Nordic Iron Ore has all necessary permits to begin mining operations at Blötberget. The exploitation concession, which was granted by the Mining Inspectorate of Sweden in 2011, is valid for 25 years with the right to extend. The exploitation concession assigns the right of extraction and exploitation of iron, lanthanum and apatite. An environmental permit was granted in 2014.
Average iron content close to 69 per cent
In 2015 and 2016, extensive tests were conducted for optimising metallurgical concentration, on a laboratory and pilot scale, of a total of 20 tonnes of crude ore. The test results indicated the possibility of preparing products with an average iron content of close to 69 per cent, with the peak samples close to 71%. This means that the quality of the product is among the highest in the world.
The majority of mining operations at the Blötberg mine prior to its closure in 1979 were conducted above the 240-metre level. Nordic Iron Ore plans to restart mining operations below previously exhausted areas, using the 420-metre level as the new main level.
The Blötberg field consists mainly of three mineralised bodies:
- The Kalvgruvan mine (high-apatite magnetite mineralisation)
- Hugget-Flygruvan (high-apatite magnetite-haematite mineralisations)
- Sandell ore (high-apatite magnetite mineralisation)
