demand over the next few years, leaving many industry professionals anticipating an enduring shortage of the metal.

What does this surge mean for the mining industry?

The setbacks suffered by copper smelters in China has been a boon for the market value of copper miners, which saw their share prices rise in mid-March. High interest rates and other costs, however, have nagged miners and made them reluctant to make major investments in new projects despite the apparent consensus that demand for the metal will remain strong.

Resources will investigate repurposing the Renard project as a lithium processing operation.

Following an abnormally warm winter in Canada, an ice road that spans 400 kilometres and is critical for the trucking of supplies to diamond mines in the Northwest Territories was delayed in opening this year. The road, which runs across frozen lakes, is used by Rio Tinto, Burgundy Diamond Mines and De Beers to bring supplies to their mines, which are otherwise only accessible by air. The opening of the ice road was first delayed by two weeks in February and was then further interrupted by a warm spell in late March.

Alamos Gold is set to purchase Argonaut Gold, including its Magino mine in Ontario that is located adjacent to Alamos Gold’s Island Gold mine, and plans to integrate the two operations. Alamos Gold stated that the merging of these two operations is expected to result in one of Canada’s largest and most cost-effective gold mines and the miner expects US$515 million worth of short-term and long-term synergies from the deal.

Taseko Mines has announced that it will purchase the remaining 12.5 per cent stake in the Gibraltar mine, Canada’s second largest openpit copper operation that is located near B.C.’s McLeese Lake, from current holders Dowa Metals & Mining and Furukawa. Taseko will pay $117 million over a span of 10 years to acquire the shares and become the sole owner of the mine. The company said this purchase will increase its attributable cop-

Courtesy of Equinox Gold

For example, Teck Resources revealed in October 2023 that the capital costs for its Quebrada Blanca 2 project in Chile, which is on a short list of new copper mines coming into production, grew by half a billion U.S. dollars compared to its previous cost estimate to complete the project. Similarly, Rio Tinto’s massive Oyu Tolgoi operation in Mongolia has had its own struggles controlling costs.

Looking further ahead, the price surge should give some relief to those copper producers contending with project cost inflation. If the shortage continues in the long term, the increased demand for the metal should be the spark that leads to increased investment in copper exploration and development.

What is the future outlook for copper?

A January copper market overview report conducted by BMI, a Fitch Solu-

per production by 14 per cent, as well as boost its cash flow for the ramp up of construction activities at its Florence copper project in Arizona, U.S.

Canada and the U.S. will work together to find ways to stem the flow of selenium from B.C. coal mines that finds its way into U.S. waters. The investigation will see the Canadian and U.S. governments, B.C., the states of Montana and Idaho, as well as six Indigenous communities from both countries collaborate to identify solutions to the selenium-polluted waters that run downstream of the Elk Valley coal operations and threaten fish populations on both sides of the border. Glencore recently acquired the mines from Teck Resources. The agreement will create a governance body that is planned to be running by the end of June, and a final research report on the investigation can be expected two years after that.

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tions research unit, indicated that this increased demand for the metal, along with a weakening U.S. dollar during the latter half of this year, could see copper prices continue to rise. If mining supply disruptions and an increased demand for copper persist over the next few

Promoting respect in the workplace

A March 27 webinar focused on the Mining Association of Canada’s (MAC) Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) program, and led by Theresa Nyabeze, technical leader of diversity, equity inclusion and culture at Vale Base Metals and chair of the CIM Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC), presented the audience with TSM-informed approaches to promote psychological safety and respectful behaviour in mining workplaces.

The TSM program was launched in 2004 and encourages responsible mining practices. Its most recently introduced protocol, the EDI (Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive) Workplaces protocol, is focused on evaluating company performances of EDI through the application of three indicators: leadership and strategy; advancing equity, diversity and inclusion; and monitoring, performance and reporting.

Lynn MacKinnon, the principal advisor of everyday respect, leadership and behaviour change at Rio Tinto, shared how Rio Tinto implemented TSMinformed change in the workplace after the results of an external workplace culture review, the findings and recommen-

years, the price of the metal is expected to rise by more than 75 per cent. BMI estimated that in the long term, the copper market will likely be in a sustained deficit as the energy transition will continue to require copper.

– Ashley Fish-Robertson

dations of which were published in 2022. The intent with the review was to better understand the harmful behaviours taking place across the company’s sites located in 35 different countries, and how to prevent and respond to them.

MacKinnon stated that the company surveyed over 10,000 employees and conducted 109 group listening sessions offered in seven languages, while also holding 85 confidential, one-on-one listening sessions. She shared some alarming findings from the review, noting that one in four women reported they had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, 21 women had reported instances of actual or attempted rape and sexual assault, and almost 50 per cent of overall participants reported experiencing bullying in some form.

MacKinnon found the results to be both confronting and devastating, but that they have ultimately informed the company’s future actions. “Uncovering this, and really knowing what’s going on, as opposed to this kind of ‘unknown’ that we lived in before, has been really helpful,” she said.

The report was shared publicly, and Rio Tinto announced it was planning to work on all of the 26 recommendations

Courtesy of Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto conducted a comprehensive workplace review that was published in 2022 and resulted in 26 recommendations for the company to follow to ensure a more respectful workplace.

“We’re now seeing a lot of dominance in moving towards the “S” in ESG. Prospective employees are starting to ask as part of the interview process, what does a respectful workplace look like at your workplace?”

– Shauna Goldenberg, Eldorado Gold

made in it. Some actions the company has taken as a response to these unsettling results included the launch of a new code of conduct that MacKinnon deemed to be “more human-centric” with a greater overall focus on psychological safety and well-being, and offering training on psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

One of the company’s biggest initiatives that came out of this research

First pour at Côté Gold

Iamgold announced on March 31 that it had poured the first gold at its open-pit Côté Gold mine near Gogama in northeastern Ontario.

“This achievement represents the culmination of over 15 million hours of work over four years of construction,” said Renaud Adams, president and chief executive officer of Iamgold, in a March 31 press release. “An incredible effort for the team on the ground as the project cost to first gold remains in line with the

involved the creation of a “Care Hub,” a new mechanism built around traumainformed investigations, where employees who may not trust the traditional whistleblowing processes can confidentially report instances of harm through an anonymous hotline, while also gaining support by speaking with third-party mental health experts.

Shauna Goldenberg, director of inclusion and engagement at Eldorado Gold, gave an overview of Eldorado Gold’s redesigned respectful workplace policy.

She stated that the new policy released in 2022 classifies disrespectful behaviours on a range from physical violence to subtle prejudice, such as microaggressions. According to Goldenberg, this spectrum that the team created has aided employees in better identifying the form of harassment they may have faced at work, and they can use it as a reference point if they want to submit a complaint.

Goldenberg noticed during the company’s policy redesign that, in considering ESG (environmental, social and governance) standards, the company was

updated budget estimate while maintaining a near impeccable safety record.”

The company is now focused on ramping up to commercial production, which is expected in the third quarter of this year with a targeted 90 per cent throughput rate by the end of 2024.

Côté Gold is expected to produce between 220,000 to 290,000 ounces of gold this year, at cash costs of between US$700 to US$800 per ounce, provided the operation meets its remaining milestones.

The company stated that commissioning activities are progressing, with crushing, high-pressure grinding rolls and processing circuits meeting performance expectations. In mid-February, the company reported in its 2023 year-end results that total project costs to get to this first gold pour were in line with its final revised budget of US$2.965 billion. An additional US$40 million of operating expenditures, which include milling and surface costs, will be used in the commissioning and ramp-up phase.

The property consists of the Côté Gold deposit and the adjacent, undeveloped Gosselin deposit, and has a mineral resource estimate of 4.4 million indicated gold ounces from 161.3 million tonnes of ore at a grade of 0.85 grams per tonne.

spending more time on the “E” and “G” aspects as opposed to the “S” aspect. She noted how this is also important to people looking to work at the company.

“We’re now seeing a lot of dominance in moving towards the “S” in ESG,” she said. “Prospective employees are starting to ask as part of the interview process, what does a respectful workplace look like at your workplace?” She added that she’s noticed that potential hires are also browsing the company’s policies online more frequently, as well as inquiring about the type of employee training available to ensure that the workplace is respectful. “This could really be a different differentiator for organizations to build your brand and help with the recruitment and attraction aspect,” she said.

The webinar was the last in a series organized by DIAC in partnership with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), MAC and CIM. A recording of the March 27 webinar, along with the previous sessions, can be accessed on MiHR’s website at mihr.ca.

– Ashley Fish-Robertson

18

Côté Gold mine life, in years

495,000

Estimated annual gold production for the first six years, in ounces

365,000

Estimated annual gold production for the rest of its mine life, in ounces

According to Iamgold, production from the Côté Gold mine is forecast to average 495,000 ounces during the first six years of operations, and then to average 365,000 ounces per year over the rest of its 18-year mine life, which the company said will make it a contender for the third-largest operating gold mine in Canada. The company added there is potential to extend the mine life due to the undeveloped Gosselin deposit.

The project is owned and operated by Iamgold, which holds a 70 per cent stake, while Sumitomo Metals Mining holds the remaining 30 per cent stake.

– Silvia Pikal

Côté Gold has the potential to become one of the largest operating gold mines in Canada.

Courtesy of Iamgold

mining and mental health

Traditional support

Cameco connects Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers with employees at its northern Saskatchewan operations to provide guidance and connection through culture

By Tijana Mitrovic

Cameco has been operating in northern Saskatchewan since 1988 and regularly works with Indigenous communities around its mining operations. On its website, it describes the important role Indigenous Elders play in their communities as “people gifted with great wisdom, the storytellers and advocates for the natural environment and preservers of [Indigenous] cultures.”

Kristin Cuddington, director, community and Indigenous engagement at Cameco, said in an email to CIM Magazine that since 50 per cent of its workforce in northern Saskatchewan are Indigenous, it wanted to offer that invaluable support on-site.

As a result, Cameco launched its Elders’ Advisory and Knowledge Keeper Program last year at its northern Saskatchewan operations. “Providing employees and contractors access to culturally based mental health resources like the Elders’ Advisory and Knowledge Keeper Program promotes Cameco’s efforts to improve mental health at the sites and the local communities,” she wrote.

The program hires Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers and rotates them among its operations. The goal is for each Elder to spend eight one-week stints a year among its operations, where they act as a support for employees in a mental health—and overall support—capacity. The Elders are there to provide confidential support in the traditional languages of the local communities, as well as guidance to help workers living on site during their rotation navigate any issues, both on the job and outside of their “work life.”

When Frank Natomagan joined the program as the site Elder for Cameco’s McArthur River and Key Lake uranium operations in September, he found that both management and employees were open to the program. “Everyone [was] welcoming,” he said in an email to CIM Magazine. “They are willing to participate and receive it so well.”

Natomagan, who was born and raised in Pinehouse Lake, which is approximately 198 kilometres from Key Lake, and is fluent in Cree, provides workers with safe and culturally relevant

Frank Natomagan working as the site Elder for Cameco’s McArthur River and Key Lake uranium operations.

Courtesy of Cameco

support. He can not only relate to Indigenous workers through shared culture and experiences but also to the challenges associated with working in the mining industry, as he previously worked as a mill trainee for Key Lake Mining Corporation in the mid-1980s. And he sees the program’s benefits when it comes to supporting workers’ mental health.

“It gives them the opportunity to approach a different entity and share their thoughts comfortably where they might not feel comfortable to share amongst others like HR and management,” he wrote. The added bonus? Connecting through culture. “They can exercise their Cree language and spirituality.”

Since launching the program, Cameco has placed at least one Elder at each of its northern Saskatchewan operations: the Cigar Lake uranium mine, the McArthur River uranium mine, the Key Lake uranium mill and the Rabbit Lake uranium mine, which is currently in care and maintenance. Cameco set a goal last year to have six Elders in place from six different communities in northern Saskatchewan rotating through its sites. So far, it has hired four new Elders, and two more are on the way.

Cuddington stated that it was important to hire a diverse representation of Elders for the program to represent the area that Cameco operates in. The company has collaboration agreements with 17 different Indigenous communities in northern Saskatchewan, that represent local Cree, Denesųłiné and Métis communities.

“The Elders and Knowledge Keepers listen and provide guidance to employees and contractors,” Cuddington wrote. “In

doing so, [they] promote emotional, spiritual and physical activities that increase the overall well-being and cultural understanding at the sites.”

The program benefits run both ways. Natomagan said being a part of the program has not only given him job security and more knowledge and experience in the mining industry, but it has also made a positive impact on him. “[Because of it], I am able to promote the mining sector to the community,” Natomagan said, and he has heard only positive reports from Cameco mine sites and his home community about the program. “[It] makes me feel very proud.”

The Elders’ Advisory and Knowledge Keeper Program is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to mental health programs at Cameco.

Breaking the stigma

Cameco is in the process of rolling out company-wide mental health supports, which include mandatory Mental Health 101 training for employees, and mandatory Mental Health First Aid training for supervisors. It also has an Employee Family Assistance Program available to employees and eligible dependant family members. As part of its efforts to improve mental health in the community, Cameco launched its annual run and walk, Step Up for Mental Health, in 2019.

“Safety is a core value for Cameco—both physically and mentally,” wrote Veronica Baker, Cameco’s director, communications, in a statement to CIM Magazine. “While building a culture of care within Cameco, we also want to increase mental health supports in the communities where our staff work and live.”

Step Up for Mental Health takes place in Saskatoon, the company’s headquarters, and in Northumberland County, Ontario, where the company has its fuel services operations, including its conversion facility in Port Hope and Cameco Fuel Manufacturing in Cobourg and Port Hope.

“In 2023, we had more than 7,000 people participate either in person or virtually [across both events],” Baker wrote.

Every dollar of the registration fee for the event was donated, and the company matched the final amount raised, distributing the funds through its Cameco Fund for Mental Health. The program has raised more than $2.7 million for mental health organizations and programs in Saskatchewan and Ontario, some of which include the Canadian Mental Health Association, Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon and Community Health Centres of Northumberland.

Overall, Baker sees programs and initiatives like the Elders’ Advisory and Knowledge Keeper Program and Step Up for Mental Health as a key way to bring about both action and awareness for mental health. “In any given year, one in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem—and yet it’s difficult to talk about, especially in the workplace,” she wrote. “We’re proud to be part of the effort to remove [the] stigma that keeps people from speaking up and getting the help they deserve.” CIM

Mining and Mental Health will run throughout 2024 and showcase the people, programs and initiatives that are prioritizing the mental health of mining workers. Each article will examine how to improve worker mental health, which is key to a safe and productive workplace. If you have a story tip, email editor@cim.org.

ICyber communications: The time for silence is over

By Rob Labbé

n the previous three articles in this series, I discussed the importance of building a resilient cybersecurity program and the need to build cyber resilience into operations. This final article will discuss the third and most often ignored component of the cyber resilience triad: communications.

Two areas where communications can impact an organization’s overall resilience are: proactive communications regarding security programs and communications during a cyber-related incident. Historically, most mining companies have not discussed security much. However, that is beginning to change. New rules from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) require companies listed in the United States to proactively disclose key information about their cybersecurity programs and provide disclosure should a material incident occur. Even for organizations not subject to the new SEC rules, investors will begin to expect this level of disclosure from all companies, and these disclosures will start to factor into investment decisions.

However, beyond investors and disclosure, effective communication regarding a cyber-related incident can have a major impact on the incident itself, as well as the impact on your company and the industry as a whole. Cybercriminals rely on the threat of shame and embarrassment to help extort companies for ransom payments, timing their threat of disclosure to have the most significant impact possible. For example, immediately before or after quarterly reporting periods, around major announcements, regulatory decisions or other potentially vulnerable points. By proactively disclosing an incident, this power is taken away from an attacker, allowing you to ensure the disclosure is on your terms, with your messaging and under your control. No longer is the choice to disclose or not to disclose; the choice now is who will get to make that disclosure—you or your cyber attacker?

Best practices for routine disclosure filings

For routine SEC disclosure requirements, the goal is to ensure that your investors are informed about: (1) your organization’s cybersecurity risks; (2) the risk management processes you have in place to deal with them; and (3) the level of expertise within your board (governance) and management (execution) so that investors can assess the competence of your organization to deal with those risks.

Here are some dos and don’ts to attain those three goals.

1. Your cybersecurity risks:

DO: Identify how cyber risk integrates into your enterprise risk management system.

DO: Identify your membership in a member-based organization such as Mining and Metals-Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (MM-ISAC) as a part of that risk management process, as industry risk information and sharing is critical to effective risk management.

DO: Identify the broad type and scope of third-party assessments, evaluations, simulations and other work carried out in your organization.

DO NOT: Identify any organizations as part of your risk management process unless you have a membership, retainer or other agreement with them. It is not sufficient that you “plan to call them” if there is an issue.

2. Your risk management processes:

DO: Paint an accurate picture of the potential risks from cyberrelated incidents.

DO: Reflect on the impact of past cyber-related incidents to inform risks going forward, but also include the improvements you have made to your controls and environment that might reduce the likelihood or impact of that risk.

DO NOT: Identify any impact as “impossible.” Phrases such as “attackers cannot impact production systems at our operations” set you up for significant issues should this happen.

3. The level of board and management expertise:

DO: Identify any cyber expertise on your board and/or in the committee that provides oversight of those risks.

DO: Disclose the type and frequency of reporting to the board.

DO: Provide information on any third-party board advisors retained by the board for cyber issues if the board does not have this expertise itself.

DO NOT: Discuss reporting that is incomplete or has not happened yet. Once again, only disclose what you do at the time of reporting.

DO: Describe the role of your chief information security officer (CISO) or other security leader, their reporting relationship(s) and, if they are not members of the management team, how that information gets to the rest of management.

DO: Describe the composition and scope of your information security management committee. Who is on that committee, and what is their remit and authority?

DO NOT: Overstate the influence of the security leader in your organization. Suppose your security manager reports to a director, who reports to a CISO, who is part of your management team, and the senior management team never hears directly from this individual. In that case, your disclosure should reflect this relationship between reporting and communication.

Best practices for disclosure of an incident

While the expectation of the SEC and other regulators is the disclosure of “material” incidents, the definition of “material” is subjective. One piece of guidance I often give to security teams is that if an incident is significant enough to inform your CEO, senior management and/or board, it is substantial enough to report. It is best to err on the side of overdisclosure. If you report an incident that results in a movement of your share price, then it was, by definition, material and needed to be reported. If you report it and nothing happens to your share price, then the overreporting has no consequence.

The other thing to consider is the value of early and complete disclosure of your incident response. Much of the impact that cyber attackers have—particularly ransomware operators—is

their ability to “name and shame” the victim organizations at a time and in a venue of their choosing. This could extend to reporting to regulators. There have been a number of cases where an attacker has reported an incident to the SEC or other regulators when a victim organization fails to. By proactively disclosing the incident, you can take that power away, control the narrative and reduce the stress on management and the response team. By disclosing and controlling the narrative, you also benefit from “turning down the volume” on random, chaotic communication. By proactively informing all stakeholders, your organization’s leadership’s limited time and cognitive capacity can remain focused where it should be—on resolving the incident and preserving operational resilience, not answering random questions and requests from regulators, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders.

Key guidance for making proactive incident disclosures:

DO: Develop press releases and regulatory templates ahead of time to make the reporting cycle easier to manage.

DO: Ensure consistency in all statements. Press releases and disclosures must match.

DO: Disclose early and update as things change. It is okay not to have all the information at the beginning.

DO: Accurately reflect the known impacts on the business.

DO NOT: Speculate on impacts before they are known. Statements such as “We don’t believe customer information was impacted” made early in the investigation set you up for needing to walk them back later.

DO NOT: Provide technical information irrelevant to the general investor.

A positive change

In short, the new SEC disclosure expectations represent a change from the status quo for many mining organizations. However, I believe it is a positive change for our industry. Not only will it improve transparency for the investor community, but if implemented well, it will also reduce some of the leverage cyber attackers have against organizations.

If your board or management team does not have cyber expertise, that expertise can be obtained on a part-time basis from a virtual CISO service through an industry association like MM-ISAC or from a commercial service.

Regardless of your organization’s size, investors and regulators expect not only clear disclosure of cybersecurity risks and how a company deals with them, but also for that risk to be governed at the highest level of the organization. Beyond that, clear and proactive communication will serve to blunt some of the reputational and financial impact of a cyber incident, taking away the ability of an attacker to extort through disclosure and reducing the stress and distraction to incident response and business continuity teams. CIM

Rob Labbé is the CEO and CISO-in-Residence at MM-ISAC.

WMine development has changed. Have you noticed?

By Morgan Schauerte

hile working on a project recently, I had one of those realizations about how a ground shift in mining has happened over the last decade, and I don’t think our industry has responded adequately. It is a result of a host of pressures all reaching a peak at the same time, and I think understanding this will be key to advancing projects from prefeasibility to production.

Historically, mining development has typically been driven by a small management team planning and strategizing, while contractors and consultants like myself provide specific scopes on everything from permitting to robotics and automation. Contracts are given out on a “per scope” basis, with the deliverables being dictated by the mine’s management team and provided to each contractor/consultant piecemeal.

There is typically sparse communication between consultants other than key deliverables and summary meetings. Constant risk communication and strategizing is not inherently part of the requested scopes, but is instead evaluated at key deliverable milestones only (and some are not considered at all until later development stages). I think these days of fragmented assembly of unintegrated, bespoke pieces of a mine are coming to a close due to the changing nature of what is needed to be “successful” in our world today. Simply showing economics is not enough; the sum total of the proposed project (environmental impacts, societal integration and closure) has to work.

The critical path

The critical path for successful mine development has become increasingly weighted towards issues related to permitting, closure, mine finance and changing economics (green energy, logistical lines, etc.). By these issues’ very nature, they are interrelated and cannot be developed by teams in a vacuum and then assembled. If the work to understand these risks is done at a later date, or by a team that is not embedded with the design team, there can be existential issues to the mine’s design.

later discovers that the mine design assumptions are rendered utterly impractical by a known regional specific environmental constraint, such as endangered species habitat.

Given the timelines of mine design and financing, this could result in a fundamental design flaw that may cause an earlierthan-expected mine closure due to environmental issues that are difficult to avert at this stage. There are many examples in the last five years of mines closing earlier than expected as a result of early design decisions having become a liability that significantly reduces the mine’s overall lifespan.

The holistic mine

A successful mine cannot be a series of separate scopes connected together, but must be a complete project where, on an ongoing and trackable basis, each group is talking and designing to de-risk the overall project. It requires strong teams that not only trust each other but understand how their task goals are related to the project’s critical risks at key milestones. This fundamentally changes how we should approach team building and project development from Day 1, and this understanding will be what sets proposed projects apart.

This presents challenges to everyone on the mining spectrum, from juniors to corporate heavyweights. Diverse team building and strong vision leadership become as important as the resource for development success as the need to anticipate these risks grows. A culture of risk communication and risk mitigation through key actions and design considerations is a must.

This has implications on how and when mines go to market for providers for contracting, and how they ask their teams to work and communicate. It requires careful scheduling, communication, scoping and—importantly—the setting of expectations by mine development management teams on what matters at each stage of development. It even changes how we reward performance bonuses and what they are targeted towards. To really be successful, we need to develop holistic projects that consider all facets of the mining life cycle as early as practicable.

These changes to mine development have resulted in the recent CIM Environmental, Social and Governance Guidelines for Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Estimation, which was adopted by CIM Council on Sept. 8, 2023. These guidelines contain guidance for how some of these risks should be evaluated during resource evaluations, and have significant implications for the work we do moving forward. I highly recommend reading this document if you are a miner.

As an example of how this can manifest: imagine how a resource geologist, given the task to optimize a mine plan, may produce optimal sequencing during resource estimation. These assumptions are carried through to the mine layout, and the environmental consultant hired after the layout was completed

This paradigm shift has been further exacerbated over recent months by the increase of interest rates, with its corresponding result being mining investors adopting a stance of low risk tolerance. Everything I have outlined above is a risk to investors if it is not understood by mine developers and management teams, and investors are looking to see if they understand this. True comprehension of this evolving dynamic is what will separate projects that get to production successfully from projects that have studies that look great on paper but languish in financing. CIM

Morgan Schauerte is a mining environmental consultant that works at the intersection of finance, design and the environment. He currently works with the minerals, mining and metals team at Stantec.

products.

Full circle

Cyclic Materials has quickly grown over the last few years, establishing itself as a key player in rare earth element recycling

By Ashley Fish-Robertson

Cyclic Materials, a Kingston, Ontario-based startup co-founded in 2021 by Ahmad Ghahreman and Patrick Nee, plans to address Canada’s expected critical minerals shortage by becoming the first company of its kind to create a true circular supply chain for rare earth elements (REE).

The company’s proprietary Mag-Xtract technology is designed to extract magnets and metals from a vast array of end-of-life (EOL) items, such as hard drives, electric vehicles (EVs) and MRI machines, and convert them into mixed rare earth oxides (MREO), cobalt-nickel hydroxide and various other materials. The technology is able to recycle four key magnet types from any EOL product that Cyclic Materials receives: neodymium, samarium cobalt, alnico and ferrite.

Over the last few years, the company has undergone steady growth; last year, it had just three employees, but now has 26 full-time employees, as well as approximately 27 contractors from several other local companies that are providing their support for this project.

Ghahreman, who used to be a professor at Queen’s University and helped build the university’s largest and most funded research team on extractive metallurgy, recalled the company’s early days when it was being operated solely by him in his garage. Three years ago, he and Nee connected and began collaborating on how to recycle rare earth elements.

Nee, who is now also the company’s vice-president of strategic partnerships, is responsible for sourcing feedstock that Cyclic Materials aims to recycle before selling the end product.

Nee explained that in most cases, it tries to sell the recycled product to the same companies it acquires feedstock from, for the sake of building circular relationships.

The recycling process

So, how does Cyclic Materials recycle the EOL materials it sources? First, the EOL materials are sent to the company’s pilot “spoke” plant, where they are transported by a conveyor belt to be separated into ferrous and non-ferrous materials. They are then effectively broken down into basic metals using the company’s own Mag-Xtract technology.

“[Mag-Xtract] is really about separating the magnets from other metals,” Ghahreman told the media during a tour of the company’s pilot plants in Kingston held on Feb. 27. “From that we get magnet material.”

Nee explained the Mag-Xtract process as being similar to taking a piece of bread and extracting bits of flour from its breadcrumbs. “We have to find that small part and then get that highly valuable component that’s deep down inside of it,” he said.

This magnet material is then sent over to the company’s pilot “hub” facility, where it is broken down and recycled via a hydrometallurgical process, leaving behind MREOs. The process also captures other valuable materials, like cobaltnickel hydroxide and boron. Any scrap materials left behind are then sold back to the scrap metal industry. Ghahreman noted that since the Canadian scrap metal industry is quite wellestablished, most cities will have a scrap yard willing to accept

Cyclic Materials’ Mag-Xtract technology isolates magnets from recycled end-of-life

these materials. In Kingston, there is a local company called Kimco Steel that buys Cyclic Materials’ scrap metal.

Both the company’s spoke and hub facilities are located in Kingston, at different sites that are in close proximity to one another. Some of the main challenges that the company has faced so far include lengthy delivery times for equipment, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Another challenge we faced was increasing our product volume so that we can provide enough material to the potential offtakers to prove that we produce high-quality materials, equivalent to what comes out of a mine,” Ghahreman said.

The pilot spoke plant began operating in September 2023 and has a nameplate capacity of processing feedstock at a rate of 8,000 tonnes per year. In its pilot phase, the spoke plant is able to produce 2,200 pounds of recycled material per hour. Cyclic Materials has already begun identifying sites for a commercialscale spoke plant in the U.S.—which is planned to be eight times larger than the pilot one that is currently operating—along with securing vendors for equipment that the commercial spoke plant will require.

Cyclic Materials’ pilot hub plant first began operating in late 2022 and plans are in motion to scale up its operations this spring, when the company will open the doors of its commercial demonstration hub hydrometallurgical facility. This commercialscale hub, which is expected to officially open in Kingston in the second half of 2024, will allow the company to recycle magnet materials from EOL scrap.

According to the company, once all the commercial hub plants are running at full capacity, the recycling of EOL material would provide material for the production of 6,300,000 motors used in EVs. The company stated it is currently the sole producer of magnet MREOs outside of Asia, and the only company producing it from post-consumer recycling.

The impact

Ghahreman emphasized the importance of REEs in producing magnets needed for a wide range of applications. “We need REEs as an ingredient to make permanent magnets, the strongest magnets on the planet,” he explained. “Those permanent magnets go into EVs and wind turbines.” He emphasized the increased demand for REEs by pointing out that in 2022, the market was worth around US$15 billion, but now the market is projected to reach US$45 billion by 2035.

While the company recognizes that opening new mines is necessary in order to meet projected REE demand due to electrification, Ghahreman stated that companies focused on recycling efforts—such as Cyclic Materials—are also crucial in meeting this projected demand. This circular approach will also prevent a sustained reliance on China.

“Our intention was that we will not even use any Chinese technology in [Cyclic Materials’ operations], at no stage in our tech development will we be at the mercy of China,” he said. “This ‘building out’ of the supply chain is really critical because if companies buy materials and there’s no supply chain to turn them into magnets, that’s a problem.”

He added that this problem can be addressed by governments funding projects similar to what the company is doing in order to “recreate the whole supply chain in the West.”

In addition to the company’s aim of seeking to lessen the burden of Canada’s REE reliance on countries like China, the company also has a goal of being a zero-waste plant once the hub

plant reaches its commercial phase in 2025. The company is already lessening the environmental burdens that come with the REE market: according to Cyclic Materials, the REEs it produces currently have less than 25 per cent of the carbon footprint of mined REEs. Also, the company’s technology avoids the use of harsh chemicals, does not disturb soil and uses just two per cent of the water usually required to mine REEs.

“It’s important to be environmentally conscious when you’re developing a process like this,” said Ghahreman. “We take the water within our process, recirculate it back and then remove the remaining impurities.”

When asked about why the company is based in Kingston, Ghahreman and Nee offered a few logistical reasons, including its proximity to other cities, like Ottawa and Montreal, which are easily accessible by the 401 highway. Additionally, Queen’s University, which has a robust engineering program, presents opportunities for students to join the team in a co-op capacity and provides a strong talent pool to pull from for post-graduate hires.

The city has also been very supportive of the metal and minerals industry as well as the recycling industry. “In this niche of metallurgy and recycling, [Kingston] has become a centre from around the world where there’s that virtuous circular effect,” said Nee.

Partnerships

In 2022, Cyclic Materials signed a memorandum of understanding with EV automaker Polestar to aid the company in sourcing domestic magnet suppliers. Polestar supplies Cyclic Materials with EOL material, the company separates the magnets and then sends the recycled magnets back to Polestar to be used in new motors.

More recently in March, Cyclic Materials partnered with Germany’s Vacuumschmelze (VAC), a developer of magnetic materials and solutions, signing an agreement that will see Cyclic Materials recycling VAC’s by-products that contain critical minerals.

“This partnership represents a vote of confidence in our capabilities and growth plans by a partner who is a leading manufacturer in Europe,” said Ghahreman. “Kingston is well-known as a metallurgy ecosystem and national leader in metal processing, but also an international leader with capabilities in mining and metallurgy to recycling processes.” CIM

The green premium

Why some in the mining industry are calling for a two-tiered approach to pricing nickel

By Trish Saywell

Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest, who made his fortune in iron ore and is now heavily invested in nickel, has called for the London Metal Exchange (LME) to create a dedicated futures contract for “green nickel” traded on its exchange. A green premium would reward nickel miners that produce more sustainable, less carbon-intensive nickel.

“We’ve got to differentiate between dirty products like dirty nickel and green nickel,” Forrest said on Feb. 26 during a question-and-answer session following a speech to the National Press Club of Australia.

In Indonesia—the world’s top nickel producer—“whole rainforests are getting destroyed” and “wastes are being dumped into the ocean with no longitudinal environmental surveys about what that will do to marine life,” he said. “We can see the results right now, it’s destroying it. Communities which have been there for hundreds of years are having to move because they cannot sustain themselves anymore.”

Forrest argued that customers should be given the choice, particularly as more and more of the metal is used in the battery packs that drive electric vehicles.

“If you’ve got dirty nickel in your battery systems, then you want to know about that because you don’t want to propagate that and you want the choice to buy clean nickel if you can,” he said. “So the London Metal Exchange must differentiate

between dirty and clean. They are two different products. They have two vastly different impacts.”

The rise of Indonesian nickel

The emergence of Indonesia over the last five years as a major source of nickel has had a transformational impact on the industry and put pressure on higher cost nickel producers.

According to CRU, a global commodities business intelligence company, nickel produced in Indonesia sits in the high-polluting arc of its emissions curve. “They are well above 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of nickel—probably double or triple that amount on average,” said Frank Nikolic, vice-president, North America for CRU’s base and battery metals team. “But it’s the opposite on the cost curve; [nickel producing] companies like BHP would be sitting on the top half of the cost curve but are lower on the emissions curve. I speculate that they look at data like this and say: ‘We are being penalized for being green, we need a carbon equalization mechanism.’”

Half of all mined nickel today comes from Indonesia and that is going to increase to over 70 per cent by the end of the decade, Nikolic said. “Indonesia is like the OPEC of nickel. They hold a tremendous amount of power.”

Last year was the second consecutive year of large nickel surpluses, and Nikolic sees the market remaining in surplus for the

Nickel prices being pushed down by the growing supply from carbon-intensive operations in Indonesia has led to calls to set up a separate pricing mechanism for “green nickel.”

next five years, putting continued pressure on price. “Last year, the average cash price for nickel was US$21,500 per tonne, versus today’s spot price of US$17,000 per tonne,” he noted. In midApril, spot nickel was sitting at US$17,674 per tonne, down about 35 per cent from the last peak in price in late 2022.

In a February research note, Macquarie Group wrote that “prices are deep into the cost curve with around half the industry estimated to be cash-flow negative at [an] LME price of US$16,000 per tonne.” The financial services group said that at US$18,000 per tonne of nickel, 35 per cent of all nickel production is lossmaking, and at US$15,000 per tonne that number rises to 75 per cent.

The nickel price slump has forced some nickel producers to review or suspend operations. Wyloo, Forrest’s privately held mining company and the largest pure-play nickel company outside of Russia, is one of them. The company will put its operations in Western Australia on care and maintenance in May.

“It’s a problem for all metal producers across the globe,” Wyloo Canada CEO Kristan Straub told CIM Magazine. “The green premium is just talk at this point, but we need to create a distinction for nickel that is produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.”

The market demand

For its part, LME wrote on March 5 that there remains significant debate about what constitutes “green” nickel and that the market for it is not yet large enough to support robust trading in a dedicated green futures contract. The creation of a green nickel contract—or any other subsection of the relatively smallsized nickel market, it said—would risk fragmenting it and reducing overall market liquidity.

Georgina Hallett, LME’s chief sustainability officer, told CIM Magazine that defining what constitutes green nickel and putting specific carbon calculation methodologies in place for each nickel product would be a huge undertaking and must be a collective effort by mining companies, industry associations, consumers and regulators. “The industry is evolving, and LME has a role, but we need to work together,” she said.

In addition, the world’s leading exchange for industrial metals trading “is completely price agnostic,” she said, “but we are the plumbing or the market infrastructure for trading, so we understand the argument that it is our job to set up a system where a premium can be discovered and where the market can discover that in an organic fashion.”

At the same time, Hallett said, pricing by environmental, social and governance (ESG) characteristic, grade, shape or location is best done on a digital spot trading platform like LME’s partner Metalshub, which allows consumers to directly buy specific batches of metal that meet their procurement requirements.

“What Metalshub will do is publish how many of its trades happen at 20 tonnes of carbon per tonne of nickel,” Hallett said. “It’s transparent, based on actual trades, and will get to the heart of the question of whether people will pay for lower carbon.”

Metalshub published its first report on April 9, noting that 2,126 tonnes of Class 1 nickel worth about US$38.2 million was transacted on its platform in March. No transactions with a registered carbon footprint lower than 20 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of nickel were reported. Over the three-month period from January, an average of 2,967 tonnes of Class 1 nickel was transacted each month, with a subset of four tonnes complying with the low carbon threshold.

Wyloo’s Straub acknowledged that platforms like Metalshub— using the guidance of 20 tonnes or less of CO2 per tonne of nickel as the starting low-carbon threshold—is a “a step in the right direction.” However, he said that ultimately, LME should still recognize nickel that has higher ESG standards on its main exchange, and disagreed with its assessment that the nickel market is not big enough today to support an index for low-carbon nickel.

But others in the industry agree with LME’s assessment of the market size. Some also argue that LME is correct in reasoning that the industry first needs to agree on the definition of green nickel, and that the market will naturally discover the best mechanism itself to arrive at a price for green nickel.

“The industry needs a clearing house and there are other mechanisms to describe green premiums rather than LME,” said Nikolic of CRU, adding that the industry needs to agree what is green nickel to begin with—and if it is anything beyond net zero. “There is no agreement on what is green and what is not green. There needs to be enough interest or players in the market to generate this price discovery. There need to be enough transactions that you can have an agreement on price.”

Other approaches

Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel, which is developing the Crawford nickel project in Ontario, also believes the market must decide. “Generally, the best commodity contracts trade when you have consumers who actively want to use it and suppliers who want to meet it,” he said. “If you’re missing one or both, it doesn’t trade and it isn’t particularly useful. I think it will come, but we’re not there yet.”

In the meantime, Selby said, price reporting agencies like Benchmark Minerals and Fastmarkets, while not real-time trading, are coming up with some sustainable metal price quotes. “That’s usually a first good step and as the use of that evolves, then you can move into a more actively traded exchange platform,” he said.

The Toronto-based mining executive also sees other avenues to drive awareness and change.

“[The consumer] needs to pressure the car companies and say ‘you must not use dirty nickel, or if you have to use it, [then] you need to disclose it,’ so there’s real transparency where your metals are sourced and what the environmental impact is,” he said.

Where the government can be helpful, he added, is by demanding real transparency about where these products are sourced. In the next three or four years, as more battery plants begin to ramp up in North America, he thinks that will be what drives and upholds these standards.

CRU’s Nikolic points to other methods being put into place, such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which is a tool to put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon-intensive goods that are entering the EU. CBAM is currently in its transitional phase until 2026 and does not yet include nickel.

Wyloo’s Straub said that while such tariffs are useful, “they are not the first measure to take in global trade,” and that effective policy measures should be implemented ahead of time.

“It’s not an unheard of ask,” he said. “Consumers have asked for this before. Tiffany started it off when they said they did not want to have diamonds from conflict zones, and the standards that were brought in like the Kimberley Process are now adhered to across the market. That’s the change we’re looking and advocating for when it comes to differentiating nickel.” CIM

DORIS HIAMGALVEZ Senior Advisor, Hatch

DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS

SCAN THIS CODE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

2023-2024

GARY POXLEITNER Principal (Mining) Consultant/Practice Leader, SRK

HANI MITRI Professor of Mining Engineering, Mining and Materials Engineering Department, McGill University MUSTAFA KUMRAL Associate Professor, Mining and Materials Engineering Department, McGill University

THE PROGRAM

NANCY WILK Environmental Health and Safety Fellow, Mine, Water and Environment, WSP Canada Inc.

PRITI WANJARA Principal Research Scientist, National Research Council Canada

ROY SLACK Director, Cementation Americas

The Distinguished Lecturers program is offered to 31 CIM Branches, 11 Technical Societies and 8 Student Chapters. Universities can also request a lecture.

The CIM Distinguished Lecturers program started in 1968 and has continuously provided a lineup of individuals who have shared their knowledge with the mining community for over five decades.

Every year, the lecturers are elected by their peers through the CIM Awards program and hold the title for a complete season (September to June).

CIM is privileged to count more than 260 of the industry’s finest as its lecturers. Because the motto “once a lecturer, always a lecturer” defines our pride and dedication in ensuring that the learning curve is endless, a complete list of past lecturers is available at www.cim.org, where you can benefit from the ever-growing pool of expertise that the program has to offer.

LECTURERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR ONLINE OR IN-PERSON EVENTS.

The CIM Foundation’s generous support allows the CIM Distinguished Lecturers Program to connect CIM members with leading industry expertise. The CIM Distinguished Lecturers program is owned and operated by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM).

THE ACE OF DIAMONDS KIM TRUTER

CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, BURGUNDY DIAMOND MINES

In 2019, Kim Truter was planning to take some time off back home, but things took a turn north.

“Just as COVID-19 started [and] I’d relocated back to Australia to [be] with my kids and my family, I was talked into joining two boards,” he explained.

Those two boards? Burgundy Diamond Mines, previously known as EHR Resources, and Arctic Canadian Diamond Company. It was there that he helped orchestrate the US$136 million sale of Arctic Canadian Diamond

THE ADVOCATE KEERIT JUTLA PRESIDENT AND CEO, ASSOCIATION FOR MINERAL EXPLORATION (AME)

Company, including its Ekati mine in the Northwest Territories, to Burgundy Diamond Mines in July 2023.

It is only the latest milestone for Burgundy’s current CEO and managing director. A self-described “career resource person,” Truter has spent nearly 40 years working in the resource industry, and the diamond industry specifically since 2007. He was most recently the CEO of De Beers Canada from 2015 to 2019, previously served as COO of Rio Tinto Diamonds, and has played a big role in Canada’s diamond industry. “My biggest claim to fame in the diamond industry is certainly in Canada,” he said. “I’ve either built or run every single diamond mine in Canada, and likewise in Australia.”

Truter is hoping to keep his success going with Ekati, which is the world’s sixth-largest diamond mine. While its current mine life only runs through 2028, with the help of some innovative technology such as underwater remote mining equipment, Truter said that Burgundy could potentially extend the mine life to 2040. “That’s another 12 years of jobs, taxes and benefits,” he said. “And if we can keep it going even longer than that, we’ll try.”

Though Ekati has had several owners over the past decade, Truter is confident that Burgundy has the right formula to succeed. “There are three parts to our formula. One is our chairman, Michael O’Keeffe, [who] is legendary—especially in Australia— as an outstanding mining entrepreneur,” Truter said. “He’s done some amazing deals and he’s built some very, very successful

Before stepping into his role at the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) in September 2023, Keerit Jutla amassed a wealth of knowledge working as a lawyer in the natural resource sector, while also holding roles with B.C.’s provincial government at the Environmental Assessment Office and the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.

Jutla considers his past roles useful in providing a foundation to better understand the B.C. government’s regulatory regime, namely how policies are made. This is especially useful considering some of the challenges that the provincial government has been facing over recent years, including slow permitting processes for mines and modernizing the province’s Mineral Tenure Act (MTA)—legislation that governs how people attain rights to explore and mine minerals in the province.

In light of these challenges, Jutla sees areas where AME could assist in improving the industry, such as aiding in the modernization of the MTA. Jutla and his team at AME are currently exploring how the province’s Mineral Titles Online (MTO) system can undergo changes to ensure greater equity.

“I think we can build a really good MTO system and staking system and look to see how the industry can stay competitive, fair and to [make sure] that the intellectual property of those who are staking claims is protected, while respecting Indigenous rights,” he said.

Jutla is passionate about promoting Indigenous rights in the mining industry, with extensive experience facilitating Indigenous communities and companies with negotiating partnerships.

Having recently made a public request to be included in discussions with the MTA Working Group, Jutla emphasized the importance of including industry groups, such as AME, as well as Indigenous groups, in these important conversations.

Photo: Dawn Stenzel

Courtesy of Burgundy Diamond Mines

companies. And because of that, we’ve got an amazing investor base, which is [part] two of the magic formula.”

“And then the third piece is myself. I’m a mining operator, I understand the Arctic [and] I understand how these assets work. We think [the combination of] those three things—a mining entrepreneur, a very loyal investor base and a mining operator—is a pretty unique formula.”

Having lived in the Northwest Territories for many years, Truter knows how important diamond mining is to the northern economy. “[It is] by far the biggest contribution to the North, so we have a huge responsibility to try and keep that going as long as we can,” he explained. “Given my background of building and running these assets in the Arctic, I’m convinced that I’m one of the few people who can do that.”

The company is already on the right track. In its 2023 Q4 results, Burgundy achieved the highest ore processing throughput in 10 years at Ekati, and reported a revenue of US$166 million, unaudited EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of US$60 million and 1.2 million carats recovered.

Truter hopes the progress will continue.

“I’m realistic—I’m heading towards 60 years old, so I won’t be doing this forever. But what I want to do is launch the ship, so to speak. Get the company in the right direction, get Ekati performing well, [extend] the mine life and then use Ekati as a cornerstone asset to [grow] Burgundy into a substantial leading diamond producer.”

THE OPPORTUNITY ENGINEER JEAN HUTCHINSON

PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY, AND VICE-PRESIDENT, INNOVATIVE GEOMECHANICS INC.

– Tijana Mitrovic CIM

“Sometimes it feels like both parties have to always go through government to have those conversations. By us being all at the same table, it ensures that the right conversations are happening at the right table,” he said. “That’s the key—we just want to ensure that we’re heard, we’re able to provide value to solutions and that the full scope and breadth of the knowledge that our diverse membership has is heard, considered and integrated into policy.”

Jutla believes that B.C. is very well positioned for the projected global critical minerals demand, considering it to be a key player that has crafted strong relationships both domestically and globally in a way that is competitive but still respectful of Indigenous rights. However, he pointed out that the sometimes-harmful perceptions of mining can make it difficult to highlight the industry’s importance.

He considers it crucial to “break those false perceptions of what mining and mineral exploration is” and reflect that the industry is now taking issues such as reconciliation and environmental sustainability seriously. “It’s been amazing to see those perceptions start to break and seeing young people wanting to [get involved in mining].”

During his time at AME, Jutla has noticed an air of hopefulness about the future of B.C.’s mining industry. “The great thing about connecting with our membership and our teams is seeing how much optimism there is for building a strong and bright future here,” he said. “I think that these are never going to be easy conversations to have, but we’re all going in the right direction.

“The only way we can do that is if we’re all talking transparently…we cannot look at this as a zero-sum game, but as a positive-sum game that we can all benefit from.”

– Ashley Fish-Robertson CIM

When geological engineer Jean Hutchinson entered the mining industry in the 1980s, there were few women around her. However, she thinks strides have been made over the years.

“When I started, there were very few opportunities for women, especially in underground mining,” Hutchinson explained. “We’ve gone from one girl in the class of 35— which was me—to our geological engineering classes [being] pretty much 50-50 since I started at Queen’s.”

In her role as a university professor, Hutchinson teaches a variety of courses, including leading undergraduate and graduate students in field courses focused on the mining cycle, and teaches research methodologies for the study of slope stability using technologies such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems.

Before entering academia, her consulting work took her around the world, from working on mine subsidence in Greece and Slovakia to closure planning in Ontario. Hutchinson and her husband—also a professor of geological engineering at Queen’s—have collaborated multiple times, including writing a book on cable bolting in underground mines, which involved extensive travel in Australia and across North America.

The two also run their own company: Innovative Geomechanics Inc. As vice-president, Hutchinson sits on technical review boards for several organizations, including Rio Tinto’s Bingham Canyon copper mine in Utah.

While Hutchinson has been interested in promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the mining industry for decades, how it looks in practice has changed. “In the early stages of my career, [EDI promotion] was providing a role model—how women could have a family and still have

Courtesy of Jean Hutchinson

opportunities to think technically and work as an engineer,” Hutchinson said. “I had a couple of female engineers a little older than me [as role models], who were amazing.”

Nowadays, she sees EDI promotion as more of a springboard. Hutchinson has used her leadership roles to create research and career opportunities for new members of the profession, to create and lead EDI training workshops for undergraduates and holds several EDI advisory roles. In March, Hutchinson was awarded the 2024 Trailblazer Award by Women in Mining Canada.

“It is really important that we all engage in allyship, peer mentoring and even micro mentoring,” she said. “Whenever there’s an opportunity, you promote somebody else’s voice. That promotion and elevation of people [at the early stage of their career] is a vital part of making the industry more inclusive.”

Hutchinson believes that having more female geologists and engineers has brought more diverse perspectives into the classroom, to conferences and to the profession. Yet, Hutchinson has heard from students, their

DIRECTOR

VERRET

OF PROJECTS AND EXPLORATION,

When Jean-François Verret started working on developing the Anuri mine, an opening date loomed in the distant future: 2024. Twelve years and a pandemic later, he sat at the back of the mine’s inauguration ceremony in February this year. “I was looking at the crowd,” he said, “and I was really proud.”

Anuri is the fruit of the second phase of development at Glencore’s Raglan nickel mining complex in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec. Verret was in charge of the team responsible for bringing the new mine online, adding at least 20 more years to the Raglan mine’s life of operations. It represents one of the greater mining investments in Quebec of the last decade.

The name Anuri, which was officially selected by the Raglan Committee members, means “wind” in Inuktitut and was

parents and her daughters—who are both engineers—that they still experience challenges as women in engineering.

“Newer graduates and professionals [are] still encountering some of the same non-inclusive behaviours in the industry,” she said. “I still see some environments where women are not welcome. There’s [still] a lot of work to be done.”

With plans to retire from teaching next year, Hutchinson intends to continue taking on review board work and running workshops on subjects such as slope stability, natural hazards and EDI initiatives. She also plans to continue working on EDI committees across engineering, geology and mining, as she believes retaining women is still a major challenge for the industry.

“[Promoting inclusivity] is [my] main focus these days,” she explained. “[It’s about] how we make things more inclusive, make sure that people feel comfortable in their working environment [and] inform people about what’s involved in fieldwork and let them make informed decisions.”

– Tijana Mitrovic CIM

inspired by Raglan’s commitment to the local Inuit population, many of whom work there or have helped to build it. The Raglan mine has the largest industrial presence on the local Inuit territory. “There’s a sense of social responsibility attached to it,” Verret said. “You don’t want to fail the people up north.”

As part of the process paving the way for Anuri, Verret attended the public consultations. Since 1995, the Raglan mine has been subject to the Raglan Agreement, which was the first Impact Benefit Agreement in Canada signed directly between a mining company and an Indigenous group. The consultations revealed that local communities felt the agreement was due for an update, which it got in 2017. “We decided to take an extra year to revise it and make it a better agreement,” Verret said.

The entire project execution plan also needed a makeover to account for social distancing when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. For example, the planes airlifting workers to the mine could now only carry half as many people at a time.

After pandemic delays and a four-month strike at the Raglan mine in 2022, Anuri was nearly five months behind schedule. Most people had come to terms with it becoming yet another late mining project; however, Verret and his team never accepted that possibility. “We knew we were going to do it,” Verret recalled.

In the end, they delivered all critical components of the project two months ahead of schedule in late 2023. According to Verret, early internal estimates suggested that Anuri was likely delivered below budget as well. “All of this with a world-class safety record,” he said. “The team is pumped.”

A team approach is front and centre for Verret, a philosophy he lifted from his background as a hockey player. Most of the core team working on Anuri was there with him since day one. “You need a strong foundation in order to face all these crises,” he said.

Anuri was inaugurated in late February. A winter celebration so far north is always a gamble, Verret said, because the temperature might drop below -60 degrees Celsius or a sudden blizzard might make air travel impossible. Yet, the sun shone bright on the crowd of hundreds who came to celebrate. Among them were

THE TEAM CAPTAIN JEAN-FRANÇOIS

GLENCORE’S RAGLAN MINE

Courtesy of Glencore

people from nearby communities, cabinet ministers and Glencore executives.

Some attendees, Verret knew, had been there back in 1995 when the Raglan Agreement was first struck.

THE QUANTUM COLLABORATOR

DAVID ROY-GUAY CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF SBQUANTUM

The city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, has emerged as a quantum technology hub in recent years, and a company based there, led by David Roy-Guay, is examining how quantum magnetometry could accelerate mineral discoveries.

Following his quantum physics PhD at the Université de Sherbrooke, Roy-Guay assembled a team in 2018 that became SBQuantum. “I wanted to take the diamond quantum magnetometer technology that had been the subject of my PhD thesis out of the laboratory, and make it concrete and applicable in the real world,” he said.

With funding from the Université de Sherbrooke’s Institut Quantique, SBQuantum began prototyping its diamond quantum magnetometer technology into a portable format. As well as applications in defence, navigation and even space, the company found that the technology can also be used for mineral exploration.

Magnetometers are already commonly used for geophysical surveys, measuring anomalies in the Earth’s magnetic field to identify geological formations. However, SBQuantum’s sensors use atomic impurities in diamonds to significantly improve the sensitivity and reach of its magnetometers.

He considers that day, filled with heartfelt speeches celebrating the achievement, to be the proudest moment of his career so far.

“2024—it’s happening, it’s there, it’s done,” he remembered thinking. “That is how we do things. Completed. Check.”

CIM

– Sarah St-Pierre

Diamonds are made up of carbon atoms arranged in a lattice structure, but there can be imperfections in this lattice—most commonly, single atoms of nitrogen that have substituted a carbon atom, alongside a void or vacancy in the lattice. These nitrogen-vacancy centres (NV centres) have properties that make them useful for quantum sensing.

“This type of impurity frees up electrons [from the diamond’s structure], which have the quantum property of spin,” Roy-Guay explained. “With synthetic diamonds, you can tune the amount of NV centres very precisely to preserve the quantum properties. We leverage this spin to make very precise measurements of the amplitude and orientation of the magnetic field.”

The underground deposits the quantum magnetometer can detect include those containing lithium, cobalt and diamonds, according to Roy-Guay.

SBQuantum builds arrays with four to six of its magnetometers assembled into a bracket. “That allows us to provide eight times more sensitivity than the industry standard,” said Roy-Guay. “We can develop 3D interpretations of the ore body in a way that wouldn’t be possible with conventional methods.”

SBQuantum has completed six pilot tests of its magnetometer, and has five more scheduled in 2024. “We conducted two years of back-to-back surveys with Glencore’s Raglan mine in northern Quebec, and we also have a cooperation with the Geological Survey of Canada for a junior company’s site near Thunder Bay, Ontario,” added Roy-Guay.

Earlier this year, SBQuantum announced a partnership with a U.K. company called Silicon Microgravity that is developing micro-electromechanical systems-based gravity sensing technology. While magnetometry gives information about an ore body’s geology, gravimetry gives information about its density.

“By combining both on the same drone platform, we can cross-validate the signals and better constrain the mathematical models to get a very accurate description of the ore body,” he said. “This can get closer to semi-real-time interpretation so that we can better steer the drilling process. For us, it is a first step into a data fusion approach.”

The project is expected to take 18 months to complete, with testing planned for a remote area of Canada.

Roy-Guay said SBQuantum is already looking at adding other sensing modalities to the platform, such as radiometry—which would give information about radioactive deposits such as uranium—and hyperspectral imaging, which could enable chemical analysis of deposits, even from the air.

“These new sensing approaches could help to further accelerate the discovery of new sites that we need to build the 300 to 400 new mines required for the clean energy transition,” he concluded. – Ailbhe Goodbody CIM

Courtesy of SBQuantum

THE MACHINE MODELLER KEVIN URBANSKI CO-FOUNDER AND COO, RITHMIK SOLUTIONS

Early in his career, Kevin Urbanski was on the team at Matrikon (now part of Honeywell) that built one of the first systems to gather sensor data from mobile mining equipment. Years later, working at Teck Resources, Urbanski was in the position to use that data to assess equipment health—and hit a major challenge. With hundreds of sensors on each piece of a fleet’s equipment, there was almost too much information, making finding actionable insights “like a needle in a haystack.”

That was the driving force behind Rithmik Solutions, the company Urbanski co-founded with Kris Isfeld and Amanda Truscott in 2018.

After leaving Teck and taking a sabbatical to study artificial intelligence (AI), Urbanski realized that AI could help find those needles, and began investigating how to deploy it effectively.

Rithmik’s AI-powered Asset Health Analyzer (AHA) develops an optimal working model of equipment based on sensor data from a site’s entire fleet. The model runs at the same time as the equipment, and identifies when certain sensor values deviate from the model. The model is tuned based on historical site data—so the optimal condition for a Caterpillar 793D haul truck might be different at mine sites in Chile or Yukon due to the different seasonalities and conditions, such as temperatures, topographies, road conditions and operator training.

INVESTMENT

MAGNET SABRINA BOUCHARD

SENIOR PROJECT DIRECTOR IN THE BATTERY SECTOR, INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC

Bécancour, Quebec, is poised to become a hub for the clean energy transition with multiple battery active materials facilities and refining projects for electric vehicle (EV) batteries under construction. The town’s EV battery development required significant investments, and this is where Sabrina Bouchard comes into play.

In her role at Investissement Québec, Bouchard covers the Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec regions, where Bécancour is located, working to operationalize Quebec’s green battery strategy.

Bouchard explained that there are three pillars to the strategy: the mining and processing of local minerals, integration into the larger North American EV supply chain and end-of-life battery management.

“In the foreign direct investment division, our role is to fill all the gaps in terms of what we think is most strategic to the province,” she added. “We have people abroad working to attract new players, promote Quebec and maintain relationships with these big companies.”

Bouchard represents Bécancour in discussions regarding the development of new EV battery projects. Currently, there are four major projects under way in the small Quebec town: Nemaska Lithium is set to build Canada’s first lithium hydroxide plant; SK On, EcoProBM and Ford are partnering for a cathode active materials facility; Ultium CAM (a joint venture of General Motors and POSCO Future M) will also build a cathode active materials plant; and Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) is set to build an anode active materials plant.

“We are working on the whole supply chain around these projects [and] on landing the other projects that are [needed] to build an ecosystem,” said Bouchard.

What makes Bécancour attractive to investors in the EV battery manufacturing industry, she said, is the access to clean and affordable hydroelectricity and that Bécancour’s state-owned industrial park was already ready to welcome industry with 2,000 hectares of heavy industrial zoning.

The projects are also attractive for the Bécancour community. “It will create economic benefits in terms of attractive salaries [that are] above the sector’s average, taxes that these

THE

Photo: Emanuel St-Pierre

Courtesy of Sabrina Bouchard

“AI finds optimization opportunities from the get-go,” Urbanski explained. While building its models, Rithmik has unearthed opportunities to improve maintenance practices and operator driving behaviour. Some insights have been more unusual, like identifying a truck driver who tapped the gas pedal to the beat of Metallica songs.

Rithmik now has a home at the Mila-Quebec AI research institute in Montreal, which it partnered with in January 2023, and works with major mining companies and OEMs in North America, South America and Africa.

Urbanski has seen excitement for the possibilities of AI in mining—an industry known for its cautious approach to technology adoption—and some roadblocks. Technology projects require resources, but with labour shortages, mining teams have been stretched thin. Rithmik can help to mitigate that by handling tasks like taking inventory of a customer’s data or integrating new insights into their workflows. Its AHA can also multiply the time of maintenance personnel, reducing the hours required to troubleshoot and find improvement opportunities.

Unlike the hype of five years ago, when Urbanski said people expected “magic” from AI, experience with large language

world-class companies will pay, but also the establishment of an important and specialized supply chain around that industry,” said Bouchard, adding that Bécancour will become home to many new skilled and trained workers. “We are really building something broad.”

Bouchard noted that a local critical minerals supply chain in Bécancour is important not only for EV batteries, but also for the clean energy transition and the Quebec economy.

“Quebec’s critical minerals are potentially of interest for solar panels supply chains and electrolyzers for hydrogen,” she added. “It is an amazing opportunity for Quebec to process our own minerals here, and it’s a change of paradigm because, in the past, we would export our minerals and they would be processed elsewhere.”

Bouchard highlighted that local EV battery supply chains would reduce Canada’s dependence on other countries. She noted for example that China, which produces 90 per cent of global anode graphite materials, banned graphite exports late last year, adding that NMG’s plant will be the first project of its kind that is compliant with the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

“That allows [original equipment manufacturers] to have a supply chain that is in a politically stable environment, uses ethical practices and respects human rights,” said Bouchard.

Bearing witness to Bécancour’s development has been the most rewarding part of Bouchard’s work.

“I feel privileged to be part of the establishment of this new promising industry,” she said. “This is really meaningful work and it’s a great opportunity to position Quebec as a leader in the clean energy transition.”

CIM

– Alice Martin

NAMES TO KNOW 2024

models (LLMs) such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT have given people a more realistic understanding of AI’s capabilities—but more pessimism than may be warranted.

“The biggest obstacle is understanding what’s possible, being open to using [AI and LLMs] and having trust in them,” he said.

Urbanski thinks LLMs represent an opportunity for miners; they could be deployed for specific tasks, like scheduling mobile mining equipment or planning preventive maintenance, or for much larger tasks.

“Mines [store] so much information—sensor data, work orders, [information] from pit to port,” he said. “Optimizing that entire chain is really hard to do with disparate technology. LLM architectures allow you to feed them a tonne of information and can find relationships and optimizations.”

The company closed a $2 million funding round in March, which it plans to use to grow its customer base and launch new products. To date, Rithmik has built models for trucks and dozers, and plans to develop models this year for electric and hydraulic shovels and a scheduling assistant to recommend when it makes sense “environmentally and economically” to send a mobile asset in for maintenance. –

Kelsey Rolfe CIM

THE INNOVATIVE EXPLORER

JACK MILTON VICE-PRESIDENT, GEOLOGY, FIREWEED METALS

Technological innovation was key to Fireweed Metals’ exploration team discovering significant zinc mineralization that expanded the mineral resource at its Macmillan Pass (Macpass) zinc-leadsilver project in eastern Yukon.

Using a combination of new technologies, meticulous geological interpretation and a willingness to look at old problems in new ways, Milton and his team identified the Boundary West mineralization zone at Macpass in summer 2020.

“We aspire to do things differently—not just because they’re different, but to give us a competitive edge in exploration,” said

Photo:

Jon Benjamin Photography

Milton, who has spent more than 15 years working on projects throughout B.C., Yukon and the Northwest Territories and has particular expertise in sediment-hosted base metal deposits.

“The discovery at Boundary West was supported by looking in a wider search space than previously because of a new idea about how these deposits form.”

Typically, this type of zinc deposit was thought to be found in sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) deposits. Instead, they realized that the deposit was formed in the subsurface by replacement of pre-existing diagenetic barite layers.

“It’s a very subtle difference, but it makes a real impact on how you would explore for these deposits,” Milton said. Instead of searching for one specific layer in the stratigraphy, the team could instead focus ground gravity surveys on several layers. Milton and his team paired this data with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) surveys to make a series of complex calculations to isolate the zinc deposit’s signal.

This data was further enhanced by passive seismic surveys. “We developed a method to infer the depth of the overburden, and then calculate that out of the gravity signal to give a clearer picture of the bedrock gravity signature,” Milton said.

Drill core scanning has become a key part of Fireweed’s exploration strategy. With access to high-speed internet via the Starlink satellite network, the team can scan the cores and upload the data to Milton’s office in B.C. to go into the 3D model, often before the cores arrive at the camp’s core shack.

This allows the drill plans to be adjusted day by day, a massive change from even just a few years ago. “If you compare that to pre-internet [times] in camps—you’d form a drill plan in the spring, [then] go out and execute [it] in the summer and [it was] relatively static,” Milton said. “Now, we can be more nimble and use those exploration dollars more effectively.”

Machine learning also helps the team to sort through the reams of data, but they do not rely solely on algorithms or artificial intelligence (AI).

“They are another tool in our toolkit that lets us assimilate huge volumes [of data] and analyze them rapidly using advanced interpretation techniques,” said Milton. “Exploration is 99 per cent data gathering, drilling, observational science, geology and interpretation—that AI component [is just] a per cent or two of our workflow.”

Milton noted there are no shortcuts to success. “For us, it’s doing good science and collecting data in the right way. Whenever [we’ve had] a choice between data quantity and data quality, we’ve almost always picked quality,” he said. “That doesn’t have to involve a fancy new technology. But I think that culture of curiosity and of diligence over the data really goes miles in exploration.”

That culture is where Milton and Fireweed have found success at Macpass, and with it the hopes of developing a new major zinc project. A resource update for Macpass is currently under way, and is anticipated in the second quarter of 2024.

– Robert Hiltz CIM

Discrete Event Simulation to Support RealWorld Mining Activities with Virtual Technologies

INSTRUCTORS Kristopher J. Shelswell, SRK Consulting, Canada • PLACE Montreal, QC • DATE September 18 - 20, 2024

Strategic Mine Planning with New Digital Technologies, Risk Management and Mineral Value Chains

INSTRUCTORS Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada, and Luis Montiel Petro, Vale, Canada • PLACE Montreal, QC • DATE September 25 – 27, 2024

Geostatistical Evaluation of Mineral Resources and their Uncertainty under the New Regulatory Environment

INSTRUCTORS David F. Machuca, SRK Consulting, Canada, and Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada • PLACE Montreal, QC • DATE September 30 to October 4, 2024

Mineral Economics and Mine ManagementInformed Mine Asset Valuation for Sustainable Returns Under Risk and Cyclicality

INSTRUCTOR Mustafa Kumral, McGill University, Canada • PLACE Montreal, QC • DATE October 9 to 11, 2024

Contractually innovative

Pan American Silver utilized an unconventional contractual approach to a shaft sinking project at its La Colorada mine, which was completed by Dumas Mining earlier this year

By Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco

The installation of a fully concrete-lined ventilation shaft at Vancouver-based Pan American Silver Corporation’s flagship La Colorada underground silver-zinc-lead mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, was completed in January 2024 by the contractor Dumas Mining and achieved with an outstanding safety record: zero recorded medical treatment injuries, zero restricted work injuries and zero lost-time injuries over two years and 171,204 hours of work.

Both Dumas and Pan American Silver credit the project’s safety record and overall success to an innovative contractual approach that was designed to break down barriers to collaboration and integration.

“It really is a case study for us in how shaft projects can be done with triple zero safety performance,” said Cameron Carter, senior vice-president of strategy, business development and technical services at Dumas Mining.

A deepening problem

The La Colorada mine has been mined since the 1920s. It was acquired in 1998 by Pan American Silver, which has become a leading silver producer in the Americas, with operating mines in Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.

La Colorada is Pan American Silver’s largest silver producing mine, with proven and probable mineral reserves that total 9.2 million tonnes with 86.3 million ounces of contained silver at a grade of 294 grams per tonne.

“La Colorada is an older, narrow-vein mine,” said George Greer, Pan American Silver’s senior vice-president of project development. “It is located in a region of Mexico where the rock temperature increases significantly the deeper that you go into the underground workings. We’ve been mining La Colorada for more than two decades, and as such, we have been advancing deeper in the mine every year for the past 20 years.”

Five years ago, Pan American Silver set out to increase cooling and ventilation at La Colorada. The first step it took in 2019 was to build a refrigeration plant, which began operating in 2022. The second step, begun in the summer of 2021, was to develop the Guadalupe ventilation shaft, which measures 5.5 metres in diameter and is 580 metres deep, at the eastern end of the mine.

The three-bid challenge

Greer, a 45-year-mining industry veteran, decided the conventional minimum three-bid commercial tendering contract approach was not ideal for achieving the best results in safety,

Courtesy of Dumas

The headframe of the new ventilation shaft at Pan American Silver’s La Colorada mine in Mexico.

quality and cost for the shaft sinking project. He noted that the focus on selecting the lowest bidder can encourage cost-cutting measures over quality and safety in project proposals. A fixedbid approach inevitably leads to the need for amendments to the construction contract to account for changes in the contractor’s scope of work (the proverbial “change orders”) when the project encounters unexpected conditions.

“What happens with change orders is that they often get into an us-versus-them situation,” said Greer. “It can alienate the relationship between the company and the contractor very quickly, to the extreme where both parties can inadvertently start to work against each other.”

At the end of the day, a fixed-bid contract does not necessarily lead to lower costs if change orders pile up along the way. Conversely, it can also lead to lower profit margins for the contractor.

More typically, change orders are handled by the project managers on site. “The respective teams at the site can end up working on change orders extensively, as opposed to focusing on completing the project in a safe and quality manner,” said Greer. “That is not good.”

Over the years, Greer has implemented an innovative approach to contracts aimed at fostering collaboration between his company and the contractors it hires. It involves the two parties jointly developing the contract and the project estimate, then working together to resolve any changes that arise as the project is executed. This approach frees up the on-site teams to focus entirely on project execution.

“My project team’s primary focus is to ensure that the contractor is successful in all aspects of their work,” noted Greer.

By contractual design

In 2021, leveraging this approach, Pan American Silver issued a request for proposals for the Guadalupe shaft project, inviting submissions from three shortlisted contractors.

The contractors were asked to exclude any commercial terms in their submissions. Instead, they were to provide a framework of how they would plan and execute the work related to sinking the ventilation shaft. The proposals were then subjected to independent analysis by two different professionals hired by Pan American Silver, who also conducted in-depth due diligence on the potential contractors.

“We check the references, review the safety record and ensure that we know who we’re going to be working with,” said Greer. “At the end of the day, we ask ourselves if we can work collaboratively with this group for the next two or three years in a professional and joint fashion. Are they showing the right teamwork characteristics?”

Dumas was tentatively awarded the contract.

“We then spent a week with Dumas in July 2021, working together on the estimate for the job,” said Greer. “The Dumas management and their estimator, along with myself and my project manager, jointly put the project estimate together, lineby-line, that would form the basis of the contract.”

The two companies then developed a joint agreement on a target-priced contract and project schedule, with both companies sharing in any cost variations as the project was executed. In addition, a significant portion of Dumas’s fee was placed at risk based on the project’s safety results.

Carter was impressed with what he described as an innovative and novel approach, one that appealed to him as an engineer.

The shaft sinking project was achieved with zero recorded medical treatment injuries, zero restricted work injuries and zero lost-time injuries over two years and 171,204 hours of work.

Courtesy of Dumas Mining

“I believe a problem well defined is a problem half solved,” said Carter. “This approach defined the problems that stand in the way of collaboration and integration of the client and contractor teams. With this approach, you build a cost estimate together as a team, then you agree on a commercially reasonable margin and place appropriate contingency. When you set up an opportunity to design the contracting terms to be very collaborative in an alliance framework, it sets the stage for the types of very positive outcomes we saw with this project. And it ensures there’s a balance in the sharing of risk and reward between owner and contractor so that no party takes on too much undue risk that ultimately amounts to very little margin.”

Every issue that arose, such as any variations in cost, scope or schedule, was negotiated by Carter and Greer at a corporate level with the goal of a fair settlement. That meant that the project was virtually free of any change orders, and the teams on site could focus exclusively on executing the project and ensuring it was done safely.

“It was actually the workforce at site who did the job safely and deserve 100 per cent of the credit for it,” noted Greer. “Cameron and I supported them as effectively as we could, but the real heroes were the site team.”

Throughout the entire life cycle of the project, according to Carter, there was a high level of collaboration and mutual respect between Dumas, Pan American Silver and their respective teams. “The teams on site blended together in such a way

that there was no differentiation between owner and contractor. It was one project team,” said Carter. “We talk a lot in the industry about wanting to create a team mentality, but often we don’t remove the barriers—commercially or contractually—that allow us to integrate very well together. But in this instance, it was very much a one-team execution philosophy.”

Win-win

Greer believes the project exemplifies the success that can be achieved through a collaborative company-contractor venture. “I don’t think anybody could have sunk this shaft for a lower cost,” he said. “I believe that we received very good value for every dollar spent on this project from Pan American’s perspective. And the contractor made a fair profit, which is equally as important.”

The mining company is now in the process of adding ventilation fans to the Guadalupe shaft using the same contractual approach.

For Dumas, the project was not just a win for the company, but also one with lessons that can benefit the industry as a whole.

“We’ve had many very safe shaft projects over our years of operation, but this one is special. It was an exceptional project, an exceptional client to work for and the results at the end of the day were great project results—and it’s because of the way the opportunity with Pan American was designed from the get-go,” said Carter. “That is why we had the outcomes that we did. Ultimately, high tide floats all the boats.”

The new ventilation shaft is 5.5 metres in diameter and 580 metres deep.

Courtesy of Dumas Mining

Efficient blasting

Precision and efficiency—from how data is collected to how blasts are initiated—are the focus of explosives companies that are offering a wide range of blasting and fragmentation technologies

By Mehanaz Yakub

In every mining operation, blasting and its associated fragmentation are key steps and outcomes that will affect how well a mine operates, how productive it is and how profitable it can be. Blasting is essential because the way a mine’s ore and waste are fragmented directly impacts all subsequent downstream activities, including excavation, transportation, crushing and ore processing. Achieving optimal fragmentation is, therefore, paramount.

It is not, however, an easy task. There are safety concerns, the potential for error, tight budgets and problems in tracking performance. The processes of blasting and achieving the desired fragmentation outcome raises challenges, ranging from safety concerns to miscalculations in blast design and execution to increased costs and data loss.

These challenges can affect the overall efficiency and success of a mining operation. Fortunately for the industry, there are explosives companies committed to developing technologies that will enhance the cost-effectiveness of an operation, promote sustainability through digitalization and prioritize safety, accuracy and efficiency in blasting.

Digitalizing blasting data

Many explosives and chemical companies are adopting digital solutions to improve the efficiency and precision of data recorded before and after blasting at mining operations.

BME released the latest version of its Xplolog system, a technology designed to digitally capture, analyze and report data on blast holes and decks, in June 2023. The system comprises two main components: a mobile data logger and an online reporting dashboard.

Orica’s uni tronic 600 electronic blasting system is designed to offer strength and impact resistance for smaller surface mines

The mobile data logger is an Android device used on site by field technicians to record details of each blast hole, including depth, diameter, charge amount and stemming. These data points are then synchronized in real time to the online reporting dashboard.

“I’m really proud to say this [newer] system has been designed by the users that are using it,” said Christiaan Liebenberg, product manager, software solutions at BME. “We removed a lot of past clunkiness, removed a lot of steps and we automated some of the steps. We try to pre-empt everything for [the users] to increase their productivity.”

The Xplolog system can capture “actual” data from drilling, charging and stemming and compare them with “planned” data on the dashboard view. According to Liebenberg, this data-comparison view is important for enhancing the users’ blasting practices and for holding suppliers accountable for their services.

The upgraded system also provides users with the flexibility to customize their dashboards, allowing for a personalized view of block information that is relevant to them. Users can generate and save customized reports and export them for their daily or weekly blast meetings. Additionally, a summarized report containing key block data is available for easy progress tracking.

To improve visual tracking of blast and block progress, BME incorporated key visualization cues such as colours, iconography, numbers and abbreviations into Xplolog.

The Xplolog system is integrated with other BME solutions, such as its blast planning software Blastmap, and can also be integrated with third-party blast planning software.

According to Liebenberg, one of the most significant advantages of Xplolog is its multi-user dashboard feature. This allows various stakeholders, from blast engineers and drilling users to quality assurance and compliance (QA/QC) personnel and finance professionals, to access the dashboard for their specific needs.

“Everyone can use the application to improve their drill and blast process, which provides better blast outcomes (e.g. fragmentation) downstream,” said Liebenberg.

Digital advantage over paper

Orica offers its own digital tool called BlastIQ Underground, which is designed to efficiently manage the users’ blasting

process, from planning to post-blast analysis, with online access to blast records, reporting and analytics.

The technology consists of the following key components: a desktop application for spatial management of drill and blast information while also being connected to the cloud; a mobile app for on-site operators to access design details and document QA/QC; and a web application for all stakeholders that serves as a data visualization platform, blast management portal and centralized document repository. The BlastIQ cloud database stores blast hole data and facilitates data transfer across all system components, which is accessible from any location with an internet connection.

Orica successfully implemented BlastIQ Underground at PT Freeport’s Grasberg copper-gold mine in Indonesia. Historically, the mine had relied on a paper-based record system for QA/QC of drilling and blasting operations. However, this approach had its challenges.

According to Daniel Andrew, senior product manager for Orica Digital Solutions, the environment in underground operations, which is often humid, wet and dusty, is not conducive to paper-based record-keeping.

“Paper tends to get damaged or lost. When it gets lost, it means that QA/QC needs to be redone, so that’s an ineffective use of people resources,” explained Andrew.

With paper-based systems, an underground operator must also physically travel to the surface to provide drill and blast engineers with the necessary information for the next stage of blast design. However, with the BlastIQ Underground system, as long as the operator has a tablet and access to an internet connection underground, the data can be automatically sent to the engineer.

“Getting rid of paper makes sure we have continuity, that we’re eliminating rework and that the right people have access to the right data at the right time to make the decisions they need to make,” said Andrew.

Since the introduction of BlastIQ Underground at the Grasberg mine, the system has helped reduce the mine’s annual drilling and blasting costs by 38 per cent through improved design compliance. Engineers were able to digitally visualize hole-by-hole under- and over-drill conditions and take proactive measures, while near real-time monitoring capabilities helped the mine minimize deviations from bench targets with alerts.

Enhancing blast precision

During the blasting phase of mining, various issues can arise, ranging from misfires in blast holes to timing delays that result in noise vibrations, air blasts and fly rock. Vibrations from these blasts can propel loose rocks into the air, posing a risk to machinery and personnel.

Given the potential hazards that could cause serious harm during blasting, safety and precision were top of mind for Orica when developing detonators, explained Ankit Saxena, marketing manager, Asia at Orica.

Orica upgraded two of its electronic blasting systems, the uni tronic 600 and the eDev II, in October 2023.

Orica’s eDev II is designed for underground mine development and civil tunnelling operations. It features remote firing capability that enables up to 800 detonators to

BME’s Xplolog system digitally captures, analyzes and reports data on blast holes and decks.

be fired remotely, and improved firing precision to +/-0.005 per cent, which Orica stated provides greater precision and better blast outcomes.

Meanwhile, the uni tronic 600 system, designed mainly for small surface mines, can now allow larger blasts to be fired remotely with synchronized firing capability for up to 1,600 detonators. The system’s firing precision is at +/-0.03 per cent deviation and fully programmable delays of up to one millisecond increments.

The uni tronic 600 system was introduced at the Masbate gold mine in the Philippines, which is operated by a joint venture between Filminera Resources Corp. and Philippine Gold Processing & Refining Corp. The companies were looking for a solution that would help to start blasts more efficiently and reduce delays. In the Philippines, remote fire blasting was not common; instead, the typical practice relied on firing lines.

After implementing the uni tronic 600 system at the mine, the first remotely fired blast in the Philippines was successfully executed at the Masbate mine’s Montana pit in April 2022. Orica reported that the system helped reduce the risk of firing lines being driven over by mobile equipment and decreased firing line usage by up to 81.25 per cent per blast. The uni tronic 600 is now the primary firing method at the Masbate mine, which Orica stated significantly enhances safety and productivity at the mine.

Orica has also recently migrated the updated eDev II and uni tronic 600 onto a common blaster platform. This integration brings several new features, such as improved remote firing capabilities, better accuracy and an updated menu with guided blasting workflows.

These electronic blasting systems can now communicate with each other, allowing centralized blasting from a single control point. This means that personnel no longer need to travel to each blasting location at the mine site; Saxena pointed out that this not only saves time but also improves safety by keeping everyone in one place rather than spread out across different areas of the mine.

Recipe for profit

When Dyno Nobel developed its Drill to Mill initiative, the main goal was to introduce a systematic process that organizations can integrate into their mine plans to help mines achieve their desired outcomes. These outcomes could vary from enhancing cost efficiency to streamlining processes to eliminating operational bottlenecks, but the ultimate goal of Dyno Nobel’s Drill to Mill initiative is the monetized value it can add to the operation over the entire mining value chain.

At a copper mill project in the western United States, Dyno Nobel collaborated with a mine that was encountering extremely hard ore. The mine foresaw potential throughput issues at the mill because of this.

During the operation, Dyno Nobel employed its Titan 5000 G emulsion that features Delta E2 ( Δ E2) technology. This technology enables Dyno Nobel to adjust the density of the emulsion into the blast hole.

“We can tailor that [emulsion] recipe for every hole based on the geology in that blast hole,” said Mike Kotraba, general manager, DynoConsult at Dyno Nobel.

Depending on the designed height of the explosive column, each blast hole can contain four to five different density segments. For instance, in a pattern with 200 blast holes, each hole that will fire could have a unique emulsion recipe specifically designed for the hole’s unique geology. This customization is executed using Dyno Nobel’s emulsion trucks equipped with onboard computers and GPS. The technology identifies the specific blast hole and corresponding recipe, and the truck automatically pumps the designated emulsion configuration into that hole.

“That’s a technology that nobody else has. It’s proprietary to Dyno Nobel,” said Kotraba.

Furthermore, the emulsion technology is water resistant and displaces water in the blast hole, so no dewatering is required.

Dyno Nobel also employed its DigiShot Plus 4G Commander electronic initiation system at the copper mill project. The system allows for safe, accurate and precise blast initiation, according to Dyno Nobel. The sequencing is tailored to optimally fragment the specific rock type blasted.

“Our detonators are top of the line. They allow you to give the shot the exact timing you want and thus produce the outcome you’re looking for in terms of particle size distribution,” said Kotraba.

Through the Drill to Mill process and Dyno Nobel’s technology, Kotraba said the mine achieved a seven to eight per cent improvement in overall fines (-1⁄2-inch size fraction) reporting to the milling circuit, resulting in a multi-million-dollar monetized value addition to the operation. CIM

Dyno Nobel’s DigiShot Plus 4G Commander electronic initiation system.

Courtesy of Dyno Nobel

A new leaf

CIM debuts a fresh look

By Ryan Bergen

To honour CIM’s 125th anniversary in 2023, many hours were spent at the national office in Montreal digging into the archives of the Institute to prepare for this milestone. Among the various curiosities we uncovered along the way was the fact that CIM’s logo had not been updated in any substantive way in more than 50 years. Over those decades, this industry and its methods, culture and standards have changed dramatically, but the public face of CIM has not.

When the CIM Community reconvened at the annual conference in Vancouver in 2022, after a forced two-year break for the pandemic, we took the opportunity to ask CIM council members and leaders from societies and branches whether it was time for a redesign.

Yes, they replied. Our Institute, and our industry, is in a moment of transformation within a time of even larger societal changes. We have key contributions to make, and we need to provide leadership. It is time for a refresh.

Working with a marketing agency and

through consultation with industry members, we created a new graphic identity—the mineral maple leaf—that captures our interests and origins in a style that prepares us for the future.

CIM Connect in Vancouver will be the launch pad for the new branding and the CIM National office will be working closely with our partners at CIM branches and societies to roll this new identity out across the community.

Keen eyes may have noticed the mineral shape already present in other materials, including CIM’s awards program, as well as in conference branding such as CIM Connect and last year’s Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability/Mine Operators (MEMO) Conference. The ultimate goal is to have a unified graphic presentation of all CIM initiatives.

After more than 125 years, the Institute is as vital and relevant as ever, and a comprehensive approach to CIM’s graphic identity will ensure the valuable work its many volunteers do will be as impactful as possible. CIM

An icon over the ages

A grand plan

The project goes beyond the refresh of the CIM logo. The larger goal is, through a common graphic language, to highlight the energy, engagement and wide reach of the entire CIM Community.

The CIM Awards honour industry’s finest for their outstanding contributions in various fields. Their achievements and dedication are what make Canada’s global mineral industry a force to be reckoned with.

CAREER EXCELLENCE | CARRIÈRE D’EXCELLENCE

VALE MEDAL FOR MERITORIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO MINING | MÉDAILLE VALE POUR DES CONTRIBUTIONS MÉRITOIRES À L’EXPLOITATION MANIÈRE

CIM DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL | MÉDAILLE ICM POUR SERVICES REMARQUABLES

SELWYN BLAYLOCK CANADIAN MINING EXCELLENCE AWARD | PRIX D’EXCELLENCE

SELWYN BLAYLOCK POUR L’EXPLOITATION MINIÈRE CANADIENNE

CIM

FELLOWSHIP | CONFRÉRIE DE L’ICM

Tony Warner Worley Canada

Len Murray Klohn Crippen Berger

Garth Kirkham Kirkham Geosystems Ltd.

Agus Sasmito McGill University

Alex Davidson

Berge Simonian Hudbay Minerals Inc.

Robert Piccolo Quadra Chemicals

Christian West Toromont Cat

Manochehr Oliazadeh Worley Canada

BRANCH AND SOCIETY | SECTIONS LOCALES ET SOCIÉTÉS TECHNIQUES

DISTRICT DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD | PRIX DE L’ICM POUR SERVICES REMARQUABLES PAR DISTRICT

MEL W. BARTLEY OUTSTANDING BRANCH AWARD | PRIX MEL W. BARTLEY POUR LES ACCOMPLISSEMENTS REMARQUABLES D’UNE SECTION LOCALE

JULIAN BOLDY

GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SERVICE AWARD | PRIX JULIAN BOLDY DE LA SOCIÉTÉ DE LA GÉOLOGIE

MINING ENGINEERING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD | PRIX POUR DES ACCOMPLISSEMENTS REMARQUABLES EN GÉNIE MINIER

ROBERT ELVER MINERAL ECONOMICS AWARD | LE PRIX D’ÉCONOMIE DES MINÉRAUX ROBERT ELVER

ROBERT ELVER MINERAL ECONOMICS AWARD 50TH ANNIVERSARY | LE PRIX D’ÉCONOMIE DES MINÉRAUX 50E ANNIVERSAIRE ROBERT ELVER

Maggie MacKay Klohn Crippen Berger

Robert Gibson

Stephen Hardcastle BBE Group Canada

Jim Walker Ares Strategic Mining Inc.

Fred Pletcher

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Robert Bruce Elver

CIM Northern Gateway Branch

Jim Gray Moose Mountain Technical Services

CIM ROCK MECHANICS AWARD | PRIX POUR LA CATÉGORIE MÉCANIQUE DES ROCHES

Véronique Falmagne Agnico-Eagle Mines

BARLOW MEDAL FOR BEST GEOLOGICAL PAPER | MÉDAILLE BARLOW POUR LE MEILLEUR ARTICLE DANS LE DOMAINE GÉOLOGIQUE

“Future of photovoltaic materials with emphasis on resource availability, economic geology, criticality, and market size/growth”

EARLY CAREER | DÉBUT DE CARRIÈRE

CIM-BEDFORD CANADIAN YOUNG LEADERS AWARDS | LES PRIX JEUNES LEADERS CANADIENS DU SECTEUR MINIER ICM-BEDFORD

Josephine Morgenroth RockMass Technologies

EXPLORATION

Keira Sawatzky Peter Lucas Project Management

Alexandra Foty Scope Zero Solutions Ltd.

SAFETY | SÉCURITÉ

A.O. DUFRESNE EXPLORATION

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD | PRIX A.O. DUFRESNE POUR DES ACCOMPLISSEMENTS REMARQUABLES EN EXPLORATION

MINING SAFETY LEADERSHIP MEDAL | MÉDAILLE POUR LE LEADERSHIP DANS LA SÉCURITÉ MANIÈRE

Jean-Simon Beaudry Mine Raglan, A Glencore Company

Roy Slack Cementation Americas

Suzanne Paradis Geological Survey of Canada

Laura Simandl RDH Building Science Inc.

George Simandl University of Victoria

John Rowntree

SUSTAINABILITY | DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE

EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AWARD | PRIX POUR L’EXCELLENCE EN DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND EDUCATION | RESPONSABILITÉ SOCIALE ET ÉDUCATION

CIM INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIP AWARD | PRIX DE L’ICM POUR LE PARTENARIAT AVEC LES AUTOCHTONES

Cowessess First Nation and Morris Interactive

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARD | PRIX POUR LA DIVERSITÉ ET L’INCLUSION

Barry Sparvier, director of employment and training for Cowessess First Nation and Benjamin Williamson, senior instructor, Morris Interactive

CIM DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS | ÉMINENTS CONFÉRENCIERS DE L’ICM

Karen Chovan Enviro Integration Strategies

Samantha Espley Stantec

Caius Priscu Priscu and Associates Consulting Engineers Inc.

Reno Pressacco SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd.

Doug Milne University of Saskatchewan

James Finch Eigen Innovations Inc.

55 Lettre de l’éditeur

56 Mot du président

Article de fond

57 Les noms à connaître 2024

Chaque année, nous dressons le profil de personnalités qui, d’une manière ou d’une autre, influencent l’industrie minière. La liste de cette année comprend des personnes qui prônent la collaboration, l'innovation et la création d'opportunités pour la maind'œuvre. Ensemble, elles constituent Les noms à connaître du dossier 2024 que nous vous présentons dans ce numéro du CIM Magazine.

Par Ashley Fish-Robertson, Ailbhe Goodbody, Robert Hiltz, Alice Martin, Tijana Mitrovic, Kelsey Rolfe, Sarah St-Pierre

Les visages de l’industrie minière

Il est arrivé ! Notre numéro annuel, « Les noms à connaître », a toujours été mon préféré. Dans cette section, nous mettons un point d’honneur à ne pas utiliser de superlatifs. Vous verrez que pour parler des personnes que nous mettons sous les projecteurs, nous ne disons pas qu’elles sont « les plus grandes », ni « les meilleures », ni qu’elles ont accompli « les plus grandes choses ». Nos choix ne sont pas dictés par un outil à mesurer. J’apprécie les listes où figurent les plus grandes compagnies minières, ou bien les nouveaux gisements majeurs ; elles donnent un excellent aperçu de l’industrie, et il y a des publications et des sites web qui font très bien ça.

Le but de cette section est d’offrir une perspective différente, une sorte de mosaïque. Tandis que la plus grosse partie de notre calendrier rédactionnel est dictée par notre intérêt envers les projets, la technologie, les pratiques en ingénierie, et la production de métaux, ce numéro est l’occasion de prendre un moment pour mettre des personnes sur le devant de la scène.

Chaque profil de notre dossier (voir p. 57) est, en soi, la présentation d’un membre de la communauté des minéraux. Pour certains ou certaines, nous avons voulu célébrer un accomplissement particulier de leur carrière. À ce titre, nous saluons les réalisations de Jean-François Verret et de son équipe qui ont prolongé la durée de vie de la mine Raglan ; et nous apprenons aussi à mieux connaître Sabrina Bouchard, une femme qui a joué un rôle de premier plan pour faire du Québec un pôle de la filière batterie.

Nous avons rencontré d’autres personnes en entrevue qui, elles, se distinguent en raison des défis majeurs qui les attendent. Dans le cas de Kim Truter, chef de la direction et directeur général de Burgundy Diamond Mines, il s’agit de prolonger la durée de vie d’une mine dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, une région dont le destin est étroitement lié à l’industrie minière. En ce qui concerne Keerit Jutla, le nouveau président et chef de la direction de l’Association of Mineral Exploration, située en Colombie-Britannique, il débute son mandat à un moment où des questions importantes et non résolues se posent quant à la manière dont l’exploration minière est menée dans cette province.

Formant un tout, ces profils abordent les thèmes de l’élaboration et de la mise à exécution de projets, de la technologie, des ressources humaines, de l’électrification, des politiques, ainsi que des relations avec les Autochtones, et ils sont représentatifs des tensions, des succès et des innovations qui informent l’industrie.

C’est toujours un immense plaisir d’élaborer ce numéro, et toute l’équipe du magazine espère qu’il vous plaira.

Je souhaite également profiter de cet espace pour présenter mes excuses à la Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME), notre société sœur aux États-Unis, pour mes opinions imprudentes que j'ai exprimées dans le dernier numéro du magazine. J'ai dépeint de manière injuste l’organisation et les évènements de leur conférence de février. De plus, en décrivant, comme je l'ai fait, la dynamique concurrentielle entre l’ICM et la SME, j'ai oublié les relations extrêmement productives que la communauté mondiale des sociétés minières entretient en travaillant conjointement pour relever nos défis communs, qu'il s'agisse de la décarbonisation ou de la gestion des résidus.

Une période décisive pour l’industrie des mines et de la métallurgie

Alors que je prends les rênes de la présidence de l’ICM, je suis envahi d’un profond enthousiasme pour l’avenir qui se profile. Je suis intimement convaincu qu’en regardant en arrière dans 30 ans, nous verrons une industrie transformée, tout comme l’est celle d’aujourd’hui en comparaison des prémices de ma carrière dans les années 1970 et 1980. Je me souviens très distinctement d’avoir commencé ma carrière à une époque où l’on n’avait jamais entendu parler d’automatisation et de commande. À cette époque, le tableur Lotus 123 était une plateforme révolutionnaire. Les ordinateurs centraux occupaient un espace considérable, et les ordinateurs de bureau faisaient leur apparition. On remplissait les concentrateurs en fonction du bruit qu’ils faisaient, le tout à l’oreille. Pour calculer

les tonnes envoyées dans les concentrateurs, il fallait arrêter le distributeur à courroie, prélever le contenu d’une partie de la courroie, le peser puis utiliser un tableau pour le convertir en tonnes par heure. On mesurait la broyabilité en palpant la texture granuleuse sous nos doigts dans le refus de crible d’un cyclone. Si la texture était trop granuleuse, on ajoutait de l’eau dans l’alimentation du cyclone. Si le grain n’était pas assez fin, on réduisait la quantité d’eau à ajouter.

Les pratiques de sécurité ont aussi beaucoup évolué depuis ce temps. À l’époque, un million de postes sans décès était synonyme de célébration. Dans la culture de sécurité actuelle, l’absence d’accidents est une mesure trop rudimentaire pour les exploitations minières modernes. La vitesse à laquelle la technologie progresse dans notre domaine est impressionnante. La puissance informatique actuelle nous permet d’être à l’avant-garde de nouvelles méthodes plus durables d’extraction et de traitement de ressources essentielles. Ces innovations améliorent non seulement le rendement, mais elles redéfinissent notre approche à l’égard de l’exploitation minière et de la métallurgie, garantissant une industrie plus sensible à l’environnement.

Tellement de choses ont changé, et ces changements ne feront que s’accélérer, au profit de notre industrie, notre société et notre planète.

Le gouvernement (la société civile), le milieu universitaire (des écoles de métiers aux universités) et l’industrie doivent collaborer afin de trouver des manières de fournir à la société les ressources dont elle a besoin. Chaque entité doit chercher des moyens d’offrir de la valeur, en collaboration. En travaillant de manière homogène et unifiée, nous pourrons mieux répondre aux difficultés que rencontre l’industrie et mettre à profit les possibilités de croissance et de développement.

Je suis fermement convaincu que l’ICM, ses sociétés et ses sections doivent fonctionner en un organisme totalement intégré. Ensemble, nous formons une base solide pour cette collaboration. Notre institut peut attirer de nouvelles recrues vers notre secteur et encourager le retour d’investissements plus que nécessaires.

Dans les mois à venir, je me pencherai davantage sur ces thèmes, et explorerai la manière dont l’ICM peut promouvoir le leadership, la collaboration et la diversité au sein de notre industrie. Ensemble, nous pouvons ouvrir la voie à un avenir meilleur et plus durable pour l’exploitation minière et la métallurgie, qui sera le garant de notre réussite perpétuelle au profit des générations futures. Le parcours qui se profile sera, certes, parsemé de difficultés, mais notre dévouement et notre dynamisme collectifs nous permettront de surmonter tous les obstacles et de parvenir à des progrès remarquables dans notre domaine.

Ian Pearce Président de l’ICM

L’AS DES DIAMANTS

KIM TRUTER

CHEF DE LA DIRECTION ET DIRECTEUR GÉNÉRAL, BURGUNDY DIAMOND MINES

En 2019, Kim Truter était en train de planifier de prendre un peu de repos dans son pays, mais les choses ont pris une tournure qui l’ont plutôt amené dans le Nord.

« Au moment même où la COVID-19 commençait [et] où j’étais retourné en Australie pour [être] avec mes enfants et ma famille, on m’a convaincu de me joindre à deux conseils d’administration, » a-t-il expliqué.

Ces deux conseils ? C’étaient ceux de Burgundy Diamond Mines, société précédemment connue sous le nom de EHR Resources, et

LE DÉFENSEUR

KEERIT

PRÉSIDENT ET CHEF DE LA DIRECTION, ASSOCIATION FOR MINERAL EXPLORATION (AME)

d’Arctic Canadian Diamond Company. C’est là qu’il a aidé à orchestrer la vente de l’Arctic Canadian Diamond Company, incluant sa mine Ekati dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, à Burgundy Diamond Mines, pour 136 millions de dollars américains, en juillet 2023.

Ce n’est que le dernier accomplissement en date de l’actuel chef de la direction et directeur général de Burgundy. Se décrivant lui-même comme « une personne ayant consacré sa carrière aux ressources naturelles », M. Truter a passé presque 40 ans dans l’industrie des ressources naturelles, et dans l’industrie du diamant, spécifiquement, depuis 2007. Plus récemment, il a occupé le poste de chef de la direction de De Beers Canada, de 2015 à 2019, il avait, précédemment, été le chef de l’exploitation de Rio Tinto Diamonds, et il a également joué un rôle important au sein de l’industrie du diamant du Canada. « C’est certainement au Canada que j’ai connu mes plus grandes réussites dans l’industrie du diamant », a-t-il déclaré. « J’y ai soit créé, soit dirigé, toutes les mines de diamants. Et pareil en Australie. »

M. Truter espère poursuivre sur la voie du succès avec Ekati, qui se trouve être la 6e plus grosse mine de diamants au monde. Si sa durée de vie actuelle ne devrait pas excéder 2028, M. Truter avance qu’avec l’aide d’une technologie innovante comme de l’équipement minier sous-marin commandé à distance, Burgundy pourrait potentiellement prolonger la vie de la mine jusqu’en 2040. « On parle ici de 12 années supplémentaires d’emplois, d’impôts, et de prestations, » a-t-il ajouté. « Et si on peut continuer encore plus longtemps que ça, on essaiera. »

Bien qu’Ekati ait connu plusieurs propriétaires au cours de la dernière décennie, M. Truter est confiant dans le fait que Burgundy détient la bonne formule pour réussir. « Notre formule comporte

Avant de prendre ses fonctions au sein de l’Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) en septembre 2023, Keerit Jutla a amassé une tonne de connaissances en travaillant comme avocat dans le secteur des ressources naturelles, et également en occupant divers postes au gouvernement provincial de la Colombie-Britannique, au sein du Bureau d’évaluation environnementale, ainsi qu’au ministère de l’Énergie, des Mines et de l’Innovation à faible émission de carbone.

M. Jutla trouve que les différents postes qu’il a occupés ont été utiles car ils lui ont permis d’acquérir les bases pour mieux comprendre le régime de réglementation du gouvernement de la Colombie-Britannique, et notamment la manière dont les politiques sont élaborées. Cela est particulièrement utile considérant certains des défis auxquels le gouvernement provincial est confronté depuis les dernières années, incluant la lenteur des processus d’obtention de permis pour les mines et de modernisation de la Mineral Tenure Act (MTA) de la province, une loi qui régit la manière dont les gens obtiennent le droit de faire de l’exploration et d’exploiter ces minéraux.

À la lumière de ces défis, M. Jutla voit des domaines dans lesquels l’AME pourrait aider à améliorer l’industrie, et notamment aider à la modernisation de la MTA. M. Jutla et son équipe à l’AME sont actuellement en train d’explorer comment le système Mineral Titles Online (MTO) (Traduction libre : Titres miniers en ligne) de la province peut subir des modifications afin d’assurer une plus grande équité.

« Je pense que nous pouvons mettre sur pied un très bon système MTO et un système de jalonnement, et voir comment l’industrie peut rester concurrentielle et équitable, et [faire en sorte] que la propriété intellectuelle des personnes qui jalonnent des claims soit protégée, tout en respectant les droits des Autochtones, » a-t-il dit.

M. Jutla se passionne pour la promotion des droits des Autochtones dans l’industrie minière, et il détient une très grande expérience pour ce qui est d’aider les communautés autochtones et les entreprises à négocier des partenariats.

Ayant récemment demandé publiquement à être inclus dans les discussions avec le groupe de travail de la MTA, M. Jutla a souligné l’importance d’inclure les groupes de l’industrie comme l’AME, ainsi que les groupes autochtones, dans ces conversations essentielles.

Photo Dawn Stenzel

trois parties. La première, c’est notre président, Michael O’Keeffe, qui est une légende vivante, en particulier en Australie, où il est connu pour être un extraordinaire entrepreneur du domaine minier, » a dit M. Truter. « Il a à son actif des contrats fabuleux, et il a bâti des entreprises très, très prospères. Et à cause de cela, nous disposons d’une incroyable base d’investisseurs, et c’est là la deuxième partie de la formule magique. »

« Quant à la troisième partie, eh bien, c’est moi-même. Je suis un exploitant minier, je comprends l’Arctique, [et] je comprends comment ces actifs fonctionnent. Nous pensons que [la combination de] ces trois éléments, à savoir un entrepreneur minier, un investisseur très loyal, et un exploitant minier, constituent une formule pas mal unique. »

Ayant vécu dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest pendant de nombreuses années, M. Truter sait à quel point l’extraction de diamants est importante pour l’économie du Nord. « [C’est], de loin, la plus grande contribution à l’économie du Nord, alors nous avons l’énorme responsabilité d’essayer de faire en sorte que cela dure aussi longtemps que nous le pouvons, » a-t-il expliqué. « Étant donné mon expérience dans la création et la direction de ces actifs dans l’Arctique, je suis convaincu que je suis une des rares personnes à pouvoir faire ça. »

La compagnie est déjà sur la bonne voie. Pour ses résultats du 4e trimestre 2023, Burgundy a atteint le niveau le plus élevé de traitement du minerai en 10 ans à la mine Ekati, et a déclaré un revenu de 166 millions de dollars américains, un BAIIDA non vérifié (bénéfice avant intérêts, impôts, dépréciation et amortissement) de 60 millions de dollars américains, et 1,2 million de carats récupérés.

M. Truter espère que ces progrès vont se poursuivre.

« Parfois, on a l’impression que les deux parties doivent toujours passer par le gouvernement pour avoir ces conversations. En étant tous à la même table, cela fait en sorte que les bonnes conversations puissent avoir lieu à la bonne table, » a-t-il déclaré. « C’est indispensable. Nous voulons juste nous assurer d’être entendus. Nous sommes en mesure d’apporter une valeur ajoutée aux solutions. Nous voulons aussi nous assurer que l’étendue complète des connaissances que possèdent nos membres venant d’horizons variés soit reconnue, considérée, et intégrée dans les politiques. »

M. Jutla croit que la Colombie-Britannique est très bien positionnée pour la demande mondiale de minéraux critiques qui est prévue, considérant que la province est un acteur majeur, ayant noué de solides relations tant sur le plan national que sur le plan mondial, et ce, d’une manière certes compétitive mais qui reste respectueuse des droits des Autochtones. Toutefois, M. Jutla a fait remarquer que la perception parfois dommageable qu’ont les gens de l’exploitation minière fait en sorte qu’il peut être difficile de mettre en lumière l’importance de cette industrie.

Il considère qu’il est crucial « d’éradiquer les fausses perceptions par rapport à l’exploitation minière et à l’exploration minière », et de montrer que l’industrie prend maintenant très au sérieux différentes questions comme la réconciliation et la durabilité environnementale. « C’est fantastique de voir ces perceptions commencer à changer, et de voir les jeunes désireux de [s’engager dans l’exploitation minière]. »

Depuis qu’il travaille à l’AME, M. Jutla a remarqué un souffle d’espoir pour l’avenir de l’industrie minière de la Colombie-Britannique. « Ce qui est fabuleux lorsqu’on connecte avec nos membres et nos équipes, c’est de constater l’incroyable optimisme qui les anime, et leur volonté de jeter les bases d’un avenir brillant et prometteur, » a-t-il déclaré. Je pense que ces conversations ne vont jamais être faciles, mais nous allons tous dans la bonne direction. »

« La seule manière dont nous pouvons y parvenir, c’est en parlant tous de manière transparente… Nous ne pouvons pas considérer cela comme un jeu à somme nulle, mais plutôt comme un jeu à somme positive dont nous pouvons tous tirer profit. » – Ashley Fish-Robertson ICM

LES NOMS À CONNAÎTRE

« Je suis réaliste. Je m’approche des 60 ans, et donc je ne ferai pas ça pour toujours. Mais ce que je veux faire, c’est lancer le navire, pour ainsi dire. Installer l’entreprise dans la bonne direction, faire en sorte que la mine Ekati ait de bons résultats, [prolonger] la durée de vie de la mine, et ensuite utiliser Ekati comme la pierre angulaire de la croissance de Burgundy afin que la compagnie puisse devenir un producteur de diamants de premier plan. – Tijana Mitrovic ICM

L’INGÉNIEURE QUI CRÉE DES OCCASIONS JEAN HUTCHINSON

PROFESSEURE DE GÉOLOGIE APPLIQUÉE, UNIVERSITÉ QUEEN’S, ET VICE-PRÉSIDENTE, INNOVATIVE GEOMECHANICS INC.

Quand l’ingénieure géologue Jean Hutchinson est entrée dans l’industrie minière, dans les années 80, il y avait peu de femmes dans son entourage professionnel. Toutefois, elle est d’avis que des progrès importants ont été réalisés au fil des années.

« Quand j’ai débuté, il y avait très peu d’occasions pour les femmes, en particulier dans les mines souterraines, » a expliqué Mme Hutchinson. « Nous sommes passés d’une fille dans une classe de 35, et cette fille, c’était moi, à des cours de géologie appliquée avec une proportion hommes-femmes de près de 50-50 quand j’ai commencé à l’Université Queen’s. »

En tant que professeure d’université, Mme Hutchinson enseigne tout un éventail de cours, incluant des cours sur le terrain destinés aux étudiants de premier et deuxième cycles, et axés sur le cycle de l’exploitation minière ; et elle enseigne des méthodologies de recherche pour l’étude de la stabilité des pentes à l’aide de technologies comme les systèmes de télédétection par laser (LiDAR).

Avant d’entrer dans le monde universitaire, son travail de consultante l’a amenée à voyager dans le monde entier, comme par exemple, en Grèce et en Slovaquie où elle a travaillé sur des cas d’affaissement de mine, ou en Ontario, où elle a œuvré dans le domaine de la planification de fermeture. Mme Hutchinson et son mari, qui est aussi professeur de géologie appliquée à l’Université Queen’s, ont travaillé ensemble à de multiples reprises, notamment pour l’écriture d’un livre sur le boulonnage par câble dans les mines souterraines, un projet qui a nécessité de nombreux voyages en Australie et en Amérique du Nord.

Avec

l’aimable autorisation de Jean Hutchinson

Le couple dirige aussi sa propre entreprise : Innovative Geomechanics Inc. En tant que vice-présidente, Mme Hutchinson est membre de conseils d’examen technique pour plusieurs organismes dont la mine de cuivre Bingham Canyon de Rio Tinto, en Utah.

Si cela fait des années que Mme Hutchinson s’intéresse à la promotion de l’équité, de la diversité, et de l’inclusion (EDI) dans l’industrie minière, ce à quoi cela ressemble, en pratique, a changé. « Au début de ma carrière, [faire la promotion de l’EDI] c’était offrir un modèle, montrer comment les femmes pouvaient avoir une famille et, quand même, avoir des occasions de penser de manière technique, et travailler comme ingénieure, » a expliqué Mme Hutchinson. « Deux ou trois ingénieures un peu plus âgées que moi ont vraiment été des modèles pour moi, elles étaient fabuleuses. »

De nos jours, elle voit plutôt la promotion de l’EDI comme un tremplin. Mme Hutchinson a utilisé ses rôles de leadership pour créer des occasions de recherches et de carrières pour de nouvelles membres de la profession, pour créer et animer des ateliers de formation à l’EDI pour des étudiants de premier cycle, et elle exerce plusieurs rôles consultatifs dans le domaine de l’EDI. En mars, Women in Mining Canada, une organisation canadienne consacrée aux femmes dans le secteur minier, a décerné le Prix Trailblazer 2024 à Mme Hutchinson.

« Il est vraiment important que nous nous engagions tous et toutes dans des alliances inclusives, le mentorat par les pairs, et même le micromentorat, » a-t-elle déclaré. « À chaque fois que vous en avez l’occasion, vous faites la promotion de quelqu’un d’autre. Faire la promotion des gens [quand ils en

LE CAPITAINE D’ÉQUIPE JEAN-FRANÇOIS VERRET

DIRECTEUR DES PROJETS ET DE L’EXPLORATION, MINE DE RAGLAN, GLENCORE

Lorsque Jean-François Verret a commencé à travailler sur le développement de la mine d’Anuri, une date d’ouverture fixée à 2024 se profilait à l’horizon. Douze ans et une pandémie plus tard, il assistait à la cérémonie d’ouverture de la mine en février cette année. « J’observais la foule », déclarait-il, « et j’étais très fier ».

Anuri est le fruit de la deuxième étape de développement au complexe minier de nickel de Raglan de Glencore, situé dans la région du Nunavik, dans le nord du Québec. M. Verret dirigeait l’équipe char-

sont au début de leur carrière] est un moyen essentiel de rendre l’industrie plus inclusive. »

Mme Hutchinson croit que le fait d’avoir davantage de géologues femmes et d’ingénieures a amené des perspectives plus diverses dans les salles de cours, dans les congrès, et dans la profession. Pourtant, Mme Hutchinson a entendu des étudiantes, leurs parents, et ses propres filles, toutes deux ingénieures, dire qu’en tant que femmes, elles étaient encore confrontées à des défis dans le domaine de l’ingénierie.

« Les femmes nouvellement diplômées et les professionnelles sont encore confrontées aux mêmes comportements non inclusifs dans l’industrie, » a-t-elle déclaré. « Je vois encore des environnements dans lesquels les femmes ne sont pas les bienvenues. Il y a [encore] beaucoup de travail à faire. »

Mme Hutchinson prévoit prendre sa retraite de l’enseignement l’année prochaine, mais elle a l’intention de continuer à travailler pour des conseils d’examen et à animer des ateliers sur des sujets comme la stabilité des pentes, les risques naturels, et les initiatives EDI. Elle prévoit également continuer à travailler au sein de comités EDI dans les domaines de l’ingénierie, de la géologie et des mines, car elle croit que la rétention des femmes demeure encore un défi majeur pour l’industrie.

« [Promouvoir l’inclusivité] est [ma] principale préoccupation ces temps-ci, » a-t-elle expliqué. « [Cela signifie] voir comment nous pouvons être davantage inclusifs, faire en sorte que les gens se sentent à l’aise dans leur environnement de travail [et] informer les gens sur ce que cela implique pour le travail sur le terrain, et faire en sorte qu’il leur soit possible de prendre des décisions éclairées. » – Tijana Mitrovic ICM

gée de démarrer les activités à la nouvelle mine, en ajoutant au minimum 20 années supplémentaires à la durée d’exploitation initiale de la mine de Raglan. Cette mine constitue l’un des plus grands investissements au Québec ces dix dernières années.

Le nom Anuri, initialement choisi par les membres du comité de Raglan, signifie « vent » en langue inuktitut. Ce nom s’inspire de l’engagement de Raglan vis-à-vis de la population inuite locale, dont de nombreux membres travaillent à la mine ou ont participé à sa construction. La présence industrielle de la mine de Raglan est la plus importante sur le territoire local inuit. « Un fort sentiment de responsabilité sociale est attaché à la mine », indiquait-il. « Nous ne voulons pas manquer à nos engagements envers les populations du nord. »

Dans le cadre du projet ouvrant la voie à Anuri, M. Verret a participé aux consultations publiques. Depuis 1995, la mine de Raglan est soumise à l’entente Raglan, la première entente sur les répercussions et les avantages (ERA) au Canada signée directement entre une société minière et un groupe autochtone. Comme l’ont révélé les consultations, les communautés locales étaient d’avis que cette entente devait être actualisée (la dernière actualisation remontant à 2017). « Nous avons décidé de prendre une année supplémentaire pour la réviser et en faire une entente plus juste », indiquait M. Verret.

L’intégralité du plan d’exécution du projet également devait être remaniée afin de prendre en compte les mesures de distanciation sociale durant la pandémie de COVID-19. Par exemple, les avions transportant les travailleurs jusqu’à la mine ne pouvaient voyager qu’à la moitié de leur capacité durant cette période.

Après les retards liés à la pandémie et une grève de quatre mois à la mine de Raglan en 2022, Anuri affichait près de cinq mois de retard dans son calendrier d’exécution. La plupart des personnes ont dû se résoudre à n’y voir qu’un autre projet minier affichant encore des retards. Toutefois, M. Verret et son équipe n’ont jamais accepté cette possibilité. « Nous savions que nous allions y arriver », se remémorait M. Verret.

Finalement, nous avons livré tous les éléments critiques du projet fin 2023, soit deux mois en avance sur le calendrier. D’après M. Verret, les premières estimations internes suggéraient que le budget d’Anuri

serait également inférieur à celui escompté. « Et le tout avec un excellent bilan de sécurité », ajoutait-il. « L’équipe est très enthousiaste. »

M. Verret accorde une grande importance à l’approche concertée, une philosophie qu’il retient des années où il était hockeyeur. La plupart des membres de l’équipe principale travaillant sur le projet d’Anuri s’y trouvaient à ses côtés depuis le premier jour. « Il faut une base solide pour faire face à toutes ces crises », indiquait-il.

Anuri a été inaugurée fin février. Comme l’expliquait M. Verret, une célébration en hiver dans une région si septentrionale est toujours incertaine. De fait, les températures peuvent y avoisiner les60 degrés Celsius, et une tempête de neige peut toujours rendre les

LE COLLABORATEUR QUANTIQUE

DAVID ROY-GUAY

DIRECTEUR GÉNÉRAL ET COFONDATEUR DE SBQUANTUM

Ces dernières années, la ville de Sherbrooke dans Québec est devenue un centre de technologie quantique. Une société basée dans la ville, dirigée par David Roy-Guay, examine la magnétométrie quantique et à la manière dont cette dernière pourrait accélérer les découvertes de ressources minérales.

Suite à son doctorat en physique quantique à l’université de Sherbrooke, M. Roy-Guay a créé une équipe en 2018 qui a mené à la création de SBQuantum. « Je souhaitais faire sortir du laboratoire la technologie du magnétomètre quantique à base de diamants, qui était au cœur de ma thèse de doctorat, et devienne concrète et applicable dans le monde réel », indiquait-il.

Avec un financement de l’institut quantique de l’université de Sherbrooke, SBQuantum a lancé le prototype de sa technologie du magnétomètre quantique à base de diamants en format portable. Outre les applications dans le domaine de la défense, de la navigation ou même de l’espace, la société a constaté que la technologie peut aussi être utilisée pour l’exploration minière. Les magnétomètres sont déjà couramment utilisés pour des levés géophysiques. Ils permettent de mesurer les anomalies dans le champ magnétique de la Terre afin d’identifier des formations géologiques. Toutefois, les capteurs de SBQuantum exploitent les impuretés des diamants pour considérablement augmenter la sensibilité et la portée des magnétomètres. Les diamants sont composés d’atomes de carbone organisés en structure maillée, mais celle-ci peut présenter des imperfec-

LES NOMS À CONNAÎTRE

vols impossibles. Pourtant, le soleil brillait sur les centaines de personnes présentes pour célébrer. Parmi elles se trouvaient des membres des communautés voisines, des ministres du gouvernement et des dirigeants de Glencore.

Certains participants, indiquait M. Verret, étaient présents en 1995 lors de la signature de l’entente Raglan. Cette journée, remplie de discours sincères célébrant cet accomplissement, reste un moment de grande fierté dans sa carrière.

Il se souvient avoir pensé « 2024, nous y sommes, nous avons réussi ». « C’est ainsi que l’on fait les choses. Terminé. Tout est bon. » – Sarah St-Pierre ICM

tions. Il s’agit généralement d’atomes uniques d’azote qui ont remplacé un atome de carbone, aux côtés d’un vide ou d’une lacune dans la structure maillée. Ces centres azote-lacune (aussi appelés centres NV, de l’anglais nitrogen-vacancy centres) ont des propriétés les rendant utiles pour la métrologie quantique.

« Ce type d’impuretés libère des électrons [de la structure des diamants], qui ont la propriété quantique du spin », expliquait M. Roy-Guay. « Avec les diamants synthétiques, on peut régler la quantité de centres NV de manière très précise afin de préserver les propriétés quantiques. Nous exploitons ce spin pour effectuer des mesures précises de l’amplitude et de l’orientation du champ magnétique. »

D’après M. Roy-Guay, le magnétomètre quantique permet de détecter des gisements souterrains contenant du lithium, du cobalt et des diamants.

SBQuantum crée des matrices composées de quatre à six de ces magnétomètres assemblés en un support. « Cela nous permet de fournir une sensibilité huit fois supérieure à la norme industrielle », indiquait M. Roy-Guay. « Nous pouvons développer des interprétations en 3D du corps minéralisé d’une manière qui ne serait pas envisageable avec des méthodes classiques. »

SBQuantum a mené à bien six essais pilotes de son magnétomètre, et cinq autres sont prévus en 2024. « Nous avons mené deux années de levés consécutifs avec la mine de Raglan de Glencore, dans le nord du Québec. Nous coopérons également avec la Commission géologique du Canada pour le site d’une petite société minière située près de la baie Thunder, en Ontario », ajoutait-il.

En début d’année, SBQuantum annonçait un partenariat avec une société britannique, Silicon Microgravity, qui met au point une technologie de gravimètres à systèmes microélectromécaniques (MEMS). Si la magnétométrie renseigne sur la géologie d’un corps minéralisé, la gravimétrie, quant à elle, donne des informations sur sa densité. « L’association des deux technologies fixées sur la plateforme d’un même drone permet une validation croisée des signaux et une meilleure contrainte des modèles mathématiques pour obtenir une description très précise du corps minéralisé », indiquait-il. « Ceci se rapproche de l’interprétation en temps semi-réel, qui permet de mieux guider le processus de forage. Pour nous, c’est une première étape vers une approche de fusion des données. »

Le projet devrait se terminer d’ici 18 mois. Les essais sont prévus dans une région reculée du Canada.

M. Roy-Guay a déclaré que SBQuantum cherche déjà à ajouter d’autres modalités de détection à la plateforme, notamment la radiométrie (qui donnerait des informations sur les gisements radioactifs tels que l’uranium) et l’imagerie hyperspectrale, qui permettrait l’analyse chimique des gisements, même par voie aérienne.

« Ces nouvelles approches de détection contribueront à accélérer la découverte de nouveaux sites requis pour construire les 300 à 400 nouvelles mines dont nous aurons besoin pour la transition vers une énergie propre », concluait-il.

– Ailbhe Goodbody ICM

LE MODÉLISATEUR DE MACHINE KEVIN URBANSKI

COFONDATEUR ET CHEF DE L’EXPLOITATION, RITHMIK SOLUTIONS

Au début de sa carrière, Kevin Urbanski faisait partie de l’équipe de Matrikon (qui fait maintenant partie de Honeywell) qui a bâti l’un des premiers systèmes capables de recueillir des données de capteurs à partir d’équipement minier mobile. Des années plus tard, alors qu’il travaillait chez Teck Resources, M. Urbanski s’est trouvé en position d’utiliser ces données pour évaluer l’état des équipements, et il s’est heurté à un défi majeur. Avec des centaines de capteurs sur chaque engin d’une flotte d’équipements, il y avait presque trop d’informations, ce qui faisait que trouver des données réellement exploitables revenait à « chercher une aiguille dans une meule de foin ».

C’est ce qui a été l’élément moteur qui a abouti à la création de Rithmik Solutions, l’entreprise que M. Urbanski a cofondée avec Kris Isfeld et Amanda Truscott, en 2018. Après avoir quitté Teck, et avoir pris une année sabbatique pour étudier l’intelligence artificielle (IA), M. Urbanski a réalisé que l’IA pouvait aider à trouver ces fameuses « aiguilles » en question, et il a commencé à chercher comment rapidement la déployer de manière efficace.

Le Asset Health Analyzer (AHA) (analyseur de santé des actifs) alimenté par IA et conçu par Rithmik est capable d’élaborer un modèle optimal de mise au point technique d’équipement sur la base de données de capteurs provenant de la flotte d’équipements tout entière d’un site. Le modèle fonctionne en même temps que l’équipement, et identifie le moment où certaines valeurs des capteurs dévient de celles du modèle. Celui-ci est réglé en fonction des données historiques du site. Donc, il se peut que l’état optimal d’un tombereau pour applications minières 793D de Caterpillar soit différent sur des sites miniers au Chili ou au Yukon, en raison des fluctuations saisonnières et des différentes conditions, comme la température, la topographie, la condition des routes, et la formation des opérateurs.

L’AIMANT À INVESTISSEMENT

SABRINA BOUCHARD

DIRECTRICE PRINCIPALE DE PROJET, INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC

Bécancour, au Québec, est voué à devenir un centre dédié à la transition vers une énergie propre. Il comprendra des installations de matières actives pour batteries et des projets d’affinage pour les batteries de véhicules électriques (VÉ) en construction. Le développement de batteries pour VÉ de la ville a nécessité des investissements considérables. C’est là que Sabrina Bouchard est entrée en jeu.

Dans son poste chez Investissement Québec, Mme Bouchard couvre les régions de la Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec, où se trouve Bécancour. Elle travaille sur la concrétisation de la stratégie de batteries écologiques du Québec.

Mme Bouchard expliquait que cette stratégie comporte trois piliers : l’extraction et le traitement des minéraux locaux, l’inté-

gration dans une chaîne d’approvisionnement plus vaste en Amérique du Nord, et la gestion des batteries en fin de vie.

« Dans le département de l’investissement direct à l’étranger, notre rôle consiste à combler les lacunes en termes de ce que l’on considère comme le plus stratégique pour la province », ajoutaitelle. « Des personnes à l’étranger s’efforcent d’attirer de nouveaux acteurs, de promouvoir le Québec et de préserver une relation avec les grandes sociétés. »

Mme Bouchard est la porte-parole de Bécancour dans des discussions portant sur le développement de nouveaux projets de batteries pour VÉ. Actuellement, quatre grands projets sont en cours dans cette petite ville du Québec. Nemaska Lithium devrait devenir la première usine d’hydroxyde de lithium au Canada. SK On, EcoProBM et Ford font équipe pour créer une installation de matières actives pour cathodes, et Ultium CAM (une entreprise commune entre General Motors et POSCO Future M) construira, elle aussi, une installation de matières actives pour cathodes. Quant à Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG), elle devrait construire une usine de matières actives pour anodes.

« Nous travaillons sur l’intégralité de la chaîne d’approvisionnement entourant ces projets [et] sur le lancement d’autres projets [nécessaires] pour construire un écosystème », déclarait Mme Bouchard.

Selon elle, les investisseurs dans l’industrie manufacturière de batteries pour VÉ s’intéressent à Bécancour en raison de l’accès à une hydroélectricité propre et abordable. Par ailleurs, le parc industriel de Bécancour, qui est détenu par l’État, est prêt à accueillir l’industrie avec son parc de 2 000 hectares de zonage industriel lourd.

Les projets sont aussi intéressants pour la communauté de Bécancour.

« Ils créeront des avantages économiques en termes de salaires intéressants, [qui sont] supérieurs à la moyenne du secteur, des impôts dont s’acquitteront ces sociétés de classe mondiale, mais également de la création d’une chaîne d’approvisionnement importante et spécialisée autour de cette industrie », indiquait Mme Bouchard, ajoutant que Bécancour accueillera de nombreux travailleurs quali-

Photo Emanuel St-Pierre

LES NOMS À CONNAÎTRE 2024

« L’IA trouve des possibilités d’optimisation dès le début, » a expliqué M. Urbanski. Tout en construisant ses modèles, la société Rithmik a mis à jour des occasions permettant d’améliorer les pratiques de maintenance et le comportement de conduite des opérateurs. Certains constats se sont avérés davantage inhabituels. On a notamment identifié un conducteur de camion qui pesait sur la pédale d’accélérateur au rythme de chansons du groupe Metallica.

La société Rithmik est maintenant sous l’aile de l’institut de recherche en intelligence artificielle, Mila-Québec, situé à Montréal. Leur partenariat a débuté en janvier 2023, et Rithmik travaille maintenant avec de grandes compagnies minières et des équipementiers, en Amérique du Nord, en Amérique du Sud, et en Afrique.

M. Urbanski a pu constater un certain enthousiasme à l’égard des possibilités qu’offre l’IA dans le domaine minier, une industrie réputée pour son approche prudente en ce qui a trait à l’adoption de technologies ; et il a aussi rencontré des obstacles. Les projets impliquant la technologie nécessitent des ressources, mais avec la pénurie de main-d’œuvre, les équipes dans les mines sont réduites. Rithmik peut aider à atténuer ce phénomène en gérant certaines tâches, par exemple, en faisant l’inventaire des données d’un client ou en intégrant de nouvelles connaissances à leurs flux de travail. Son système « AHA » peut aussi multiplier le temps du personnel de maintenance en réduisant les heures requises pour du dépannage, et trouver des occasions d’amélioration.

Contrairement au battage médiatique d’il y a cinq ans, lorsque M. Urbanski disait que les gens s’attendaient à ce que l’IA fasse des miracles, l’expérience acquise avec les « Large Lan-

fiés et formés. « Nous sommes prêts à construire quelque chose de vaste. »

Mme Bouchard faisait remarquer que la chaîne d’approvisionnement en minéraux critiques à Bécancour est importante non seulement pour les batteries pour VÉ, mais aussi pour la transition vers les énergies propres et l’économie du Québec.

« Les minéraux critiques du Québec présentent un intérêt pour les chaînes d’approvisionnement en panneaux solaires et les électrolyseurs pour l’hydrogène », ajoutait-elle. « C’est une occasion exceptionnelle pour le Québec de traiter ses propres minéraux sur place, et cela marque un changement de paradigme car jusqu’ici, nous exportions nos minéraux pour qu’ils soient traités ailleurs. »

Mme Bouchard insistait sur le fait que les chaînes d’approvisionnement local de batteries pour VÉ permettraient de réduire la dépendance du Canada vis-à-vis d’autres pays. Elle indiquait par exemple que la Chine, qui produit 90 % des matériaux de graphite pour anodes à l’échelle mondiale, a interdit les exportations de graphite à la fin de l’année dernière. En outre, ajoutait-elle, l’usine de NMG sera le premier projet de ce type qui se conforme à l’Inflation Reduction Act (IRA, la loi sur la réduction de l’inflation) des États-Unis.

« Ceci permet aux [fabricants d’équipement d’origine] de disposer d’une chaîne d’approvisionnement qui se trouve dans un environnement stable sur le plan politique, qui a recours à des pratiques éthiques et qui respecte les droits de l’homme », indiquait Mme Bouchard.

Témoigner du développement de Bécancour constitue la partie la plus gratifiante de son travail.

« Je me sens privilégiée de participer à la création de cette nouvelle industrie prometteuse », indiquait-elle. « C’est un travail qui a beaucoup de sens, et c’est une formidable occasion pour le Québec de se positionner en tant que chef de file dans la transition vers une énergie propre. »

ICM

– Alice Martin

guage Models » (LLM), c’est-à-dire, les grands modèles de langage, comme ChatGPT d’OpenAI, a aidé les gens à mieux comprendre en quoi consistent réellement les capacités de l’IA, mais cela les a aussi rendus plus pessimistes qu’ils ne devraient.

« Le plus grand obstacle est de comprendre ce qu’il est possible de faire, d’être ouvert par rapport à l’utilisation de l’IA et des LLM, et de leur faire confiance. » a-t-il déclaré.

M. Urbanski pense que les LLM constituent une occasion formidable pour les compagnies minières. Ils pourraient être déployés pour des tâches spécifiques, comme pour le calendrier de l’utilisation de l’équipement minier mobile ou pour la planification de la maintenance préventive, ou bien encore pour des tâches de plus grande envergure.

« Les mines [emmagasinent] tellement d’informations, comme les données des capteurs, les bons de travail, [les informations] de la fosse au port, » dit-il. « Il est vraiment difficile de parvenir à optimiser la totalité de cette chaîne avec des technologies disparates. Les architectures LLM vous permettent de les alimenter avec une tonne d’informations, et elles peuvent trouver des relations et des optimisations. »

En mars, l’entreprise a terminé une phase de financement qui lui a permis de récolter 2 millions de dollars qu’elle prévoit utiliser pour élargir sa clientèle et lancer de nouveaux produits. À ce jour, Rithmik a élaboré des modèles pour des camions et des bulldozers, et la société prévoit élaborer cette année des modèles pour des pelles électriques et hydrauliques, ainsi que pour un assistant pour l’établissement de calendriers afin de recommander à quel moment cela a du sens « tant sur le plan environnemental que sur le plan économique » d’envoyer un actif mobile à la maintenance. – Kelsey Rolfe ICM

L’EXPLORATEUR QUI AIME INNOVER JACK MILTON

VICE-PRÉSIDENT, GÉOLOGIE, FIREWEED METALS

L’innovation technologique a été un élément clé pour l’équipe d’exploration de Fireweed Metals lorsque celle-ci a découvert une minéralisation de zinc importante qui a augmenté les ressources minérales à son projet Macmillan Pass (Macpass) de zinc-plomb-argent dans l’Est du Yukon.

Avec une combinaison de nouvelles technologies, une interprétation géologique méticuleuse, et la volonté d’approcher les vieux problèmes sous un nouvel angle, M. Milton et son équipe ont identifié la zone de minéralisation de Boundary West, au projet Macpass, à l’été 2020.

« Nous aspirons à faire les choses différemment, pas seulement parce qu’elles sont différentes, mais pour nous donner un avantage concurrentiel dans le domaine de l’exploration, » a déclaré M. Milton, qui a passé plus de 15 ans à travailler sur des

Photo : Jon Benjamin Photography

projets en Colombie-Britannique, au Yukon, et dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, et qui détient une expertise particulière dans les gisements de métaux communs formés dans les sédiments.

« La découverte à Boundary West a pu se faire en effectuant des recherches dans un espace de recherche plus grand qu’auparavant, grâce à une nouvelle idée sur la manière dont ces gisements se forment. »

Typiquement, on pensait que ce type de gisement de zinc se trouvait dans des gisements exhalatifs (SEDEX) sédimentaires. Au lieu de cela, l’équipe a réalisé que le gisement s’était formé en subsurface avec le remplacement de couches de barytine diagénétiques préexistantes.

« C’est une différence très subtile, mais cela a un véritable impact sur la manière dont vous exploreriez ces gisements, » a dit M. Milton. Au lieu de rechercher une couche spécifique dans la stratigraphie, l’équipe a pu se concentrer sur les levés gravimétriques sur plusieurs couches. M. Milton et son équipe ont couplé ces données aux levés par télédétection par laser (LiDAR) pour réaliser une série de calculs complexes dans le but d’isoler le signal du gisement de zinc.

Ces données ont été encore améliorées par des levés sismiques passifs. « Nous avons élaboré une méthode pour déterminer l’épaisseur du mort-terrain, et la calculer ensuite à partir du signal de gravité pour donner une image claire de la signature du substrat rocheux, » a expliqué M. Milton.

Le balayage de carottes de sondage est devenu un élément clé de la stratégie d’exploration de Fireweed. Avec un accès à l’Internet haute vitesse grâce au réseau satellite Starlink, l’équipe peut effectuer un balayage des carottes, et télécharger les données au bureau de M. Milton, en Colombie-Britannique, pour qu’elles alimentent le modèle 3D, souvent avant même que les carottes ne parviennent à la cabane des carottes du camp.

Cela permet d’ajuster les plans de forage, au jour le jour, ce qui représente un changement colossal par rapport à il y a

quelques années seulement. « Si vous comparez ça à l’époque avant Internet dans les camps, cela équivaudrait à établir un plan de forage au printemps, [puis] à se rendre sur le terrain pour [le] mettre en œuvre durant l’été, et [cela était] relativement statique, » a dit M. Milton. « Maintenant, nous pouvons être plus agiles, et utiliser l’argent destiné à l’exploration de manière plus efficace. »

L’apprentissage automatique aide également l’équipe à faire le tri dans les tonnes de données collectées, mais elle ne se fie pas seulement aux algorithmes, ni à l’intelligence artificielle (IA).

« Ils constituent un outil de plus dans notre trousse à outils, outil qui nous permet d’assimiler d’énormes volumes [de données] et de les analyser rapidement à l’aide de techniques d’interprétation avancées, » a expliqué M. Milton. « L’exploration, c’est 99 % de collecte de données, de forage, de science de l’observation, de géologie et d’interprétation ; cette composante qu’est l’IA représente seulement 1 ou 2 % ou de notre flux de travail. »

M. Milton a remarqué qu’il n’y a pas de raccourci pour le succès. « Pour nous, il s’agit d’effectuer des recherches scientifiques adéquates, et de collecter des données de la bonne manière. Chaque fois que nous avons eu un choix à faire entre la quantité de données et la qualité des données, nous avons presque toujours opté pour la qualité, » a-t-il déclaré. « Pour cela, il n’est pas nécessaire d’avoir recours à une nouvelle technologie sophistiquée. Mais je pense que cette culture de la curiosité et de la diligence par rapport aux données permet vraiment d’aller plus loin en matière d’exploration. »

Cette culture est ce qui a permis à M. Milton et à Fireweed de connaître le succès à Macpass, et, grâce à cela, d’avoir l’espoir de développer un nouveau projet majeur de zinc. Une mise à jour sur les ressources pour Macpass est en cours, et elle est attendue au deuxième trimestre 2024.

LES ÉMINENTS CONFÉRENCIERS 2023-2024

DORIS HIAMGALVEZ

Conseillère principale, Hatch

GARY POXLEITNER

Consultant principal (exploitation minière), SRK

HANI MITRI

Professeur du département de génie minier, Université McGill

MUSTAFA KUMRAL

Professeur agrégé du département du génie des mines et des matériaux, Université McGill

NANCY WILK

Spécialiste de l’environnement, de la santé et sécurité (ESS), WSP Canada Inc.

PRITI WANJARA

Chercheuse principale, Conseil national de recherches du Canada (CNRC)

ROY SLACK

Directeur, Cementation Americas

– Robert Hiltz ICM

COPPER CONSOLIDATION

The origin stories of our industry are contained within the digital archives of the CIM Bulletin, the predecessor to CIM Magazine. In this issue, we look at how merging several operations in British Columbia’s Highland Valley created Canada’s largest copper mine

By Ailbhe Goodbody

Copper was first discovered in British Columbia’s Highland Valley porphyry copper district in 1899, but production did not start until Bethlehem Copper Corporation’s property began operations in 1962.

Several other large-tonnage, low-grade copper operations were developed in the area, including Lornex Mining Corporation’s Lornex mine (controlled by Rio Algom) in 1972 and Highmont Mining and Teck’s Highmont mine in 1980.

Cominco-controlled Valley Copper Mines discovered another massive porphyry copper deposit, but rapidly escalating capital and operating costs in the 1970s, followed by depressed copper prices, frustrated its attempts to create a development plan. The ore body was also divided by a claim boundary—80 per cent on Valley Copper claims and 20 per cent on Bethlehem Copper claims. “This impediment was finally resolved in 1981 when Cominco purchased 100 per cent ownership of both Valley Copper and Bethlehem [Copper],” said Poul Hansen [CIM Bulletin, August 1987].

Bethlehem’s Jersey pit became completely uneconomical and ceased operations in mid-1982. “Rather than accept the cost of a total shutdown, [Cominco] decided to invest $14 million and develop the much lower-cost Valley ore body as a source of feed for the existing concentrator,” said R.P. Taylor [CIM Bulletin, February 1986]. Milling of Valley ore in the Bethlehem concentrator started in January 1983. The Highmont mine closed in 1984, when it also became uneconomical.

Formation of Highland Valley Copper

Plunging base metal prices set the stage for merging the Lornex and Cominco operations, as neither individual company could achieve the desired profitability. “Despite the expansion of the Lornex mill complex in 1981 to one of the world’s most costefficient copper concentrators, persistent low metal prices had made the remainder of the ore in the Lornex ore body marginally economic and had

An aerial view of Bethlehem Copper’s Jersey open pit (CIM Bulletin, February 1986).

significantly foreshortened the expected life of the operation,” said Hansen.

In 1985, the companies agreed to merge assets into a new entity, and the Highland Valley Copper (HVC) partnership came into effect on July 1, 1986. According to Hansen, the lowering of unit production costs increased annual production by 30 per cent to about 375 million pounds contained copper.

Highmont was brought into the partnership in 1988. “Ownership of the Highland Valley Copper operation became Cominco Ltd. 50 per cent, Rio Algom Ltd. 33.6 per cent, Teck Corporation 13.9 per cent and Highmont Mining Ltd. 2.5 per cent,” wrote M.J. Casselman, W.J. McMillan and K.W. Newman [CIM Special Volume 46, 1995].

Teck and Cominco merged in 2001, consolidating their HVC stakes. In 2000, Billiton (now part of BHP) acquired Rio Algom; Teck bought Billiton’s interest in HVC in 2004. In 2016, Teck acquired the remaining 2.5 per cent stake, giving it a wholly owned interest in HVC.

In 2022, HVC produced approximately 44 per cent of B.C.’s total copper production. Teck has proposed extending the life of HVC to at least 2043, which it stated would yield approximately 1.95 million tonnes of additional copper. CIM

Throughout 2024, we will be looking back through the CIM archives for contemporary coverage of the discovery and development of major mineral deposits in Canada.

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