[ferro-alloys.com]Vale’s Sudbury Operations will spend $42 million on exploration in the Greater Sudbury Area, doubling the company's exploration spend from a year ago.

The company plans to have 13 drill rigs and about 30 active exploration projects operating in the area.

Vale's outlay is part of a larger trend of increased exploration spending in Canada. According to Natural Resources Canada, exploration spending will increase in Canada by 6.0% in 2018 to hit $2.2 billion this year.

Exploration will be conducted on the surface and underground. Sudbury residents can expect airborne surveys carrying suspended surveying instruments flying from mid-July through to the end of September.

Vale's Sudbury Operations have been in operation for more than 100 years. There are six mines, a mill, a smelter, a refinery that employ nearly 4,000 workers. Products include nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum group metals, gold and silver.

• [Editor:王可]