Boliden to spend $530 mln on improving Aitik mine's tailings dam (updated)

Boliden AB

11/04/2022 07:47

(Adds detail, background)
    STOCKHOLM, April 11 (Reuters) - Miner Boliden  BOL.ST  said
on Monday it would spend 5 billion Swedish crowns ($530 million)
over the next two years on works on the tailings dam at its
Aitik copper mine in northern Sweden.
    "Areas with poorer soil conditions than previously estimated
have been identified. Additional dam heightening and deposition
of tailings against dams in these areas has therefore been
suspended," it said in a statement. 
    "Ongoing geo-technical investigations in Aitik show the need
to eventually change to a new dam construction method to ensure
long-term disposal of tailings. In addition, there is a need to
strengthen the current dam construction."
    Boliden said it did not expect production at the northern
Swedish open-pit mine to be affected as tailings could continue
to be deposited in other parts of the pond during the works. 
    The Swedish company now sees group investments totalling
just over 11 billion crowns in 2022, up from previously
communicated just over 10 billion.

($1 = 9.4405 Swedish crowns)

 (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Simon Johnson, Kirsten
Donovan)
 ((anna.ringstrom@thomsonreuters.com; +46 8 502 423 74; Reuters
Messaging: anna.ringstrom.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))