Duluth Metals Limited, an American mining company focusing on the Minnesota area, has announced that their pre-feasibility study of the Twin Metals copper-nickel mine near Ely is well under way and should be completed by mid-2014. The study will be the basis of a detailed plan for the mine, located approximately 15 miles to the northwest of Minnesota’s Iron Range, before the permit process begins.
This upcoming spring, the company also plans to update their estimate on the extent of the nonferrous metals deposits at the site, which has previously been called one of the world’s biggest untapped areas of copper, nickel and precious metals. The mine is predicted to be even larger than the proposed PolyMet mine, located near Babbitt, approximately 10 miles to the west of the Iron Range. If PolyMet completes all the necessary approvals, it will beat out Twin Metals as Minnesota’s first copper-nickel mining operation.