| Kidd Mine | |
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| Location | |
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Kidd Mine
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| Location | Timmins |
| Province | Ontario |
| Country | Canada |
| Owner | |
| Company | Xstrata Copper |
| Website | Kidd Mine information on Xstrata website |
| Year of acquisition | 2006 (takeover of Falconbridge Ltd.) |
| Production | |
| Products | Copper Zinc |
| History | |
| Opened | 1966 |
| Closed | 2017 (estimated) |
Kidd Mine an underground base metal mine in the city of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and operated by Xstrata Copper, following the August 2006 takeover of Falconbridge Ltd. Ore from the Kidd mine is processed at the Kidd Metallurgical Site, located 27 km (17 mi) southeast of the mine.[1] Kidd Mine is the world's deepest copper/zinc mine.[2]
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The ore deposit at Kidd Mine was discovered in 1964, and began operation in 1966, as an open pit mine and eventually evolved into an underground mine. The mine produces copper, zinc, and several other metals.[2][3]
The Kidd deposit is one of the largest volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits in the world, and one of the world's largest base metal deposts.[2] It lies within in the Abitibi greenstone belt.[4]
Kidd Mine and Met Site collectively employ 2,200 employees and contractors, and in 2008 committed to investing $120 million to extend the production to 2017, and deepen the mine to 9,600 feet (2,900 m), from its current depth of 9,100 feet (2,800 m).[2][3] The investment would add 3.4 million tonnes of ore into the mine plan. The expansion will include the development of three additional production levels and deepening the ramp from the 9100 level to the 9600 level, where the loading pocket is located. There will be an extension of the ventilation and backfill systems to the new sections of the mine.[2]
The mine is the deepest base metal mine in the world. The maximum depth of almost 10,000 feet (3,000 m) and its northerly latitude mean that the bottom of the mine is the closest accessible point to the centre of the Earth. Although some South African mines, such as TauTau are deeper, the greater equatorial radius of the earth mean that they are further from the centre.