Makola-Hitura Nickel Area

The second nickel mine to be developed in Finland after Petsamo (Pechenga) was the Makola Mine in 1939 at the NW end of the Central Ore Belt. The discovery was a classic example of the use of ore boulder tracing combined with ground magnetic & EM surveys. Makola, along with nearby Hitura Mine, which is still in production, is closely associated with partially differentiated ultramafics which intrude highly metamorphosed Mid-Proterozoic mica schists, graphitic siliceous, sulfide-bearing schists, and gneisses. Nickel and copper mineralization in the area is also known from ultramafic phases of some larger mafic intrusion. The Kalajoki River drainage system, which covers a large portion of the area, comprises glacial clay deposits up to 10 meters thick that has hampered the effectiveness of EM surveys. The Makola Mine was in production from 1941 to 1952 yielding 0.41million tons. Since 1964, the nearby Hitura mine, located 4 km NE of Makola, has produced 14 million tons of ore grading 0.8 - 1% combined Cu-Ni. Magnus Minerals holds claims over the Makola Mine and has claims pending over 4 other nickel deposits as well several reservations over potential ultramafic intrusions in the area.

Makola Mine Quick Facts: Ni-Cu-Co deposit 4 km from active Hitura Mine (production to-date 12.3 Mt@0.59% Ni, 0.2 Cu) Mined in open pit and underground from 1941 to 1952 Exploration drilling indicated 1.2 to 1.4 Mt of 0.8% Ni & 0.45% Cu Outokumpu mined 0.41 Mt grading 0.81% Ni & 0.45% Cu to 160m level Remaining resources of 0.6 Mt possible and open at depth below 200m

The Makola ore body is an inverted cone, reaching from surface to about the 200m level. Some satellite lenses and lower grade material occur outside the main ore. The ore is predominantly net-textured to disseminated sulfides in serpentinite (altered dunite) at the NE flank of a 700m long ultramafic body. Although the average grade of the ore was 0.8% Ni and 0.45% Cu, portions of the ore zones assayed 1.5 to 2.3% Ni and 0.5 to 0.9% Cu over several meters. Waste rock from collapsed open pit material may have added to dilution in many of the upper level stopes. Potential Preliminary compilation of all existing data, including modeling of the original ore as determined by underground drilling and of the workings based on recently acquired level plans and sections, indicate potential for some ore remaining at Makola Mine to the 200m level.  In addition, some parallel zones detected in the drilling appear to have not been further explored since. Additional potential exists at depth below the mine workings as well as several targets indicated by high-resolution magnetic surveys conducted recently by Magnus.