Located in the far north region of Québec, Xstrata Nickel’s Raglan property consists of a series of high-grade ore deposits, with nickel and copper as the primary metals. The operation consists of underground mines, a concentrator, a power plant, accommodation and administration buildings, fresh water supply and fuel storage tanks. The mine site is linked by all-weather roads to an airstrip at Donaldson and to the concentrate, storage and ship-loading facilities at Deception Bay. The property stretches 70 kilometers from east to west, with a series of high-grade ore deposits scattered along its length. Significant quantities of palladium and platinum as well as cobalt are also produced.
There are currently three underground mines in operation - Katinniq, Mine 2 and Mine 3. A fourth underground mine called Kikialik is presently under construction and is scheduled to begin production in 2011.
The ore from Raglan mines is crushed, ground and treated at the Raglan mill to produce a nickel-copper concentrate. The concentrate is trucked 100 kilometers to Deception Bay from where it is transported to Sudbury. After smelting in Sudbury, the smelted matte material is shipped to Xstrata’s Norwegian refinery.