Pyhäsalmi Mine
Encyclopedia
Pyhäsalmi Mine, the deepest metal mine
in Europe (having depth of 1444 metres or 4,737.5 ft) is located at the Pyhäjärvi
municipality in the south of Oulu
province, Finland
. The zinc
and copper
mine is owned by Inmet Mining
, a Canadian
mining corporation.
In 1958 a local farmer discovered gossan
ore during a well construction. Shortly after a sample was delivered to Outokumpu Corporation
for analysis and a more thorough geological survey was commenced, revealing a rich volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit
(VMS-deposit) rich in zinc
and copper
. In 1959 a decision was made to open a new mine in the area and after few years of construction the mine was opened on March 1, 1962.
Pyhäsalmi mine was worked as an open cast pit until 1967, when underground mining operations commenced. In 1975, open cast mining was stopped. During the years the underground mine has been made gradually deeper. The so-called Olli Shaft was completed in 1985, making the mine 730 metres (2,395 ft) deep. New ore was discovered yet deeper, and a depth of 1050 metres (3,444.9 ft) was reached in 1996. Later a new shaft, called Timo Shaft was built to exploit the ore deposit between 1050 and 1440 m (3,444.9 and 4,724.4 ft). Timo Shaft's construction work completed in 2001. By 2003, 38.2 million tons of ore have been processed, containing 1.2% copper, 3.1% zinc, 0.46 grams per ton of gold and 14.6 grams per ton of silver, 15.6 million tons of ore remained.
The mine is also the home of the worlds deepest sauna, at 1440 metres (4,724 ft) underground. (Guinness World Records
)
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in Europe (having depth of 1444 metres or 4,737.5 ft) is located at the Pyhäjärvi
Pyhäjärvi
Pyhäjärvi is a town and municipality in the south of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. Pyhäjärvi also borders the Northern Savonia and Central Finland regions. The town belongs to the subregion of Nivala–Haapajärvi...
municipality in the south of Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
province, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine is owned by Inmet Mining
Inmet Mining
The Inmet Mining Corporation is a Canadian mining corporation that produces copper, zinc and gold. Focus on finding quality base metal reserves, with interest in four mining operations. The company currently holds an 18% stake in Ok Tedi Mining Limited. It also owns the Pyhäsalmi Mine in Finland....
, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
mining corporation.
History
Gossan
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein. In the classic gossan or iron cap all that remains is iron oxides and quartz often in the form of boxworks, quartz lined cavities retaining the shape of the dissolved...
ore during a well construction. Shortly after a sample was delivered to Outokumpu Corporation
Outokumpu
Outokumpu is a group of companies headquartered in Espoo, Finland, aimed at stainless steel. The company has approx. 8 000 employees in about 30 different countries worldwide...
for analysis and a more thorough geological survey was commenced, revealing a rich volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit
Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit
Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits are a type of metal sulfide ore deposit, mainly Cu-Zn-Pb which are associated with and created by volcanic-associated hydrothermal events in submarine environments....
(VMS-deposit) rich in zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. In 1959 a decision was made to open a new mine in the area and after few years of construction the mine was opened on March 1, 1962.
Pyhäsalmi mine was worked as an open cast pit until 1967, when underground mining operations commenced. In 1975, open cast mining was stopped. During the years the underground mine has been made gradually deeper. The so-called Olli Shaft was completed in 1985, making the mine 730 metres (2,395 ft) deep. New ore was discovered yet deeper, and a depth of 1050 metres (3,444.9 ft) was reached in 1996. Later a new shaft, called Timo Shaft was built to exploit the ore deposit between 1050 and 1440 m (3,444.9 and 4,724.4 ft). Timo Shaft's construction work completed in 2001. By 2003, 38.2 million tons of ore have been processed, containing 1.2% copper, 3.1% zinc, 0.46 grams per ton of gold and 14.6 grams per ton of silver, 15.6 million tons of ore remained.
The mine is also the home of the worlds deepest sauna, at 1440 metres (4,724 ft) underground. (Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
)