ITS
HISTORY
AND A THREAT NEAR OUR
LAKES AND AT THE HEART
OF OUR POPULATION
What’s the background of this project that is likely to be located next to our lakes and communities?
Over the years, this project has undergone several transformations through various exploration and mining companies. The original mining titles (Claims) from 1988 are now held by a Canadian company created in 1989 and based in Vancouver.
The history of the La Loutre mining project and its development phases with an unstable schedule
This open-pit graphite mine project (La Loutre) was initially started with SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Investissement Québec, which took possession of mining claims on this territory in 1988. After a number of years, it became a project of Canada Strategic Metals, and is currently in the hands of Lomiko Metals Inc., a Canadian mining company based in British Columbia.
WHAT DOES THE
FUTURE HOLD?
According to its most recent schedule, Lomiko plans to begin construction of the mining facilities around 2025. But before that, the environmental and impact studies that must be carried out are planned within a specific time frame, i.e. between 2021 and the end of 2023.
“The planned operating life for this mining site is 15 years, with the aim of extracting and treating some 21,874,000 tonnes of ore containing graphite.” Given the goal of achieving the average concentration (95%) of graphite required by the market, approximately 110,270,000 tonnes of material would be moved to ultimately create 108,886,000 tonnes of discarded mineral substances. These tailings would be accumulated in a gigantic heap that could reach 150 metres in height, or 370 metres above sea level – equivalent to more than 2200 times the weight of the Titanic.
It is quite possible that mining activities could be extended if additional graphite veins are discovered in the future. To this end, Lomiko will carry out additional drilling in 2022 with the aim of increasing or more precisely identify its graphite reserves.
Petite-Nation
A natural territory appreciated by its populations for millennia.