Inco to open its Crean Hill mine

An additional capital expenditure of $40 million will be made by Inco Ltd. at its Sudbury, Ont., nickel mining operations. Over a 2-year period, the world’s largest nickel miner plans to spend $25 million to reactivate the Crean Hill mine as an all-electric underground operation featuring the latest in underground mining technology.

The Crean Hill mine, expected to enter production in 1989, will offset decreasing production from Inco’s other mines in the area. Electrification of Crean Hill will result in improved productivity, safety and costs, Inco says.

Another $15 million will finance Inco’s mechanization of its copper refinery tankhouse during a 2-year period. Major changes will include improvement of anode preparation, slime handling, electrolyte distribution and cathode washing. The changes will improve safety and lower costs.

Since 1980, Inco has spent $300 million in capital expenditures at its Sudbury operations.