📋 Tender Overview
Scope :
Moblan Lithium Project. The mine is expected to have an average lithium production of 300mtpa.
The Moblan lithium project situated in Quebec, Canada, is set to be developed as an open-pit mine.
The mine is jointly owned by Australia-based mining company Sayona Mining (60%) and Investissement Quebec (40%), a guidance and financial solutions provider.
The definitive feasibility study for the project was completed in February 2024. The mine is estimated to have a life of mine (LOM) of 21.1 years with an investment capital of $722m.
The first production from the mine is anticipated to commence in April 2027. The mine is expected to have an average lithium production of 300 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).
Moblan lithium project location
The Moblan lithium project is located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Hub in north-western Quebec, Canada. The project encompasses 20 mineral claims, covering an area of 433ha.
Geology and mineralisation
The property lies within the Frotet-Evans greenstone belt, a component of the Archean Superior province.
Lithium was initially discovered on the Moblan property in the 1970s, with the first drilling occurring in 2007.
The geology of the Moblan property is characterised by a large north-east trending gabbro, bordered to the north-west by mafic volcanics and lesser sedimentary rocks.
The Archean bedrock is sporadically covered by glacial tills, which are not more than 3m to 4m thick.
The gabbro serves as the principal host rock for lithium-bearing pegmatite. The pegmatites belong to the albite spodumene class of lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites.
Reserves
The Moblan lithium project is estimated to contain a probable reserve of 34.5 tonnes (t) grading 1.36% lithium oxide, as of February 2024.
Mining method
The project will employ open-pit mining methods, utilising a conventional excavator and truck fleet. The LOM will involve 13 months of pre-production, followed by a 19-year production period.
Two open pits namely the Moleon pit and the Main pit are proposed to be developed over the life of the mine.
The Moleon pit will cover the Moleon domain while the Main pit will incorporate the Main, Inter, and South domains. Mining will proceed with a strip ratio of 2.3:1.
The Main, Inter, and South geological zones will converge into a single pit, designated as the Main pit.
The Main pit will have an optimal depth of 200m from the highest topographic point. Mining in the Main pit will be conducted with a bench width ranging between 6m and 9.4m and a bench height of 20m.
The Moleon Zone will necessitate a separate pit design and access.
The optimal depth of the Moleon pit will be 130m. Mining in the Moleon pit will be conducted with a bench width ranging between 6.5m and 11.7m and a bench height of 20m.
Both pits will feature a double-lane access ramp of 28m and a single-lane access ramp of 17m.
The mining fleet will consist of three 7m³ backhoes, six 92t mi
