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Occurence 0 - 000 FEIL
(Object Id: )
(Last updated: 13.03.2024)

Location
County: Municipality: Mangler ()
Map 1:50000: Svatsum (1717-1) Map 1:250000: Lillehammer
Coordinate system: UTM-Zone 33 - EUREF89/WGS84
East: 532300 m. North: 6808350 m.
Longitude: 9.6049160 Latitude: 61.4062440
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Resource
Resource Type: Ferroalloys (Cr,Ni,Co,V,Mo,W) Resource Subtype: Nickel
Element(s): Ni Cu Co
Importance
Raw material meaning: Little Importance (reg. 18.02.2015)

Resources and production
Activity: Mining Reserves:
Operating method: Underground mining Historical production: 15 thousand tons


Products
Element/product Crude ore grade or quality Reg. date
Co 0,08 % 17.09.2007
Cu 0,6 % 17.09.2007
Ni 1,9 % 17.09.2007

Operations
From - To Activity Comments
1665 - 1666 Test mining
1847 - 1855 Regular production Company/Institution :Espedals Værk
Produced 11510 tonnes of ore.
1874 - 1876 Regular production Company/Institution :Espedalens Nikkelværk
Produced 3503 tonnes of ore.
2007 - 2007 Core drilling Company/Institution :Blackstone Ventures Ltd
12 hull

Mineralization
Era: Proterozoic Period: Mesoproterozoic
Genesis: Orthomagmatic formation Form: Plate
Main texture: Massive Min. distribution: Semi-massive (20-50 % ore minerals)
Main grain size: Medium grained (1-3 mm) Main alteration:
Strike/Dip: 260 / 25 Direction:
Plunge:
Stratigraphic classification of host rock
Era: Proterozoic Period: Mesoproterozoic
Province: Caledonian Basement Province
Geotec.unit: Jotun Nappe Complex
Tectonic complex: Espedalen Complex
Igneous complex:
Group: Formation:

Mineralogy
Relationship Mineral Amount
Gangue mineral Pyroxene Major mineral (>10%)
Gangue mineral Amphibole Subordinate mineral (1-10%)
Gangue mineral Feldspar Subordinate mineral (1-10%)
Ore mineral Pyrrhotite Major mineral (>10%)
Ore mineral Pentlandite Subordinate mineral (1-10%)
Ore mineral Chalcopyrite Subordinate mineral (1-10%)
Ore mineral Pyrite Subordinate mineral (1-10%)

Lithology:
Relationship Rock Origin
Host rock Harzburgite Intrusive
Original rock :Peridotite
Metamorphic facies :Amphibolite
Wall rock Anorthosite Intrusive
Metamorphic facies :Amphibolite

Information(s) in free text format
Free text
The Espedalen Ni-Cu district is situated in an outlier of the Jotun Nappe Complex and consists of Proterozoic crustal rocks; mainly a high-grade anorthosite-gabbro-troctolite suite. Magmatic Ni-Cu sulphides have been mined in several periods in the region. Copper smelting is documented at Svatsum in 1665–1666 with description of ongoing mining of unknown duration. The first analysis and description of a new Ni-mineral, later named pentlandite, was reported from Espedalen by Scheerer (1845). The findings resulted in two mining periods of nickeliferous pyrrhotite (1846 to 1857 and 1874 to 1878) from Storgruva, Veslegruva and a number of smaller workings, making Espedalen one of the major mining districts at that time (up to 500 workers). An estimated total of about 50.000 tons of ore with 1.0 % Ni, 0.4 % Cu was produced. Modern exploration started in the late 1960s. Sulfidmalm and Norsk Hydro did extensive exploration until 1980. The latest period of exploration by Blackstone Ventures Inc. started in 2003 and has so far resulted in the discovery of two new deposits, Stormyra and Dalen. The inferred resources in the Stormyra deposit is 1.013 mill.t. with 1.09 % Ni, 0.48 % Cu and 0.04 % Co and at Dalen 4.625 mill.t. with 0.29 % Ni, 0.12 % Cu and 0.02 % Co. Drake refined the Mineral Resources at Stormyra (1.16Mt @ 1% Ni, 0.42% Cu & 0.04% Co) and Dalen (7.8Mt @ 0.28% Ni, 0.12% Cu & 0.02% Co) prospects in accordance with JORC (2012).
Historic
An account book for the years 1665-1666 from the Copper smelter at Masovn in Svatsum describes ongoing mining allready then. Veslegruva (The small mine) and Storgruva (The big Mine) were old and well known long before the nickel mining by the company Espedals Værk started. Total ore production from the Storgruva/Evans mine was about 15 000 tons, of which 12 000 were produced during 1847-1856 and 3 000 in the last period of production, 1874-1878.

Bibliography:
From NGU's Reference Archive:
Braastad, J.; Gruholt, A.; Kiil, E. , 1936
Rapport over befaring av Espedalen nikkel-magnetkisfelter.
;Norges geologiske undersøkelse;RAPPORT;Bergarkivet; No.BA 836;15 pages
Abstract:
Lok. Nr. 10073, 10078. Rapporten refererer observasjoner gjort av forfatterne under en befaring av Espedalfeltet 22 - 28. 8. 1936. Vedlagt følger utdrag fra tidligere beretninger inklusivt produksjonsstatistikk.

Vogt, J.H.L. , 1917
Espedalen Nikkel-magnetkisfelt.
;Norges geologiske undersøkelse;FAGRAPPORT;Bergarkivet; No.BA 1419;27 pages
Abstract:
Lok. Nr. 10073 - 10078. Rapporten har følgende inndeling: - Beliggenhet. - Om verkets drift i eldre dager. - Om vannkraft osv. - Malmforekomstens geologiske karakter. - Malmens nikkelprosent. - Veslegruben. - Evans grube. - Stangs grube. - Andreasberg. - Oversikt.

References not to be found in NGU's Reference Archive.:
Corfu, F., & Heim, M. 2014. Geology and U–Pb geochronology of the Espedalen Complex, southern Norway, and its position in the Caledonian nappe systems. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 390(1), 223-239. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2019-010


Mansur, E.T., Slagstad, T., Dare, S.A.S. & Sandstad, J.S. 2023. Geology and sulphide geochemistry of the Ni-Cu-Co mineralisation of the Espedalen Complex, Norway: Constraints for the distribution of magmatic sulphides within a variably deformed anorthosite suite. Ore Geology Reviews 161.


Forseth, Iver, 2004: Nikkelverket i Espedalen. Dølaringen boklag. 140s.

Fieldsamples
Sample No. Sample type Miscellanrous
JS-ES2219 Dump
Sampler: Sandstad/Mansur/...Stored: Løkken/...Size(kg): 2
Comment: Massive pyrrhotite+chalcopyrite
No. of registrated element analyses = 1
JS-ES2220 Bedrock
Sampler: Sandstad/Mansur/...Stored: Løkken/...Size(kg): 2
Comment: Disseminated/aggregates pyrrhotite+chalcopyrite in melanogabbro
No. of registrated element analyses = 1
JS-ES2221 Dump
Sampler: Sandstad/Mansur/...Stored: Løkken/...Size(kg): 2
Comment: Massive, very fine-grained pyrrhotite+chalcopyrite
No. of registrated element analyses = 1
JS-ES2222 Dump
Sampler: Sandstad/Mansur/...Stored: Løkken/...Size(kg): 2
Comment: Disseminated/aggregates pyrrhotite+chalcopyrite in melanogabro
No. of registrated element analyses = 1
NB! All analyse values are shown at the end of the printout.:

Name of Locality: Storgruva sørøst
(Object Id: 38770 13,01,00)

Location
County: Municipality: Mangler ()
Map 1:50000: Svatsum (1717-1) Map 1:250000: Lillehammer
County: UTM-Zone 33 - EUREF89/WGS84

Resource
Resource Type: Ferroalloys (Cr,Ni,Co,V,Mo,W) Resource Subtype: Nickel
Element(s): Ni Cu
Resources and production
Activity: Pitting Reserves:
Operating method: Historical production:


Information(s) in free text format
Free text
En mindre vannfylt synk ligger ca. 300 m østsørøst for Storgruva. Den har sidevegger som er 5x3 m lange, og en tipp med volum omkring 30 m3. Finkornet gabbronoritt med disseminasjon av magnetkis og kobberkis finnes i tippen, mens området omkring domineres av blokker med anortositt.


The fact sheet was created on 28.03.2024

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