Bjorkdal Gold Mine
Overview
The Björkdal Mine is 100% owned and operated by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elgin Mining, Björkdalsgruvan AB, has operated for over 20 years and, in 2010, surpassed its first millionth ounce of gold production.
The Björkdal Mine is very proud to be one of the most environmentally friendly and safest mines in all of Europe.
The mine is a combined open pit and underground operation with a surface plant designed to process between 1.2 and 1.3 million tonnes annually. The plant produces gold concentrates that are sold to nearby smelters by a combination of gravity and flotation with no cyanidation used. The mine has excellent exploration upside with the main ore body open in several directions and at depth.
In 2011 Björkdal produced 41,000 ounces of gold with planned 2012 production between 44,000 and 46,000 ounces (13 months ending Dec. 31 2012).
Location & Infrastructure:
The Björkdal Mine is located in the prolific Skelleftea mining district in Sweden, which provides the mine with the advantages of excellent infrastructure, a well-trained and knowledgeable local workforce and supportive surrounding communities.
Processing Plant
The processing plant at the mine, which operates at a capacity of 3,700 tonnes per day, was built in 1988 and has been well maintained. The plant consists of a primary jaw crusher, secondary cone crushers, rod and ball mills, gold gravity concentration circuit (including a Knelson concentrator) and flotation circuit for gold bearing pyrite. Feed material is sourced from underground, open pit and stockpiles. Gold recoveries average almost 90%. The tailings from the plant are very benign, containing no deleterious material, and have been classified by Swedish authorities as non-toxic.
History
The Björkdal Mine was discovered by Terra Mining AB through regional till sampling. The first anomalous gold values in till samples were found in 1983 and bedrock values were discovered in 1985. Definition drilling was started in early 1986; the feasibility study was finished in May 1987 and a production decision was made in July 1987. The first shipment of gold concentrate was made in September 1988.