Favourable geological environment

Finland is one of the few areas in the world anomalously enriched in nickel. It is also well endowed with other base metals such as copper and zinc. It holds great potential in precious metals as well.

The large untapped potential has been proved by Anglo American’s recent Sakatti –discovery.

New era in exploration

Until 1994 mineral exploration was conducted mainly by government financed Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) and one state-owned company, Outokumpu. No entrepreneurial mineral exploration existed and the industry lacked and still lacks Finnish venture capital.

The Finnish mining sector opened to foreign competition in the mid 1990’s just when base metals prices were at their lowest and Outokumpu was exiting the exploration business.

These structural shifts have created a new dawn in mineral exploration in Finland and a great opportunity for those involved.

Large areas left to explore

Pre-1994 exploration, mainly conducted by Outokumpu and the Finnish Geological Survey, identified many areas of economic mineralization and several deposits with defined mineral resources at or near surface that remain undeveloped.

Past mining was typically shallow (less than 250m) and exploration for additional ore bodies around old mines was limited.

Mineral assets and potential have not been realized to their full extent.