Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects

    First Phosphate Bégin-Lamarche update: resource and process notes for mine planners

    May 26, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    First Phosphate Bégin-Lamarche update: resource and process notes for mine planners

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    A resource update at First Phosphate’s Bégin-Lamarche project in northeastern Quebec has lifted indicated resources more than fourfold to 198.5 million pit-constrained tonnes at 6% P2O5, added 6.2 million measured tonnes at 7.7% P2O5, and cut inferred resources to 89.5 million tonnes at 6.16% P2O5 from 68,345 metres of drilling in 276 holes. Metallurgical tests show a 40.4% apatite concentrate, supporting plans for a 10,000‑tonne‑per‑year iron phosphate plant and a proposed phosphoric acid facility near the deep-water Port of Saguenay, 70 km away.

    Technical Brief

    • Drilling density is high: 68,345 m from 276 holes underpin the current block model.
    • Bégin-Lamarche lies ~450 km northeast of Montreal and ~70 km north of the deep-sea Port of Saguenay.
    • Site proximity to existing road and power corridors reduces greenfield infrastructure requirements for mine development.
    • Metallurgical testwork confirms production of 40.4% apatite concentrate, suitable as feedstock for battery-grade phosphoric acid.
    • First Phosphate plans a 10,000 t/y iron phosphate plant near Saguenay as a downstream offtake for Bégin-Lamarche.
    • A separate phosphoric acid plant is proposed at the Port of Saguenay, providing upstream reagent for iron phosphate production.
    • Apatite’s designation as a critical mineral by Canada, the US and EU may support permitting and funding pathways.

    Our Take

    First Phosphate’s Bégin-Lamarche project in Quebec is one of the few phosphate stories in our 143 phosphate- and lithium-tagged pieces that is explicitly tied to downstream LFP cathode material, which positions it closer to the battery supply chain than most rock-phosphate juniors in the database.

    The recent conditional C$16.7 million non-repayable contribution flagged in our 3 March 2026 coverage of NRCan’s Global Partnerships Initiative indicates that Ottawa now treats Bégin-Lamarche as a strategic LFP hub, which can materially de-risk early engineering for the planned Saguenay iron phosphate facility and associated Port of Saguenay logistics.

    With indicated resources at Bégin-Lamarche now several times higher and still 89.5 million tonnes in inferred, the project’s scale is starting to resemble the larger critical-mineral builds in Ottawa’s C$12.1 billion critical minerals portfolio (2 March 2026 article), suggesting it could become a regional anchor asset for Quebec’s phosphate and LFP value chain rather than a niche feed source.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Copi critical minerals project: approvals and capex lens for mine planners
    Mining
    about 2 hours ago

    Copi critical minerals project: approvals and capex lens for mine planners

    New South Wales has approved RZ Resources’ A$693 million Copi mineral sands mine, designed to produce up to 400,000 tonnes of critical mineral ore per year over an 18‑year life from a deposit 75 km northwest of Wentworth. The operation will supply titanium minerals (rutile, leucoxene, ilmenite), premium zircon and rare earths (monazite, xenotime), feeding RZ’s existing mineral separation plant on the Brisbane River, the only major facility of its type on Australia’s east coast. Backing from JX Advanced Metals, Marubeni and prospective US EXIM financing signals strong geopolitical interest in Copi’s role in Quad-aligned supply chains.

    Mining
    about 6 hours ago

    ABB–Point Laz mine hoist inspection JV: integrated monitoring insights for engineers

    ABB has formed a strategic partnership with Point Laz to integrate the Lazaruss™ mine shaft monitoring system into ABB’s mine hoist portfolio, targeting safer and more reliable hoist inspection in deep underground shafts. The collaboration focuses on an integrated service offering that combines continuous shaft condition monitoring with hoist control and maintenance planning, moving inspections away from purely manual, periodic checks. For engineers, this signals growing scope to link hoist performance data with real-time shaft integrity information for earlier detection of lining, guide and conveyance issues.

    Vizsla $10m FIFOMI loan for Panuco: project economics and risk notes for engineers
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Vizsla $10m FIFOMI loan for Panuco: project economics and risk notes for engineers

    Vizsla Silver has secured a 173 million peso (≈$10 million) five-year working capital facility from Mexican state-backed lender FIFOMI for its Panuco silver-gold project in Sinaloa, priced at the TIIE rate plus a 4.6681% margin. Panuco hosts over 102 million oz silver and 829,000 oz gold in reserves, with a feasibility study projecting 17.4 million oz silver-equivalent output per year over 9.4 years, an after-tax NPV5 of $1.8 billion, 111% IRR and a seven-month payback. Shares rose 2.6%, valuing Vizsla at C$1.78 billion.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental