Boliden is inaugurating the Maurliden Östra open pit mine today, and will thereby gradually resume normal operations in the Boliden Area.
Maurliden Östra, located approximately 80 km from Skellefteå, is part of the Boliden Area. Maurliden Östra has an ore reserve of 1.2 million tonnes, with an average copper grade of 1.3 per cent. Mining is planned for four years and production will be reported in the consolidated figures for the Boliden Area.
Since the beginning of 2008, the Boliden Area has had limited capacity in terms of depositing tailings sand, a residual product from mining activities. A new tailings pond will be commissioned at the end of 2010, thereby enabling increased production.
"Commissioning Maurliden Östra means an increase in mine production in the Boliden Area, and normal operations will be resumed at the concentrator after several years of reduced production," explains Jan Moström, President Business Area Mines.
The Boliden Area is one of the Boliden Group's four mining areas. The area is located in the mineral-rich Skellefte field, and comprises the Renström and Kristineberg underground mines and the Maurliden and Maurliden Östra open pit mines. All the mines produce complex ore that contains zinc, copper, lead, gold and silver. In 2009, production in the Boliden Area totalled 31,000 tonnes of zinc, 8,000 tonnes of copper, 48 tonnes of silver, 1.7 tonnes of lead and 1.5 tonnes of gold.
Polymetallic ore reserves in Maurliden Östra and the Boliden Area, total (Boliden Annual Report 2009)
| Quantity (ktonnes) | Cu % | Zn % | Pb % | Au g/t | Ag g/t | ||
| Maurliden Östra | Proven | ||||||
| Probable | 1,200 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 16 | ||
| The Boliden Area, incl. Maurliden Östra | Proven | 3,170 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 42 |
| Probable | 3,780 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 71 | |
For further information, please contact:
Marcela Sylvander, Director Group Communications, Boliden AB, tel: +46 8 610 1559
Frans Benson, Director Investor Relations, Boliden AB, tel: +46 8 610 15 23