The new Persévérance zinc and copper operation is located in Matagami, 1,000 km north of Montréal, Québec,
Canada. The zinc produced at the Persévérance mine is processed at the Matagami concentrator.
The annual
production of 228,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate is shipped to the CEZinc refinery in Valleyfield, Québec, the second
largest zinc refinery in North America. The annual production of copper concentrate is 35,000 tonnes. The mine's life
expectancy is estimated at 5.5 years.
Starting in August 2006, Hatch was responsible for the engineering, procurement, project and construction management
of both Xstrata’s newest mine and the surface facilities for operating and maintaining the mine. A 40-year-old concentrator
at the site was also revamped by Hatch to increase its throughput by 20 percent.
The project was a great success from a schedule and cost point of view. The startup was five months ahead of schedule
and the project was completed under budget. The key to this success was a team effort by Hatch and Xstrata Zinc,
working together to obtain innovative solutions to engineering and construction.
“We are proud to be partners with Hatch in this important achievement. It is also essential to mention the excellent
teamwork between Hatch and our team at the mine in Matagami.”
— Guy Belleau, General Manager, Persévérance project, Xstrata Zinc