The EIT RawMaterials project ”Enhanced use of heavy mineral chemistry in exploration targeting” has started, as a European consortia consisting of several research and industrial partners. The lead partner of the projecis is Geological Survey of Finland.
A new service for mineral exploration by a novel combination of the available technologies of automated mineralogy and mass spectroscopy is developed in the project, validated and its marketing by SMEs supported.
New ore deposits supplying the raw materials for our societies and support the green energy transition are becoming more and more difficult to find. The industry is in need of new tools for exploration, because undiscovered mineral deposits are partly or completely buried and reside deeper in the crust.
The project aims development and introduction of a new exploration tool which provides better targeting capacities in the early stages of mineral exploration. The approach is based on the introduction of automated electron-optical and laser ablation inductively couple mass spectroscopic analytical methods into the everyday practice of characterization of heavy mineral separates.
The test areas of the project are located in intensely explored terrains with diverse types of metallic mineral deposits in Northern and Eastern Europe, Greenland and Asia. The new exploration tool expects widespread use in the exploration industry. Therefore the project also aims to transfer the know-how and technology to SMEs for commercialization of the new exploration tool.
The research consortium is led by the Geological Survey of Finland and consists of public research organizations, universities, mineral exploration and consulting SMEs from Finland, Denmark, Norway and Poland: AGH University of Science and Technology, CRS Laboratories Ltd., Geological Survey of Finland, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Mawson Ltd., Palsatech Ltd., University of Tromsø - Arctic University of Norway, and Oulu Mining School and Oulu Business School of the University of Oulu.
The role of Oulu Business School, Martti Ahtisaari Institute in the project is market validation, creation of alternative business models and go-to-market plans for the developed solutions.
More information at the University of Oulu:
Petri Ahokangas, Oulu Business School: Petri.Ahokangas[at]oulu.fi
Pertti Sarala, Oulu Mining School: Pertti.Sarala[at]oulu.fi