Groundwater Occurrence at, and Advanced Dewatering of, a Geologically Complex Orebody at the Iron Ore Company of Canada Open Pit Mine in Subarctic Labrador Canada

ABSTRACT: Located in Western Labrador, the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) has operated the Carol Lake Mine since the official opening in 1962. IOC has three shareholders, Rio Tinto, Mitsubishi Corporation and Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation and produces iron concentrate and pellets for sale on the international market. Geologically, the mine is located in the Sokoman Iron Formation within the Labrador Trough. The orebody has been strongly metamorphosed, deformed, and subjected to variable supergene (limonitic) alteration resulting in a complex hydrogeologic setting. A broad knowledge of the hydrogeology exists and many successful dewatering wells have been constructed to good effect. Successful and efficient mining, below water table, is dependent upon these wells dewatering the orebody early, before mining starts, and sustainably pumping for the long-term.