Tapojärvi’s new mining contract at Sotkamo Silver’s silver mine commenced today as planned.
The start of the contract marks a significant return for Tapojärvi to a familiar operating environment, as the company also served as the mine’s main contractor from 2018 to 2023.
The new agreement was signed in June, with the contract term being three years, with an option for Tapojärvi to extend the agreement by a further two years.
Tapojärvi is responsible for underground mining operations, including drilling and blasting, loading and hauling, as well as ore crushing.
“Our objective is zero accidents from day one. Safety guides everything we do throughout the entire contract period,” Anssi Rytkönen, Director of Mining Services at Tapojärvi, said.
Sotkamo Silver’s silver mine is an underground production facility that produces, in addition to silver, gold, zinc and lead. The mine’s estimated remaining life is approximately seven years, and a total of around 150 employees and contractors work at the site. In 2024, the operation processed 497,000 t of ore.
Mining is primarily carried out underground using longitudinal bench stoping, with the stopes backfilled with waste rock. However, part of the ore is extracted from an open pit that was initiated at an ore outcrop at surface. Open-pit mining will continue, and the final depth of the pit will be approximately 45 metres.
“We believe that Tapojärvi is able to provide us with the necessary resources and expertise for the long-term development of our operations,” Mikko Jalasto, CEO of Sotkamo Silver, said in the company’s group release.