Ausenco has been working with Royal Nickel Corporation (RNC) to develop the Dumont Project which started with the pre-feasibility study in early 2011. Ausenco completed the feasibility study in mid-2013 confirming that Dumont has the potential to be a long term producer of nickel concentrate and one of the largest base metal mines in Canada.
Ausenco worked closely with RNC management throughout the study phases to find cost-effective solutions and identify high value opportunities for the project.
Dumont is a large scale, low-grade ultramafic type nickel deposit, averaging 0.27% Ni over a 33 year mine life and is located approximately 60 km northeast of the industrial and mining city of Rouyn-Noranda in northern Quebec, Canada. The project is close to key infrastructure such as roads, rail, power, ports, smelter and airports in the established Abitibi mining district with direct access to global markets.
Dumont will be an open pit operation with a process plant designed for an initial throughput of 52,500 t/d. The comminution circuit includes crushing and features a 21mw SAG mill with gearless motor drive and two 16mw twin-pinion ball mills. The plant design incorporates conventional flotation, magnetic separation, and concentrate thickening and filtration to produce nickel concentrate. The plan is for an expansion in Year 5 to 105,000 t/d which will include a duplication of the process plant.
Concentrate production will average 140,000 t/y over the mine life. Some of the more unique features of the flow sheet included a de-sliming circuit followed by slimes flotation, magnetic recovery of tailings, regrinding of magnetic concentrate, and a ferronickel alloy, awaruite (Ni25Fe), recovery circuit. Ausenco was fully integrated with RNC’s One Team approach, managing the overall feasibility study and delivering technical expertise in concentrator design.
Ausenco also provided design of the ancillary facilities and a rail spur to connect to an existing rail line in northern Quebec.
In addition to completing the fully integrated study reports, Ausenco produced NI 43-101 reports for the Pre-feasibility and the Feasibility Study.
Ausenco continued its association with this project with the award of an additional contract to provide detailed engineering on long lead equipment in May 2014.
“Great team and innovative approach to project Always felt like. Ausenco was part of the ownership team and completely aligned with management goals. Technical expertise was excellent” Royal Nickel Corporation.