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Location: 28 km W from Kiuruvesi, Finland
Mainarintie 2, 86900, PyhakumpuPyhasalmiFinland86801
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The Pyhäsalmi deposit is a copper-zinc volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit of Proterozoic age. The mineralization is hosted by altered felsic and mafic volcanic rocks. The enveloping alteration zone is at least four kilometres long and one kilometre wide at its widest point. Alteration of the felsic volcanic rocks includes sericite and cordierite dominated mineralogy. Cordierite, anthophyllite and garnet dominate in the altered mafic volcanic rocks. The metamorphic grade is upper amphibolite facies.The upper part of the Pyhäsalmi deposit was mined between 1962 and 2001 and is now depleted. Deep drilling in 1996 by Outokumpu Oy (the previous owner) led to the discovery of an extension to the deposit below the +1050 meter level. The newer deep deposit is located between the +1050 meter level (from surface) and the +1416 meter level. The inner part of the lens consists of massive pyrite with low copper and zinc values. This core is surrounded by massive chalcopyrite-pyrite and the outer rim consists of massive sphalerite-pyrite. The main sulphide minerals are pyrite (65%), chalcopyrite (3%), sphalerite (4%) and pyrrhotite (3%).Tailings Storage FacilitiesAt Pyhäsalmi the TSF pond area is divided into four parts: A, B, C and D ponds. ‘A’ pond (42 hectares) was decommissioned in 2001-2002 and re-vegetation is progressing well. In 2022 tailings were pumped into the B or D pond. The ‘B’ pond (31 hectares) was divided into two parts in 2014: the southern part is a storage pond for pyrite rich tailings from which the pyrite has not been concentrated and the northern part receives tailings from which pyrite has been largely removed. Also ‘D’ pond (31 hectares) receives tailings from which pyrite has been largely removed. Parts of pond ‘B’ dam walls were raised in 2016 to increase the storage capacity. ‘D’ pond dam walls were raised in 2020. The ‘C’ pond (47 hectares) operates as a holding pond. The supernatant is conditioned prior to release to the environment. Tailings production in 2023 was 204,587 tonnes of which 136,224 tonnes was deposited in the TSF and 68,283 tonnes was used for underground backfill. In total, 20.8 million tonnes of tailings had been deposited in the TSF at the end of 2022.
