The Aitik, Salmijärvi, and Aitik East deposits occur along a largely continuous elongate mineralized trend (the Aitik-Salmijärvi mineralization) stretching approximately 5 km along strike from north to south averaging about 500 m in width.

Host rocks of the mineralization at the Aitik deposit consist mainly of paleo-proterozoic (ca. 1.89 billion years) muscovite schists, biotite gneisses, and amphibole-biotite gneisses of volcanic and volcanoclastic origin, crosscut locally by diorite intrusive units. In places the diorite intrusive make up a significant proportion of the mineralized volume, but typically at lower than average grade. Foliation is well developed in the host rocks, dipping at about 50 degrees to the west. The mineralization is mainly structurally controlled and the main mineralisation; Aitik is delineated by a hangingwall thrust and a footwall shear. Main sulfide minerals in the deposit are chalcopyrite, pyrite and pyrrhotite, with significant accessory minerals including magnetite, molybdenite and sulfates. The entire package has been metamorphosed to amphibolite grade resulting in significant recrystallization and coarsening of both sulfide and silicate minerals. Late granite pegmatite dikes crosscut the mineralized host rocks and are generally weakly mineralized to barren.

Mineralization at the Salmijärvi and Aitik East deposits is very similar in nature to the Aitik deposit, with the exception that host rocks are strongly dominated by ........

In Aitik, ore haulage has been automated to a high degree, which provides conditions for large-scale production while also ensuring a safe workplace with good climate performance.

In 2021 in Aitik, work continued on enabling mining of the satellite deposits in Liikavaara, and a decision was also made to begin automation of the truck fleet.

The ore is mined in two open pits along the same mineral deposit. The main pit is called Aitik and measures roughly 4 km by 1.1 km at surface, with the deepest point currently at 480 meters from surface. In 2010, mining commenced in a second pit called Salmijärvi which has currently reached a depth of 225 meters below surface, with a surface foot print of roughly 0.9 by 0.6 km. The main pit will be expanded in all directions with five new pushbacks. Mining of pushback S3 in the southern part of the main pit started in 2016. Prestripping of pushback N7 commenced in 2019 to allow mining to start during 2020.

The ore and waste rock is blasted in 15 meter high benches and is loaded on 300 tons capacity size trucks by large rope shovels or hydraulic excavators. Ore from the deeper parts of the main pit is fed to one of two in-pit-crushers, while ore from pushbacks near surface and from the Salmijärvi pit is transported to a surface crusher situated between the two pits. Waste rock is separated in the loading process and hauled by trucks to dumps at the surface, where potentially acid forming waste is dumped separ ........

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