ABSTRACT
Store Norske has proven the Svea North deposit through 72 diamond core drillholes penetrating more than 200 m of glacier ice plus 200 m of rock. The mine holds 75 million tons of coal, of which 42 million will be extracted by longwall mining. At the outer boundaries the seam is split by a layer of rock. In this part the mine layout will be a modified longwall or room-and-pillar. Development work began in January 2000 by a three-entry system penetrating the side-moraine of the Høganes glacier. So far 10,000 metres of drifts have been achieved. Quality, structures, faults, water-conditions and methane gas have been monitored. No unforeseen conditions have been encountered. A total of NOK 600 million will be invested in the mine Svea North. A thorough environmental impact assessment is completed. The annual output will vary between 1.2–1.9 Mtpy, ensuring mining for the next 3 decades.
