Zinc in Finland

Pyhäsalmi mine

Vihanti mine

Deposits in SW Finland

Zinc deposits occur in three main geological settings in Finland: Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arcs, Palaeoproterozoic rifts in the Archaean craton, and Archaean greenstone belts.
The main Zn province is in island arc setting within the Savo Belt in central Finland. It includes two major deposits, the Pyhäsalmi mine which has been in production since 1962 and the now exhausted Vihanti mine (1951–1992).
The Uusimaa Belt in SW Finland, also in an arc setting, includes the now exhausted Orijärvi , Aijala and Metsämonttu mines. This belt can be regarded as a continuation of the metal-rich Bergslagen region of central Sweden.
The main deposits within the Palaeoproterozoic rifts, located in eastern and northern Finland, include the now exhausted Hammaslahti mine and the large Kolmisoppi , Kuusilampi and Pahtavuoma deposits.
Only a few Zn deposits are yet known from the Archaean domain. The largest known deposit is Taivaljärvi, test-mined 1988–1990.
The FINZINC Database presents data on all ore deposits in Finland where Zn is the main commodity:
- >100 drilling-indicated deposits
- 3 undeveloped deposits with an inferred resource of >10 Mt
- 5 undeveloped deposits with an inferred resource of 1–10 Mt
- 8 past producers and 5 historic small-scale mines
- One present producer ( Pyhäsalmi )

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