Name of the Mine
Lac-des-Îles (LDI) graphite quarry.

Location  
The quarry is located about 2 km south of Lac-des-Îles, in Quebec, Canada,

Mine Owner/s  
Northern Graphite Corporation.

Brief Description  
The LDI mine has been operating for more than 20 years and is the only noteworthy graphite producer in North America.

LDI will produce up to 15 000 t/y of graphite concentrate over the operation’s remaining mine life. Northern plans to expand production and extend the mine life by securing sources of ore from other locations.

Brief History  
Operations at the quarry started in 1989.

Primary Metals/Minerals  
Natural flake graphite.

Secondary Metals/Minerals  
None stated.

Geology/Mineralisation  
The LDI quarry is located in the south-western portion of the Grenville geological province of the Canadian Shield.

The province comprises large, eastward-dipping supracrustal belts, each dipping below successively younger belts owing to the adding and advancement of new terranes during distinct phases of orogenic activity.

The province is divided into the Autochthonous, Parautochthonous and Allochthonous tectonic belts.

The graphite deposit, which encompasses the quarry, is hosted within the Allochthonous tectonic belt, which comprises Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic rocks.

Graphite mineralisation at the quarry is held in a strongly folded marble unit within a paragneiss host rock, and mineralisation is characteristic of flake graphite. Internal waste units of paragneiss and intrusive rocks have been identified within the marble.

Reserves  
Total probable reserves as at April 30, 2021, were estimated at 593 764 t grading 7.17% organic carbon.

Resources  
The project has indicated resources of 621 000 t grading 7.1% organic carbon.

Mining Method  
Conventional openpit methods.

Major Infrastructure/Equipment  
The quarry includes openpits, a waste rock storage facility, a primary crusher facility with a rock breaker and conventional jaw crusher, a processing plant, a tailings management facility, a mechanical shop, a warehouse, administrative offices and a gatehouse.

Prospects  
Northern Graphite has optioned the Mousseau West property to increase LDI production and the operation’s mine life. The plan is to increase production to 25 000 t/y.

Contacts Details
Northern Graphite Corporation
Tel +1 613 241 9959
Email info@northerngraphite.com 
Website https://www.northerngraphite.com/

Sources
Northern Graphite Corporation. Presentation: Building the leading public graphite company (June 2022).
Northern Graphite Corporation. Website: https://www.northerngraphite.com/ [accessed August 9, 2022).