Atlantic Nickel announces first blast at Santa Rita underground mine access portal
Atlantic Nickel and Appian Capital Advisory Ltd have marked the start of preliminary works for the underground transition at the Santa Rita mine in Bahia, Brazil. The milestone was marked with an inaugural blast to open the first access portal.
Preliminary works are advancing in parallel with the finalisation of the Definitive Feasibility Study, “reflecting strong conviction in the technical and economic feasibility of the underground project.” The underground project is expected to have an annual production of about 30,000 t of nickel equivalent
Innovative sublevel caving method will allow greater recovery of mineral resources and reduce surface environmental impact. The completion of the inaugural blast at Atlantic Nickel’s underground project signals the formal commencement of underground development activities at Santa Rita. Appian and Atlantic Nickel are advancing the development of a large, higher-grade underground resource, extending the initial eight-year open-pit life of the Santa Rita mine to over 30 years.
The project will use sublevel caving underground production method, a proven approach implemented at leading mines in Sweden, South Africa, and Australia. The method has been selected to increase resource recovery while maintaining production capacity with minimal surface impact. The technology supports exploration at significant depths by employing a controlled system of rock breaking and handling, ensuring high productivity and operational safety. The method is also ideally matched to the geological conditions of the deposit, optimising efficiency and safety throughout the extraction process. Sublevel caving is expected to reduce environmental impacts compared to open-pit mining by limiting dust, noise and surface disturbance, while maintaining production performance.
Since restarting in 2019, Atlantic Nickel has been operating an open-pit mine and a concentrator with a processing capacity of about 6.6 Mt of ore per year. Since 2020, it has exported more than 632,000 t of nickel concentrate to Canada, China, and Finland in more than 50 shipments.Â
In 2024, Atlantic Nickel delivered its Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for the mine’s underground expansion. The PFS further reinforced Appian’s confidence in the project, outlining a long-life mine with a higher annual production rate of 30,000 t per year of nickel equivalent, low capital intensity, and a competitive cost structure. Atlantic Nickel is advancing this scenario through the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study, with preliminary works on the development now advancing in parallel.
Milson Mundim, Country Manager of Appian Brazil, commented: “The inaugural blast at Santa Rita marks a defining milestone for Atlantic Nickel and reinforces our strong conviction in the long-term potential of this asset. The transition to underground mining will significantly extend the life of mine while enabling more efficient resource recovery and reducing our surface environmental footprint. This next phase positions Santa Rita as a long-life, high-quality nickel operation, supporting the growing global demand for responsibly produced critical minerals.”
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