Mineral Potential

Head of Research Programme:  Research Professor Raimo L. K. Lahtinen

The mineral potential research programme is tasked with identifying commercially significant mineral deposits and prospective terrains in order to secure raw material supplies for mining and mineral extraction industries. Mineral potential assessment considers mineralization formation, host rock and rock succession. Seismic reflection and other geophysical techniques are helping improve our knowledge of deep structures and their ore potential. Thus, we can model in more detail the evolution of Precambrian bedrock and the geological processes involved. This has helped identify locations of probable and possible reserves, including discovery potential as deep as 1-5 kilometres. Particular interest involves high-tech metals vital to 21st century technologies (e.g. lithium batteries, rare earth element magnets and gallium-arsenide microprocessors). The geological resource accounting involves inventory of commercially significant geological resources (e.g. minerals, metallic ores and industrial minerals) along with the byproducts and waste generated by mining.

Beneficiaries of programme results include exploration companies, mining and refining industries, permitting and land-use planning officials, governmental institutes, research institutes and universities. Participants in the programme network extensively with their international counterparts.

• Assess reserves and discovery potential of metal ores and industrial minerals, and develop exploration innovations for their delineation
• Study ores and ore-potential formations and structures, and create improved tectonic and metallogenic models of the Fennoscandian shield
• Evaluate sufficiency, life cycle and total environment impact of mineral raw materials

  Research Themes and Projects

 Open