Mary River Iron Ore Project

The Mary River iron ore deposit is located 160 km south of Pond Inlet, Baffin Island, NU. Nuna has long been a partner of Baffinland Iron Mines as the Company has developed the Mary River Project. From Nuna’s earliest activities on site in 2007, which included the tote road upgrade and initial bulk sample to current activities including a variety of heavy civil construction activities and site services, Nuna has worked closely with Baffinland and has made Inuit training and employment a high priority.

South Rail Feasibility Study Assistance (2023-Present)

Commenced: 2023
Completed: In Progress
Client: Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation

Nuna East Ltd. was contracted by BIM to work in parallel with their engineering team to provide constructability and cost inputs to the South Rail Expansion Project.

Miscellaneous Site Works (2015-Present)

Commenced: 2015
Completed: In Progress

Nuna East Ltd., a partnership with 3 Arctic Co-operatives (Hall Beach Eskimo Co-operative Association Limited, Tununiq Sauniq Co-Operative Limited, and Igloolik Co-Operative Limited), has been contracted to perform a variety of scopes including: infrastructure improvements at the port site; 100 km road upgrade; road construction; crushing; fuel storage containment; culverts; bridges; load and haul ore; and logistics management. Since 2015, Nuna East has executed multiple contracts as part of expansion of the Mary River Project, including loading and hauling over 1 million m3 of material in support of earthworks in 2019, and several contracts are still underway. These include:

Mary River Expansion Stage 3 Early Earthworks

  • Pond 1A earthworks – drill, blast, and excavate footprint; and construct berms and place liner (15,000 m3).
  • Environmental work – drainage ditches and culvert installations.
  • Freight dock construction.
  • Road construction to support heavy module mobilization and installation.
  • Placing surfacing in laydown areas.
  • Pond 1 earthworks – drill, blast, and excavate footprint; and construct berms and place liner.
  • Ore stockpile Phase 1 expansion, including Pond 3.
  • Miscellaneous quarry, road, and laydown area construction.
  • Tank farm construction.

Mary River Expansion Stage 3 Site Services

  • Water and sewage services.
  • Waste collection.
  • Deliver materials between airport and construction camps.
  • Provide bus service for crew change days and for on-site bussing of personnel.
  • Snow removal around construction camps.
  • General labour support.

Mary River Expansion Stage 3 MEIP

Scope of electrical work in coordination with electrical contractor ADCO Power:

  • Power generation upgrade, including installation of new diesel generators and modular switchgear building.
  • Power distribution upgrade / expansion, including installation and relocation of E-Houses and installation of MV and LV power distribution cables.
  • Heat traced water/effluent pipelines, including new and modified overland pipes.
  • Fiber optic cable modification and installation to interconnect facilities.
  • Area / flood lighting, including poles and lights.
  • Construction of Milne Port camp pad and fuel pads.
  • Installation of heaters in 800-person camp crawl space (8 wings).
  • Provide electrical support for 800-person camp and other camps as required.
  • 5 kV cable relocations at Port to accommodate new camp installation and pond construction.
  • General site electrical as required at the Mine and Port.

Scope of mechanical work:

  • Construct new raw water pipeline and place on new berm with heat trace.
  • Supply materials and construct new effluent line (1,475 m).
  • Install new sewage receiving station.
  • Supply and install new treated effluent pump station.
  • Install insulation in 800-person camp crawlspace (8 wings).
  • General mechanical service as required at the Mine and Port.

Miscellaneous Earthworks (2015)

Commenced: 2015
Completed: 2015

Nuna East Ltd. carried out upgrade work to the 120 km all-weather road between Mary River and Milne Inlet; constructed a crusher pad and settling pond at Mary River; repaired bridge abutments; removed a sea-can bridge; and performed drill / blast services.

Ore Dock, Milne Inlet (2014)

Commenced: 2014
Completed: 2014

An open cell sheet pile ore dock at the Milne Inlet Port, a design build project, commenced July 2014. The design team consisted of PND Engineers Inc., engineer; and Ruskin Construction Ltd., general contractor. Nuna East Ltd. provided subcontracting services to Ruskin. The ore dock serves two primary functional objectives: provide a safe, efficient, and secure deep-water berth for a range of design vessels including Supramax, Panamax, and Post-Panamax bulk ore carriers; and provide a means of support for the ship-loaders and associated mechanical equipment used for loading the vessel. Nuna East’s scope included:

  • Mobilization to site: Cat 988 loader, D8 dozer, 773 haul trucks, and 345 excavator; John Deere 850 excavator; pick-up trucks; office building; maintenance shop; 45 kW generator; light plants; and frost fighters.
  • Load, haul, and place 174,700 m3 of material.
  • Supply and installation of silt curtain (580 m length).
  • Construction of laydown next to causeway (24,000 m3) and mooring tie-off points (45,000 m3 combined).
  • Haul ROQ to crusher (75,000 m3).

Earthworks & Site Services (2013-2014)

Commenced: 2013
Completed: 2014

Constructed all civil infrastructure including tank farms, settling ponds, camp, and facility infrastructure pads at both Milne Inlet and Mary River locations. Provided site services and miscellaneous maintenance functions. Constructed and maintained ice airstrip for winter Hercules aircraft program.

Miscellaneous Care & Maintenance and Minor Earthworks (2009-2012)

Commenced: 2009
Completed: 2012

Nuna performed care and maintenance activities as well as tank farm construction in 2011.

Earthworks & Mining Bulk Sample (2007-2008)

Commenced: 2007
Completed: 2008

To allow for self-sufficient execution of the bulk sample scope, Nuna mobilized heavy civil and mining fleet equipment including excavator, loaders, dozers, packer, crusher, conventional and mining trucks, mobile ambulance, 54-person camp, shops, and 100 sea-containers; and transported 2 million liters of fuel from Milne Inlet to Mary River. Nuna’s construction scope comprised: construction of a 120 km all-weather road including bridge installations on 4 major river crossings; and set-up and construction of site infrastructure including fuel tank farms. Mining scope comprised: construction of a 9 km access road up mountain; sample site development (drill / blast); transportation of raw ore to the crusher; crushing 120,000 tonnes of fine and lump product; and hauling product to the coast in order to meet the project’s objectives of shipping on the following season’s sealift in order to adhere to the 12-month timeline for project completion.

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