Osisko gold mine project in Malartic

In 2004, the Osisko Mining Corporation purchased the Canadian Malartic property in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, south of the city of Malartic. This transaction set the company on a course to re-open a mining site with one of the largest gold deposits in Canada.

Operating this open-pit mine, which is low in gold content, would be a real technical, environmental and economical challenge. This mine has to process over 55,000 tonnes of ore a day, so the required process equipment is enormous and the processing plant is among the largest in Canada.

Client: Osisko
Location: Malartic

OUR EXPERTS’ SOLUTIONS

After completing the feasibility studies for Osisko, BBA was entrusted with designing the ore processing plant, the main crusher, the ore handling and storage equipment, and the waste processing and pumping system.

The grinding and gold recovery systems designed by BBA experts are among the most powerful and impressive to date. The proposed solutions demonstrated that it was possible to balance mining with sustainable development. Here are a few project highlights:

  • Mandate completed in record time, only 31 months

  • Rigorous project management on a tight schedule with overlapping engineering and construction activities

  • 3D modelling integrated into the detailed engineering

  • Design, purchase and modelling of over 650 items of process equipment

  • Civil and structural work performed in temperatures as low as -40 °C

  • Ingenious use of steel reinforced concrete recognized at the Armatura Competition of the Institut d’acier d’armature du Québec

  • Design of the largest stockpile tunnel in North America

  • Energy recovery from the cooling circuits cutting electricity costs by about 4 MW

  • Use of natural gas instead of electricity to heat the buildings

  • Pre-operational verifications to ensure a smooth start for the plant

  • Respect at all times of the initial budget defined in the estimate

IN THE WORDS OF OUR CLIENT…

“From the outset of this venture, BBA was a high-calibre ally. The rigour with which the studies were carried out enabled Osisko to proceed with the detailed engineering for this project. When the time came to select an engineering firm to design the colossal gold mine site, we naturally turned to BBA. BBA’s expertise was critical to the quick start-up of the Canadian Malartic Mine, whose future looks bright in terms of productivity.”

Luc Lessard, Senior Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Osisko Mining Corporation

IN NUMBERS

  • Gold reserve estimated at 9 million ounces

  • Capacity of 55,000 MT per day

  • Production of over 500,000 ounces of gold per year
  • Semi-autogenous grinding mill (SAG) of over 11.5 metres in diameter
  • Cycloconverter developing up to 26,000 HP
  • Grinding mills equipped with 2 synchronous motors, each developing 8,000 CV
  • Plant power reaching up to 85 MW

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