High-Purity Quebec Iron Ore: A Crucial Resource for the Green Transition in the Steel Industry

November 15 2025, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
(Offered only in French)

Workshop Organizer: Serge Perreault (Ordre des géologues du Québec)

The Fermont–Labrador City region has significant high-purity iron ore resources, accessible from both Quebec and Labrador. Understanding their mineralogical characteristics is crucial for producing iron oxide concentrates (hematite and magnetite) for decarbonized steel production. Although their iron oxide grades are lower (28% to 33%) compared to deposits currently mined in Australia and Brazil (55% to 62%), metamorphosed iron ores have a coarse grain size that promotes strong liberation of hematite and magnetite from their quartz gangue. This makes it possible to concentrate an ore at 30% Fe₂O₃ and obtain a concentrate exceeding 67% Fe₂O₃, with very few deleterious elements. This ability to produce high-purity concentrates allows our producers to manufacture superior-quality iron pellets and command a premium price.

This workshop will cover the origin and typology of sedimentary iron formations, their mineralogical characteristics, and the physicochemical processes behind the high-purity iron deposits of the northeastern Grenville Province. Participants will have an opportunity to examine samples from the different types of deposits.
The workshop will also highlight the mineralogical and strategic importance of metamorphosed iron ores from the northeastern Grenville Province as a key feedstock in green steel production, as well as the importance of adding high-purity iron ore to Quebec’s list of critical and strategic minerals.