Among the most advanced projects in Québec, two are...Five rare earth exploration projects at an advanced stage in Qubec
Published August 26th, 2016 Currently, neither Qubec nor Canada is a producer of rare earth elements, but a number of exploration projects are under way. In fact, over 200 exploration projects have reached various states of development in Canada, including 5 exploration projects at an advanced stage in Qubec.
GoMga - Commerce Resources Corp - Orbite - Quest - Matamec Projects According to one expert, the 20 most active exploration projects represent a total of around 38 million tonnes of rare earth oxides, or about 30% of the planetary total.
Among the most advanced projects in Qubec, two are particularly noteworthy: Quest Rare Minerals' Strange Lake project, and Matamec Exploration's Zeus-Kipawa project. These are presented below.
The Strange Lake B-Zone rare earth mining project Quest Rare Mineral's Strange Lake project is located roughly 235 km northeast of Schefferville, on the boundary between Qubec and Newfoundland and Labrador and on the southeastern shore of Brisson Lake.
According to the company's website,
•The project will employ a total of 689 people, including 306 employees at the mine site, 342 at the processing plant and 41 in general administration.
•The project will generate on average $758 million of revenue per year, of which 78% will come from the sale of heavy rare earths and yttrium.
•Production is estimated at around 357,600 tonnes of rare earth concentrate annually over a 30-year period.
Source: Minraux Rares Quest Source: Minraux Rares Quest
The project will have the following facilities and infrastructures:
•An open pit from which ore will be extracted;
•An storage area for ore awaiting treatment;
•An ore crushing, grinding and flotation treatment plant;
•A concentrate stockpile;
•A tailings impoundment area;
•Sedimentation basins;
•Storage areas for waste rock, overburden and soils;
•A workers camp;
•A airstrip;
•A road of about 18 km long between the ore processing plant and the Labrador border;
•A multipurpose building;
•A water supply system;
•A sewage treatment system;
•A power generation plant composed of 5 diesel generators;
•A hydrocarbon reservoir;
•A landfill.
The rare earth concentrate will be trucked to port facilities located in Edward’s Cove on the Labrador coast. To do this, a 152 km long road between the Labrador border and Edward’s Cove will be built.
Quest Rare Minerals also plans to build a hydrometallurgy and ore separation plant in Bcancour, and has signed an agreement with the Socit du parc industriel et portuaire de Bcancour guaranteeing its rights over the area needed for the plant and the tailings site.
To ensure that its project respects the host communities concerned, Quest has consulted the Kativik Regional Government (the Inuit of Qubec), the governments of Qubec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunatsiavut (Inuit of Labrador), and the federal government.
Consultations have been organized with the following Aboriginal communities:
• the Inuits of Qubec, in particular the villages of Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kuujjuaq;
•the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach in Qubec;
•the Innu community of Matimekush-Lac John in Qubec;
•the Inuits of Labrador (Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik and Rigolet); and
•the Innus of Labrador (Natuashish and Sheshatshit).
2016 will be an important year for Quest. The company will continue its environmental impact studies while launching engineering work as a prelude to the mine's construction.
If everything moves ahead according to schedule, construction should begin in 2017, with the first commercial production in 2019.
Other key steps
•Publication of the pre-feasibility study
•Signing of the preliminary economic assessment (PEA)
•Launch of the feasibility study (FS)
•Investissement Qubec will take a $600,000 stake in the company
•Award of a $5-million grant by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to support the operation of a larger-scale pilot plant for the production of mixed rare earth element oxides.
Zeus-Kipawa rare earths project The Kipawa deposit owned by Matamec Explorations Inc. is located around 40 km east of the municipality of Kipawa, in the Tmiscamingue regional county municipality and the Abitibi-Tmiscamingue administrative region. It is part of the Zeus property, 100% owned by Matamec Explorations.
Source: Matamec Source: Matamec The Kipawa deposit contains heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium, terbium and yttrium, which are essential for the production of hybrid and electric vehicles, among other uses.
Matamec is proposing the construction of an open-pit mine with an ore processing plant and storage areas for waste rock, overburden and tailings.
The mine will generate 299 direct and 179 indirect jobs, representing around $25 million in wages for the region each year.
The company will also build a concentrator, and power line and related buildings such as warehouses, a laboratory and offices.
The mine would process approximately 1.3 million tonnes of ore annually over a period of about 15 years, with an annual production of rare earth concentrates of between 2,150 and 3 ,650 tonnes.
Matamec Explorations Inc. is a junior mining exploration company that is also exploring more than 35km of strike length in the Kipawa Alkalic Complex for the rare earths-yttrium-zirconium-niobium-tantalum mineralization on its Zeus property.
The company is exploring for lithium and tantalum on its Tansim property and for precious and base metals on its Sakami, Valmont and Vulcain properties. Last, it is exploring for gold together with Northern Superior Resources Inc. on the Lesperance/Wachigabau property.
Next information note: Rare Earths – potential and strategic prospects
Sources:
•The Rare Earth Elements Industry in Canada Summary of Evidence; Standing Committee on Natural Resources, House of Commons, 41st Parliament, June 2014
•Quest Rare Minerals
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Five rare earth exploration projects at an advanced stage in Qubec