Vale splashes $105m for Thompson mining operation survival

Affectionately named after John F. Thompson, who chaired International Nickel at the time of the ore body discovery in 1956, Thompson is a city with mining at the core of its foundations, so news of the mine’s extension is welcomed among the community and company as a whole. Located 740 kilometres north of Winnipeg, Canada, Vale’s Thompson mining operation has just received a whopping C$150mn investment to extend its ongoing activities for a minimum of 10 years, with the added potential to continue mining past 2040 due to ongoing and highly promising orebody exploration.

“We see the lighting of a path forward to a sustainable and prosperous future for Vale Base Metals in Manitoba,” says Gary Annett, General Manager of Vale’s Manitoba Operations, who is confident that this latest investment will aid in Thompson mine’s greener future. 

Upgrades to the Thompson mine means more efficiency long-term

As a two-phase project, the Thompson Mine Expansion is set to begin its first phase, which will see upgrades to infrastructure such as ventilation raises and fans, increased backfill capacity and additional power distribution all included in the company’s mission to improve the mine’s efficiency. The extension is predicted to accelerate production by a further 30%, meaning output is predicted to soar.

“We are hampered by the limits of ventilation,” says Annett. “There’s only so much air you can push down to keep enough clean, breathable air for people working underground.”

Improvements to power will allow for the necessary electricity required to push the mine deeper. Increased backfill will also help to keep the ground stable. 

“This is the largest single investment we have made in our Thomspon operations in the past two decades,” says Executive Vice-president for Base Metals with Vale, Mark Travers. “It is significant news for our employees, for the Thomspon community and for the Province of Manitoba. 

“The global movement to electric vehicles, renewable energies and carbon reduction has shone a welcome spotlight on nickel - positioning the metal we mine as a key contributor to a greener future and boosting world demand. 

“We are proud that Thompson can be part of that future and part of the low carbon solution.”

Recently, mining corporations have made moves to acquire more shares in the nickel trade as demand for the battery metal increases worldwide. Companies like Tesla have sealed deals with mining giants like BHP to ensure the metals required in the production of EVs are sustainable and sensitively sourced. 

Thompson’s future is filled with confidence following the multi-million investment

Dino Otranto, Chief Operating Officer for North Atlantic Base Metals Operations, believes the Thompson mine is capable of supplying nickel well into the future, meeting the rising global demand. 

“This C$150 million investment is just one part of our ambitious Thompson turnaround story. It is an indicator of our confidence in the long future for the Thompson operations. 

“Active collaboration between our design team, technical services, USW Local 6166, and our entire Thompson workforce has delivered a safe, efficient and fit-for-purpose plan that will enable us to extract the Thompson nickel resources for many years to come.”

The Thompson mine, which is closely tied to the sense of community it finds itself surrounded by, is eager to prove it places people at its centre. President of United Steelworkers Local 6166, Warren Luky, notes the extension that Thompson workers and the community have anticipated for a long time allows those affected by the mining operations to relax.

“Now people know that there’s some security for their lives, whether that’s staying in their home, not looking for a different job. It’s good news for a lot of people.

“We hope it's a positive future outcome for everybody because we all have homes here, we have families here, and we all have our community here that we hold dear.