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Canadian iron ore miner Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd (CLM) has sent its first maritime shipment of iron ore concentrate to Chinese steelmaker Wuhan Iron and Steel Co. (WISCO) from the port of Sept Iles, Québec.
 
The first ship bound for China was loaded with approximately 165,000 mt of high quality iron ore concentrate produced by its subsidiary, Bloom Lake Iron Ore Limited Partnership, at the now fully operational Bloom Lake mine in northeastern Québec.
 
CLM is committed to delivering 8 million mt of high quality iron ore concentrate with 66 percent Fe annually to its Asian customers. Bloom Lake is a development-stage iron ore project that will have a 34-year mine life based on feasibility studies.
 
As SteelOrbis previously reported, in July 2009 WISCO invested a total of US$240 million in CLM, becoming its largest shareholder. The two companies established a limited partnership in which WISCO holds a 25 percent interest and to which CLM contributes its Bloom Lake property.
 
WISCO intends to achieve its target of self-sufficiency in iron ore supplies within three to five years.