RANKED: World’s biggest nickel projects

Nickel is a crucial component in the batteries that power electric vehicles, and as the the world shifts towards full electrification, data from International Nickel Study Group shows a massive 22% year on year jump in January for global nickel production. At the current pace, mined nickel output is set to exceed 3.2 million tonnes per year. 

To identify major nickel deposits with the potential to be part of future global supply, Mining Intelligence compiled the 10 largest projects being explored worldwide and ranked them based on contained nickel resources in the measured, indicated and inferred categories.

#1 NORI Clarion-Clipperton

Development status: Advanced Exploration/Geology: Sediment Hosted Manganese

Other commodities: cobalt, copper, manganese

Holding on to first place is the Nori Clarion-Clipperton polymetallic project, 4,000 metres deep in the northeastern Pacific Ocean with 11.5 million tonnes (mt) contained metal. The project is named after the seafloor zone between Hawaii and Mexico, in international waters. The exploration contract is held by Nauru Ocean Resources Inc., but the Metals Company has exclusive access. Despite opposition from environmental groups, the CEO sees deep sea mining happening by the end of 2024.   

#2 TOML Clarion-Clipperton

Development status: Advanced Exploration/Geology: Sediment Hosted Manganese

Other commodities: cobalt, copper, manganese

The TOML exploration zone is also part of The Metals Company’s portfolio, with estimated resources 10 mt tonnes contained nickel and with grades similar to NORI. In 2020, the Metals Company acquired Tonga Offshore Mining Limited, giving the company exploration rights to a 74,713 km² block of CCZ seabed that contains an inferred resource of 756 million wet tonnes of polymetallic nodules.

#3 Sangaji

Development status: Advanced Exploration/Geology: Nickel-Cobalt Laterite

Other commodities: cobalt, iron

In third place is the Sangaji project in Halmahera, Indonesia, owned by Indonesian miner ANTAM with 6.7 mt contained nickel.

#4 Turnagain

Development status: Prefeasibility/Geology: Magmatic Sulphide

Other commodities: cobalt

The Turnagain project operated by Giga Metals in British Columbia moves up from fifth place last year to fourth place with 5.71 mt contained nickel. Giga Metals plans to turn Turnagin into the world’s first carbon-neutral mine.

#5 Dumont

Development status: Feasibility/Geology: Magmatic Sulphide

Other commodities: cobalt, palladium, platinum, magnetite

Moving from fourth place last year into fifth place this year is Waterton Global Resource Management’s Dumont nickel-sulphide deposit in Quebec. With 5.69 mt of contained nickel, once in production, Dumont is expected to average annual nickel production of 39,000 tonnes for over 30 years.

#6 Crawford

Development status: Preliminary Economic Assessment/Geology: Magmatic Sulphide

Other commodities: cobalt, palladium, platinum

Shooting up from 10th place last year into sixth place is Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford project in Ontario with an expanded resource of 5.4 mt contained nickel. The operation is set to generate 2.05 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of nickel-equivalent production over a mine life of 25 years – 93% lower than the industry average of 29 tonnes of CO2.

#7 Decar

Development status: Prefeasibility/Geology: Magmatic Sulphide

Other commodities: N/A

In seventh place is FPX Nickel’s greenfield discovery at Decar with 4.6 mt contained nickel. The project – named after the district in central British Columbia hosting the awaruite mineralization – is projected to produce 72 thousand metric tons per year of nickel, over a mine life of 35 years.

#8 Twin Metals

Development status: Prefeasibility/Geology: Magmatic Sulphide

Other commodities: cobalt, copper, gold, palladium, platinum, silver

In eighth place is Antofagasta’s Twin Metals project located in Minnesota’s Duluth Complex mining camp with 4.2 mt contained nickel. The proposed mine has been under close scrutiny for years over potential environmental risks. The US Interior Department in January blocked mining in part of northeast Minnesota for 20 years, the latest blow to the beleaguered project.

#9 Jacare

Development status: Prefeasibility/Geology: Nickel-Cobalt Laterite

Other commodities: cobalt

Anglo American’s Jacare project in Brazil is in ninth place with 3.9 mt contained nickel. Jacare lies about 90 miles away from the Vale’s Onça Puma nickel mine.  

#10 Mesaba

Development status: Scoping/Geology: Magmatic Sulphide

Other commodities: cobalt, copper, gold, palladium, platinum

Teck Resources’ Mesaba nickel project in the US is in ninth place with 3.3 mt contained nickel. Mesaba is the largest sulphide deposit in Minnesota’s Duluth Complex.

More data is at Mining Intelligence