Description

Endomines is a mining company which is also engaged in exploration. Endomine’s underground mine operation, Pampalo Mine, and exploration targets are located in Ilomantsi, North Karelia. The satellite mine, Ramepuro, located 15 km from the Pampalo was in production. The responses do not concern the claims located in the municipalities of Tervola and Kittilä. Endomines Ab, the parent company, is registered and listed in Sweden.

Ore is hauled from the mine by trucks and is stored in a designated area close the crushing plant, from which it is fed onto the plate feeder of the crushing plant using a wheel loader. Crushing takes place in three phases. The first phase of crushing takes place in an open circuit. The second and third phase take place in a closed circuit. Crushed ore is stockpiled in a 18 m high heap. From the heap crushed ore is fed on to a conveyor belt and conveyed to the processing plant.

The crushing plant does not use process chemicals, with the exception of various lubricants used in the crushers and conveyors. From storage silos, crushed rock is transferred on conveyors for grinding. Based on its particle size, fine aggregate is led via classifiers either to specific weight separation or a flotation process. Coarser aggregate, larger than 0.1mm in size, is led to specific weight separation in which gold is separated. After concentration through specific weight separation, aggregate left unseparated is returned to grinding and classification. Chemicals are used in the flotation and thickening of finer aggregate less than 0.1mm in size. In flotation cells, chemically treated gold grains are raised by foamy air bubbles to the surface and carried into concentration chutes. Sulphides contained in ore, largely pyrites (FeS2), are raised to the surface, mixed with gold concentration, and delivered for further processing. The rest consists of tailings, which are led to a tailings basin. Tailings are separated from sludge through settling. The water thus separated is led to a post-clarification basin and, from it, back to the process.

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Toiminta-alue: Ilomantsi

Yhteystiedot vastuullisuusasioissa:

Henna Mutanen
henna.mutanen@endomines.com
+358 (0)50 364 1241

The company in figures in 2015

• Tuotantomäärä: A total of 4,783.3 tonnes of gold concentrate
• Kokonaislouhinta: 324,000 tonnes/year of ore and 911, 000 tonnes of waste rock
• Raportoidut malmivarat: 284,000 tonnes
• Raportoidut mineraalivarannot: 2,993,100t
• Toiminnan aloitusvuosi: 1996 (exploration), 2011 (mining)
• Kaivoksen arvioitu jäljellä oleva elinikä: 0-5 years
• Kaivosalueen pinta-ala: 445.5 hectares
• Omien työntekijöiden määrä: 68
• Työntekijöiden pääasialliset asuinkunnat: Ilomantsi 53%, Joensuu 27%, Kuopio 9%, and others 11%
• Vakituisten urakoitsijoiden määrä: 41
• Käyttökate EBITDA: - EUR 8,115,180
• Maksettu yhteisövero: EUR 0, due to old deductions which reduced the taxable result to zero

About exploration

Endomines Oy began exploration in 1996 and mining in 2011. Claims (490.46km2) and exploration permits (7,933.49ha) located in Ilomantsi are included in the company’s exploration area. The company also has valid a total of 24 claims/exploration permits in the municipalities of Kittilä and Tervola amounting to 2,169.57ha. These exploration areas are thought to contain gold at least. As its exploration methods, Endomines Oy uses core drilling, geological soil sampling and sampling carried out using geological, exploratory trenches dug by and excavator, and bedrock mapping. A total of 21km of deep-hole diamond drilling was carried out in 2015. The company has no concessions subject to appeal.

Environment

Yrityksen ympäristökäytannöt:

Year 2015	Exists	Does not exist
Location in a nature reserve*	X
Environmental management system		X
An environmental impact assessment required (in accordance with the EIA Act)	X
Measurements of dust	X
Measurements of noise	X
Measurements of vibration	X
Environmental impact assessment completed**	X
Deviations from the environmental permit (2015	X
Environmental collateral exists	X
Closure plan for the mine exists	X
Plan for the shutdown of the mine in unexpected situations	X

* A Natura 2000 reservation area (552.44ha, no mining activities) and a private nature reserve (6.4ha) ** Carried out for the mine but not for the exploration area

Keskeiset tunnusluvut:

2015

• Amount of extractive waste: 1,247,596 t (waste rock 73.0%, topsoil 0.5%, tailings 26.5%)
• Utilisation of waste rock: 53.0% of waste rock is utilised
• Fuel consumption: 10.3GWh (with non-renewable fuels amounting to 100%)
• Other energy consumption (electricity and heat production): electricity 22.6GWh (the proportions of renewable and non-renewable energy sources are unknown)
• Water consumption: 1.1 million m3 (of which natural raw water accounts for 5.9%)
• Number of dams in the mining area: 1 (Class 2) and 1 (Class 3)
• Number of endangered species occurring in the operational area: 37´
• Usage of chemicals dangerous to the environment: Danafloat 507 6.3t; potassium amyl xanthate (PAX) 1-percent solution 5.6t; copper sulphate, 1-percent solution 2.5t

Personnel and safety

Yrityksen henkilöstökäytännöt:

Year 2015	Exists	Does not exist
Employee initiative programme	X
Goal and development dialogue programme covering the entire personnel	X
Personnel training plan		X
Equality plan	X
Personnel representation in company management		X
Occupational and safety management system*	X
All personnel working in the area are in possession of an occupational health card	X
Company rescue unit	X

* No certification

Keskeiset tunnusluvut vuonna:

2015

• Average number of training days per year: 0.5 days/employee
• Absence due to sickness (excluding contractors): 4.1%
• Lost-time injury frequency rate: 4.6 accidents per 1,000,000 working hours (accidents leading to a loss of more than one shift)
• Working time systems currently in use: 1-shift system, 2-shift system, 8-hour working day system, 12-hour working day system, flexitime system, weekday system (Mon to Fri)

Impact on the use of the neighbouring areas and the sources of livelihood

Vaikutukset paikallisiin elinkeinoihin: No mining and exploration is carried out in the reindeer management area. Those who earn their livelihood from rural activities, tourism and professional fishermen are taken into consideration in collaboration with the stakeholders.

Vaikutukset lähialueen virkistyskäyttöön:

According to the assessment of the company itself, its activities have not impacted negatively on the recreational of use of the neighbouring areas. The company has contributed positively to the recreational use of the neighbouring area by participating in the voluntary work carried out in order to clean camping sites and hiking areas, for example. Endomines Oy grants annual village development contributions to local communities and enterprises. In 2015, village development contributions were granted for the replacement of the benches in the Koitere church and for repairing the shingle roof and structures of the cowshed of the Makkola museum farm.

Vaikutukset maisema-arvoon:

Landscape values have been taken into consideration by preserving shelter trees and planting forest. Waste storage areas will also be landscaped as soon as they are abandoned.

Interaction with stakeholders

Sidosryhmäyhteistyö:

• Information meetings for local inhabitants once a year at minimum and an open day once a year. Initial fears and suspicions have been replaced by a positive attitude.
• The allocation of village development contributions granted by the company is decided by a committee composed of a corporate representative and external persons to the company.
• The company provides regular information on its activities in a local newspaper, its annual report, on a local public noticeboard, a website and by arranging open-door days as well as  by occasionally sending letters and organising company/area visits.
• A channel is available for stakeholders to submit feedback, but no practices are in place for processing it.

Tutkimus- ja yhteistyöhankkeet:

• No current projects