Boliden begins mining at Salmijärvi

Today's premier blasting at the Salmijärvi mine marks the start of Boliden's mining at the open pit, which is a satellite mine to Aitik. The planned operating time is approximately 15 years.

The mine at Salmijärvi is part of Boliden's expansion of the Aitik mine. The new open pit will be approximately 1 km long, 800 m wide and 270 m deep.  The ore is a part of the sulphide mineralisation, containing copper, gold and silver, being mined at the Aitik mine and thereby is included in Aitik's ore reserves and mineral resources.  

Aitik is one of Boliden's four mining areas and Sweden's largest mine. The open pit is 3 km long and 405 m deep. According to the 2009 ore reserve calculations, the proven and probable ore reserves at Aitik total 747 million tonnes and the average copper grade is 0.25 per cent. The mining area's lifespan will extend to 2029. More information is available on pages 79 and 81 in Boliden's Annual Report 2009. 

For further information, please contact:       
Marcela Sylvander, Director Group Communications, Boliden AB, tel: +46 8 610 15 59
Frans Benson, Investor Relations, Boliden AB, tel: +46 8 610 15 23

Boliden is a leading European metals company whose core competence is in the fields of exploration, mining, smelting and recycling. Boliden's main metals are zinc and copper. Other important metals extracted and refined include lead, gold and silver. The operations are conducted in two Business Areas: Mines and Smelters. The number of employees is approximately 4 400 and the turnover amounts to approximately SEK 28 billion annually. Its shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm, segment Large Cap and on the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada.

www.boliden.com

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