Mineral Exploration Methods Develop in Expert Cooperation Between Boliden and GTK
Environmentally sustainable, more accurate and cost-effective methods are constantly being sought in mineral exploration. However, it all starts with comprehensive background information and applicable research methods. Ever since Boliden started its operations in Finland, it has relied on the Geological Survey of Finland’s (GTK) expertise in the development of mineral exploration methods.
Boliden produces base metals for the future
GTK discovered the Kevitsa multimetal deposit in Sodankylä at the end of the 1980s. Kevitsa is one of the largest deposits ever discovered in Finland. Some twenty years went by before the Canadian mining and metal company First Quantum Minerals decided to establish a mine in Sodankylä. In 2016, the Kevitsa mine changed ownership to the Swedish metal producer Boliden, and cooperation with GTK began.
Boliden focuses on the production of base metals required in the future. Kevitsa mainly produces copper and nickel, but concentrates also contain cobalt, platinum, palladium and gold. During 2022, Boliden’s Kevitsa multimetal mine produced some 133,000 tonnes of nickel concentrate and roughly 100,000 tonnes of copper concentrate.
Base metals are required by practically all industrialised societies, and megatrends such as urbanisation, the transition to renewable energy, and electric transport increase their global demand even further.
The challenge
More effective mineral exploration methods to identify promising deposits
GTK’s open (e.g. MDaE) datasets and those available for order and the Loppi national drill core archive provide mineral exploration companies with valuable background information to identify potential areas. Mineral exploration companies face the biggest challenge before the exploration even begins: it all starts with regional basic datasets that are only produced and published in Finland by GTK. In addition, geophysical seismic reflection and electrical methods were used in recent projects with Boliden to draw a large-scale regional overview and obtain a better understanding of the structures that affect the ore formation process.
Sanna Rötsä, Head of Section for Central Finland Exploration at Boliden, has worked with GTK in several projects ever since Boliden started operations in Finland.
“An optimally accurate overview of the area is always required to start a mineral exploration project. We have both validated known areas and surveyed new areas. In expert cooperation with GTK, we conduct structural geology surveys and modelling in areas of interest. The vast and broad experience of GTK’s experts in the areas being surveyed is particularly important, as it adds to our own understanding.”
Boliden has also used the Loppi national drill core archive flexibly by ordering samples to other GTK locations in Kuopio or Rovaniemi for investigation when the archive has backlog.
GTK offering solutions
Concrete benefits through expert cooperation
As Boliden has in-house expertise for example in interpreting geophysical datasets, what expectations has it set for its partners? Teemu Törmälehto, Head of Section for Kevitsa Exploration, mentions the ease of contact as one of GTK’s strengths. GTK does not just provide individual services, but it offers the experts required and the right approach in each area.
“In recent years, our cooperation has had two focus points. GTK was the contractor in seismic surveys that were completed successfully, giving us high-quality data, which we will use in concrete terms. We have also been engaged in expert cooperation, which has not only improved our expertise, but also given us new methods and even improved our team spirit. Having an external partner adds transparency to self-assessments. As a result, we have found areas for mineral exploration that we have developed further.”
Boliden’s business model covers the entire value chain of metals, ranging from mineral exploration to recycling. As a consequence, nearly all of GTK’s research fields have cooperated with Boliden at some point. Projects have been built around mineral processing, the performance assessment of dam structures, and geophysical methods.
The difficulty to recruit skilled professionals is a cause of concern in the industry. For this reason as well, the partner must provide various expertise in situations where additional resources are required.
“The personnel structure will undergo changes in the future. GTK is the only organisation in Finland that provides regional basic data, which is why it can assign an expert to any area. No other organisation provides similar services. The correct person and service can be found for each research field in-house, ranging from mapping to analysis and from method development to reporting. As the customer may not always know the right questions to ask, an active and systematic approach is particularly important,” says Sanna Rötsä.
Going forward
Added value for operational development from cooperation projects
Boliden appreciates GTK’s initiative in large cooperation projects with multiple operators. Boliden and GTK are engaged in a constant dialogue on how research projects can provide added value to Boliden’s operations. GTK’s contacts have learned to identify research themes that could be interesting for the customer. For example, the EU-funded D-Rex research and innovation project to develop geophysical applications is currently in progress. Sanna Rötsä sees that cooperation projects produce obvious benefits.
“Cooperation increases our personnel’s expertise. We always learn something new along the way by working in networks and establishing new contacts. At the same time, we can compare our ways of working with those of other companies and assess their effectiveness. GTK already knows quite well what cooperation projects produce the best benefits for us.”
Why GTK?
Basically, GTK is the only organisation that provides expert cooperation and dataset services. I believe GTK is the best option when we need personnel training, method development and the exchange of ideas between experts. I also appreciate the clarity of dataset subscriptions regarding data transfers, for example. GTK`s Geodata team responds quickly to requests and everything goes smoothly. We can trust that customers are treated equally.
‒ Sanna Rötsä, Head of section, Boliden
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