Discovery Of Europe’s Largest Nickel Deposit By Anglo-American In Sakattilampi

Posted in Industry News on 10th November 2011

William Rowland are a leading supplier of Nickel.

It has been reported that Anglo-American has discovered Europe's largest nickel deposit in the Sakattilampi district, north of the town Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland.

Test drillings have found ore samples with as much as 4% nickel content, but it is also reported that there is plenty of copper here too, as well as gold and palladium. The exploration of the area has already acquired a combined depth of 28km of drill holes. It is thought that the deposit stretches down almost a kilometre and contains pyrites; Anglo-American plan to employ 150 workers to double the number of drill holes to see just how wide / deep the deposit is.

In 2007, the town had a population of 8,982 and an unemployment rate of 13.7%. As the deposit seems to be bigger than first anticipated, there is potential for a mine to be opened, creating more jobs for local people. Anglo-American are in talks over the possibility of constructing a nickel smelting plant in Sodankylä, and it has already been announced that 3 apartment blocks will be built in the town, along with a large storage and office building. Anglo-American has already spent a total of 30 million euros in exploring the site since 2004. It is believed that it will be another 5 years before the mine will be established.

However there is a complication with these plans. Much of the deposit sits beneath Vilankiaapa mire, which covers 1km x 0.5km and is protected by the European Union's Natura 2000 network. Any changes made to the mire would require the permission of the Finnish Parliament, therefore potentially ruling out the proposed open mine.

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