Glencore Sudbury INO said “new opportunities” would come with Onaping Depth project
Glencore Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO) has begun the process of closing Fraser Mine, with the last ore expected to be produced in December.
Situated about 55 kilometres northwest of Sudbury in Onaping, Fraser has been in operation since 1963, mining nickel, copper and byproducts including cobalt gold, silver, platinum and palladium from depths of between 1,100 and 1,700 metres. In 2024, Fraser Mine produced 553,033 tonnes of ore.
The company previously forecasted its end of life at around 2024-2025, and Sudbury INO spokesperson Iyo Grenon confirmed the mine is nearing the end of production and will enter full closure.
“Over the past several years, Glencore has carefully evaluated a range of options to extend the operational life of Fraser Mine,” Grenon said in an email to Northern Ontario Business.
“Following a detailed review, including a recent assessment of remaining mining opportunities through mid-2026, we have made the difficult decision to begin the closure process for the mine.”
Fraser Mine currently employs 263 permanent employees, Grenon said, and the company is working alongside union representatives to establish a transition plan for those who will be affected by the closure.
“A detailed transition plan for employees is being developed, in coordination with the unions, including opportunities to transition to other areas of the Sudbury operations, and opportunities for redeployment to other Glencore businesses,” said Grenon, Sudbury’s INO’s human resources and senior communications specialist.
“As Fraser Mine prepares for closure, our Onaping Depth Project at Craig Mine will begin ramping up operations, creating new opportunities.”
Sudbury INO and its unionized employees reached a new, four-year agreement in February. At that time, Unifor Local 598 said it represented 679 workers in a variety of roles in the mining and smelting operation.
A representative for Unifor could not be reached prior to publication.
Throughout its operation, Fraser has been recognized multiple times for its record of safety with the prestigious John T. Ryan Safety Trophy, given by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
In 2016 it received the Regional Ontario Metal Mine award, and in 2024 it won the National Metal Mine award.
Grenon said the company’s focus on safety, among other priorities, would continue through Fraser’s next stages.
“We are committed to managing this transition in a transparent, respectful, and collaborative manner,” Grenon said.
“Throughout the closure and rehabilitation process, our top priorities will remain on health, safety, and environmental stewardship.”
Confirmation of Fraser Mine’s closure comes a little more than a year after production ended at another Sudbury INO property, Nickel Rim South Mine, which went into care and maintenance in 2024.
A mine operating under care and maintenance ceases production, but procedures are put into place to ensure the site is managed safely.
Contrary to a full mine closure, care and maintenance leaves the door open for operations to potentially resume at a future date.
Over its 15-year lifespan, Nickel Rim South, which produced nickel, copper and precious metals, produced 18.3 million tonnes of ore.
As Sudbury INO’s legacy mines wind down, the company remains focused on the Craig Mine Onaping Depth Project, a $700-million project that’s currently in development.
The nickel-copper resource is located below the existing Craig Mine in Onaping, northwest of Sudbury, and the mine will have a projected life beyond 2036.
Sudbury INO is designing the mine as a modern, innovative operation, integrating real-time remote management, monitoring and control from surface, as well as mine-wide Wi-Fi.
The mine’s entire fleet will be battery-electric, and some vehicles will be autonomous. The company also plans to introduce new ventilation and cooling systems to address 40-degree temperatures.