Kittilä mine
The open pit at Kittilä | |
Kittilä Gold Mine Location in Finland | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kittilä |
| Lapland | |
| Country | Finland |
| Coordinates | 67°54′50″N 025°24′00″E / 67.91389°N 25.40000°E |
| Production | |
| Production | 150,000 (est) |
| Financial year | 2009 |
| History | |
| Opened | 2008 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited |
| Year of acquisition | 2005 |
Kittilä mine, also known as Suurikuusikko mine, is a gold mine in Kittilä, in the Lapland region of Finland. The mine is owned and operated by Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited and is located 36 kilometres (22 mi) north-east of Kittilä. It is the largest gold mine in Europe.
Exploration began in 1986, and production started in 2008. The mine is composed of two open pits, with the proceeds of the operation funding an underground mining operation, accessed by a ramp from surface and utilizing both transverse and longitudinal long-hole stoping methods. The mine utilizes on-site concentrating to produce Doré bars for shipment off-site for refinement, and produced 150,000 ounces (4,300,000 g) of gold in 2009.