Finland's Newest Gold Mine Coexists with Reindeer Herding

摘要

Terra Mining's newest gold producer in northern Scandinavia is the Pahtavaara mine in Finland. Pahtavaara lies about 100 km north of the Arctic Circle in the vicinity of the town of Sodankyla. This is remote territory and the mine is an example of how two disparate economic activities such as mining and reindeer herding can coexist. The gold mineralization at Pahtavaara was discovered by the Geological Survey of Finland in 1985. Production started in July of 1996. New mines are rare in Finland, and Pahtavaara is the first mine and concentrator plant to be opened during the whole of the decade of the '90s. The original ore reserves at Pahtavaara were approximately 1.5 million t grading 3 to 4 grams gold per ton.