ABSTRACT
Located by Lac de Gras, 350 km northeast of Yellowknife and in the middle of the tundra, BHP’s Ekati Diamond Mine is the largest project ever undertaken in the Canadian Arctic. In April 1996, Simons Mining Group was awarded a contract for the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) of surface facilities on Ekati. The remoteness of the Ekati mine, the harsh Arctic winter conditions and attendant logistical issues presented interesting challenges to the Simons team in executing a fast-track project.
In order for the project to succeed, it was essential that the infrastructure to support construction be established as quickly as possible. All major buildings were bought within four months of the April 1996 kickoff date. Within eight months, all the major contracts were awarded. Less than a year later, 2,000 truckloads of material were bought, fabricated and shipped up the first ice road.
The project has achieved one of the best safety and environmental records for a Northern construction site, and is on schedule and within budget.
