ABSTRACT
The Raglan project is located at the northern tip of the New Quebec Peninsula, about 1200 miles north of Montreal. Port facilities are located in Deception Bay, on the shore of the Hudson Strait, 100 km north of the mine site. The property hosts multiple ore bodies, located from 0 to 22 kilometers away from Katinnig which is the main campsite and is also where the mill is located. Total planned production for 1998 is 700,000 tonnes at 3.01% Ni. The known orebody in Katinnig extends from surface down to a depth of 350 meters. It plunges north and is still open at depth. Rock temperature underground is -5.5 degrees Celsius and the expected limit of permafrost is 425 meters below surface.
This paper will present the process and studies that led to the final selection of single pass mechanized cut-and-fill as our mining method as well as a description of how we plan to apply it. It will also discuss the operational difficulties encountered up to now that are related to mining in permafrost.
