Kiruna mine

In 2018 the mine produced 26.9 million tonnes of iron ore.[2] The Kiruna mine has an ore body which is 4 km (2.5 mi) long, 80 metres (260 ft) to 120 metres (390 ft) thick and reaching a depth of up to 2 km (1.2 mi).

[7] The iron ores that lie closest to the Kiirunavaara are Loussavaara, Henry, Nakutus, Rektorn and Lappmalmen.

[15] The thickness of this seemingly coherent hematite body is mostly within the range of decimeters but at one location it reaches 25 m.[15] The largest deposit of rare earth metals discovered in Europe was announced by LKAB in January 2023 to be at Kiruna.

[9] Then the ore bed was covered by further volcanic deposits, quartz porphyry, and sedimentary rocks.

[9][10][verification needed] The hematite bodies of Kiruna are considered by R. Frietsch to be "hydrothermal impregnations".

[22] Parák also argued that the form of the orebodies as tilted sheets is also indicative of them being sedimentary units.

[9] At places this syenite porphyry has nodules variously filled with actinolite, apatite, titanite and magnetite.

[26][1] As of 2018 the Kiruna Mine had Proven and Probable Reserves of 683 million tonnes grading 43.8% iron.

On October 28, 2008 LKAB decided to go even deeper, with the mine reaching a depth of 1,365 metres (4,478 ft) by 2012 at a cost of US$1.7 billion.

[1] The re-development of Kiruna is a reconstruction project, as the Kirunavaara mine, run by LKAB, undermines the current town center.

A more official sketch was published early in the spring of 2008, which was then discussed with various interest groups before a further version was to be produced.

In June 2010 the city council decided that the town would be moved eastwards (to 67°51′1″N 20°18′2″E / 67.85028°N 20.30056°E / 67.85028; 20.30056), in the direction of Tuolluvaara, instead of the proposed northwestern location.

[34][35] White Arkitekter AB based in Stockholm and Ghilardi + Hellsten Arkitekter based in Oslo together with researchers from Luleå and Delft universities won the contract to design the new city, which envisages a denser city center with a greater focus on sustainability, green and blue infrastructure, pedestrians and public transport rather than automobiles.

Miners at work, circa 1940–1959
Cross section of Kiruna iron ore mine
View of Kiruna from the old mine ( Luossavaara ) to the new mine ( Kiirunavaara )