RE: RE: RE: Etude de Faisabilite Update From information supplied, very recently, by Bloom Lake operators, the problems that are being experiencing have nothing at all to do with the flow sheet, if flow sheet means the in plant beneficiation circuit. If you mean the Bloom Lake rotary dumper, stacker/reclaimer and ship loader at the Sept-Iles terminal you are absolutely correct. It is very inefficient as it was done as cheaply as possible to get stuff into a boat with the least possible investment. They are having trouble in the mine as well as the initial stripping was to get into production, again at the least possible construction cost. Once the hill of ore disappeared stripping had to start in earnest. That is where they are now, playing catch up with stripping, as that is the present bottle neck retarding production.
The original cost estimates of Bloom Lake did not include $ for the port nor the railroad. They had to be done by CLM under extreme cost compression as they became additions to the early concept. The project was constructed to be sold. Cliffs is now stuck with sorting it out. Fortunately what is inside the buliding is OK from what I am told.
The idea that the northern railroad would be built and operated by others didn't work out.
Buying Wabush did not work out either so they had to organise their own terminal etc in Sept-Iles.
Quesnel did a fantastic fast track job and was the first. All others are in catch up mode and maybe too late. There are a lot of guys in Sept-Iles that do not see anything "failure" about CLM. Indeed if NML was to turn out like CLM, even if it took twice as long, I am sure you longs would be very satisfied and driving your own Mercedes, Audis and BMWs. If you are looking for examples from the trough to not repeat look at Wabush. Go to the ADV bull board and see manganese.