【Ferro-alloys.com】London-listed Beowulf Mining, which last week secured an exploitation concession for the Kallak iron-ore project after many years of delay, will aim to complete a scoping study before year-end, CEO Kurt Budge said on Tuesday.

Its plans for Kallak’s development also include the creation of a roadmap for environmental permitting and updating options for investment and partnering, he said.

Having been in Finland last week focusing on its company’s prospects there, Budge said that he had not yet taken the time to fully appreciate the significance of finally being awarded an exploitation concession for Kallak.

The Kallak application has faced stiff opposition from environmental groups, who say the openpit mine will endanger the protected ecosystem and reindeer migration in the Gallok region.
The Enterprise and Innovation Ministry on Monday outlined the conditions of the exploitation concession, stating that the company would have to comply with “extensive conditions”.

“These conditions are intended to counteract, as far as possible, any negative impact on reindeer husbandry and to minimise any impact on the Laponia World Heritage Site,” it stated.

Beowulf noted that the conditions attached to the concession application were matters that the company would naturally expect to address in project development and the environmental court process.

Kallak, near Jokkmokk in the Norbotten county, is located about 80 km southwest of the major iron-ore mining centre of Malmberget and about 120 km southwest of LKAB’s Kiruna iron-ore mine.

Testwork on Kallak ore has produced concentrate of 71.5% iron content. This would make Kallak a market-leading high-grade product. LKAB produces magnetite fines with a target specification of 70.7%. 

• [Editor:zhaozihao]