Although most nickel is used to produce stainless steel, this cheap metal already plays a vital role in EV battery production as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) increasingly use high-nickel cathode battery chemistries.Currently, the global nickel market is in surplus, but there will be a shortage by 2027 and demand is still increasing.This not only focuses people's attention on nickel ore processing
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, but also unmined nickel mines.To find out important nickel mines that could supply nickel in the future, the Mining.com website and sister website MiningIntelligence have listed the top 10 unmined nickel projects in the world, sorted by proven and inferred nickel metal resource reserves.While Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia are the world's largest nickel suppliers, six of the top 10 nickel deposits are from North America. On top of the ranking is the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ, Clarion Clipperton Zone) polymetallic nodule mine on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, an exclusive economic zone between Hawaii and Mexico.01. NORI?Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. Clarion-Clipperton ProjectDevelopment Phase: Late ExplorationMetallogenic type: seafloor sedimentary manganese nodulesAssociated minerals: cobalt, copper, manganeseTopping the list is Nori's Clarion-Clipburton project, which has a nickel metal resource of 11.53 million tons and is located below 4,000-4,500 meters in water depth in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The project, named after the sea between Hawaii and Mexico, is part of international waters. The exploration contract is held by Nori, but The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen Metals, has exclusive rights to the area.02. TOML? Tonga Offshore Mining Limited Clarion-Clipperton ProjectDevelopment Phase: Late ExplorationMetallogenic type: seafloor sedimentary manganese nodulesAssociated minerals: cobalt, copper, manganeseThe TOML exploration area, which is adjacent to Tonga and is also part of the Metas property, has an estimated metal content of 9.9 million tonnes and grades similar to Nori's eponymous project. In 2020, Metas acquired TOML and granted the company the exploration right in the CCZ block of 71,713 square kilometers. The estimated polymetallic nodule resource (wet weight) is 756 million tons.03. SangajiDevelopment stage: late stageMetallogenic type: laterite type nickel-cobalt oreAssociated minerals: cobalt, ironThe mine is located on the Indonesian island of Halmahera and is held by Indonesian state-owned Aneka Mining Corporation (ANTAM), with a nickel metal volume of 6.61 million tons, ranking third.04. DumontDevelopment Phase: Feasibility StudyMetallogenic type: magmatic sulfideAssociated minerals: cobalt, palladium, platinum, magnetiteIn fourth place is the Dumont nickel sulfide deposit in Quebec, Canada, owned by Waterton Global Resource Management. The nickel metal resource is 6.61 million tons. Once put into production, Dumont will be among the largest nickel mines in the world. It is expected that the mine life will be 30 years and the annual output of nickel will be 39,000 tons. In 2021, the company hired Goldman Sachs as an advisor to transfer the project to raise capital.05. TurnaganDevelopment Phase: Pre-Feasibility StudyMetallogenic type: magmatic sulfideAssociated Minerals: CobaltThe Turnergan project is located in British Columbia, Canada, ranking fifth, with a nickel metal resource of 4.84 million tons, belonging to Giga Metals. The company hopes to build the project into the world's first carbon-neutral mine.06. TwinDevelopment Phase: Pre-Feasibility StudyMetallogenic type: magmatic sulfideAssociated minerals: cobalt, copper, gold, palladium, platinum, silverAntofagasta's nickel resource in the Twen metal project in the Duluth complex, Minnesota, USA, is 4.24 million tons. The project has been controversial and has struggled to move forward because of environmental risks. In 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management agreed to reconsider the renewal of 13 of its tenements in Minnesota, potentially allowing Antofagasta to move forward with the copper-nickel project.07. JacareDevelopment Phase: Pre-Feasibility StudyMetallogenic type: laterite type nickel-cobalt oreAssociated Minerals: CobaltAnglo American's Jaccaré project in Brazil ranked seventh with 3.92 million tonnes of nickel metal. The project is about 90 miles from Vale's Onça Puma nickel mine.08. DecarDevelopment Phase: Preliminary Economic EvaluationMetallogenic type: magmatic sulfideAssociated minerals: unknownThe Decar Nickel District, which is the company’s flagship nickel property, is a greenfield discovery of nickel mineralization in the form of a naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy called awaruite.09. MesabaDevelopment Phase: Late ExplorationMetallogenic type: magmatic sulfideAssociated minerals: cobalt, copper, gold, palladium, platinumTeck Resources' Messaba nickel mine in the United States ranks ninth with a nickel resource of 2.92 million tons. Mesaba is one of the largest sulfide deposits in the Duluth Complex in Minnesota.10. CrawfordDevelopment Phase: Preliminary Economic EvaluationMetallogenic type: magmatic sulfideAssociated minerals: cobalt, palladium, platinumThe metal resource of Canada Nickel Company's Crawford Nickel Project in Ontario is 2.87 million tons. The mine has an expected mine life of 25 years and emits around 2.05 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of nickel equivalent, which is 93% lower than the industry average of 29 tonnes.In addition to the above 10 projects, Zebediela in South Africa, Windy Craggy in northern British Columbia, and Ivanhoe's Platreef project in South Africa are also very popular. Important, the latter has been put into construction.
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