First Quantum's Kevitsa Mine is located in northern Finland and mines a large, low grade, polymetallic ore body. The processing rate is currently 6.7 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) up from the design rate of 5.5 mtpa. Payable metals include nickel, copper, gold and PGM group metals. Profitability, at high volume, low grade operations like Kevitsa, is highly geared to metal prices and process improvements. Unusually, for a high tonnage low grade operation, metal losses at Kevitsa are primarily in the finer fractions. Since the operation commenced there has been a focus on maximising the separation process so as to improve the Cu-Ni process profitability. This has included: 1. Optimising the flowsheet 2. Installing column cells 3. Improving fines recovery This paper will outline these process improvements, their introduction and efficacy. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.