Falconbridge has been mining nickel-copper ores in the Sudbury area of northern Ontario, Canada, since 1929. Today, the operations consist of underground mines, a mill and a smelter. These facilities, which are part of our Integrated Nickel Operations (INO), are spread throughout the 60 kilometre-long, oval-shaped geological formation known as the Sudbury Basin.

Nickel and copper are the primary metals but we also produce cobalt and precious metals, such as platinum and palladium. Our smelter processes concentrate from the Sudbury and Raglan orebodies and other concentrates received from other companies. The smelter also recycles various custom-feed materials.

Location Map
Sudbury Basin Map

Geology
The nickel-copper ore deposits in Sudbury are associated with a large body of igneous rock known as the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC).

Detailed Geology

Operations
Mining
Sudbury mines/mill operates three underground nickel/copper mines: Craig, Fraser and Lindsley. The Craig mine is currently Sudbury's largest mining operation. However, an underground exploration program at Nickel Rim South offers hope that this new discovery will become Sudbury's Flagship Mine.

Milling
The Strathcona mill receives ore from the three mines and produces two concentrate streams – a nickel-copper concentrate that goes to the Sudbury smelter for smelting, and a copper concentrate that goes to the Kidd Metallurgical Division for toll smelting and refining. The mill has a capacity of approximately 3 million tonnes of ore per year.

Smelter
The processing facilities operated by the Sudbury smelter include a smelter and a sulphuric acid plant. The Sudbury smelter smelts nickel-copper concentrate from the Sudbury and Raglan mines and processes custom-feed materials. It is capable of producing 130,000 tonnes of nickel-copper matte annually.

The smelter's electric furnace converts the mineral concentrate into a high-grade matte containing nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals. The smelted and granulated matte is sent by rail to Québec City, then shipped overseas to Nikkelverk in Norway for refining into pure metals.

• 22,602 tonnes nickel-in-concentrate
• 24,694 tonnes copper-in-concentrate
• 565 tonnes cobalt-in-concentrate

• 8,265 tonnes nickel in matte
• 5,861 tonnes copper in matte
• 1,048 tonnes cobalt in matte

Flowsheets
Sudbury Mines/Mill
Sudbury Smelter

• Proven: 4.5 million tonnes grading 1.32% nickel and 1.59% copper
• Probable: 7.3 million tonnes grading 1.12% nickel and 1.17% copper

• Measured: 4 million tonnes grading 1.77% nickel and 0.63% copper
• Indicated: 17.8 million tonnes grading 2.36% nickel and 1.04% copper
• Inferred: 29.7 million tonnes grading 1.80% nickel and 2.60% copper

Employees
The Sudbury operations employ approximately 1,500 people.

History
Falconbridge has been mining nickel-copper ores in the Sudbury area since 1929.