Rio Tinto Pumping Big Cash into Eagle Mine

Kennecott gets more financial commitment today to the Eagle Mine.

It could bring in hundreds of new jobs.

Rio Tinto, Kennecott’s parent company, says it plans to invest $469 million in the mine.

That money will be spent in the construction of the project.

Kennecott expects to create 700 new jobs, with more than 400 of them coming in the 3-year construction phase.

The Eagle mine will be the only mine in the United States where nickel will be the primary mineral.

Eagle Project Manager Jon Cherry says the mine will produce separate nickel and copper concentrates for 6 years — averaging a little over 17,000 tons of nickel and 13,000 tons of copper per year.

Ore will be transported to the old Humboldt Mill for processing to produce concentrates that will be shipped elsewhere for final refinement.

Construction of the mine and mill projects is starting this year, with initial site preparation and civil work at the mine site, as well as demolition work at the mill.