Nickel mine

A Nickel mine is a mine that produces nickel. Some mines produce nickel primarily, while some mines produce nickel as a side-product of some other metal that has a higher concentration in the ore.

Geology

Most of the world's nickel reserves are in form of lateritic nickel ore deposits. Historically these were also the first source of commercially mined nickel. Developments in production technology favored nickel sulphide ores, so that currently most of the nickel which has ever been produced came from nickel sulphide ores. Recently more and more nickel sulphide deposits are being depleted, so new mines are again using nickel laterite.

Operations

Important nickel mine operators include Vale, Norilsk Nickel and Sherritt. Nickel mines coming online and going through ramp-up in the coming years include: Ravensthorpe (Australia), Ambatovy (Madagascar), Goro (New Caledonia), Voisey Bay (Canada), Barro Alto (Brazil), Koniambo (New Caledonia) and Sotkamo (Finland).

Name of the mine	Operations
Ravensthorpe mine (Australia)	open-pit nickel laterite
Sotkamo mine (Finland)	open-pit zinc sulphide-nickel-copper mine

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