Nordic Iron Ore Annual Report 2017 Table of Contents
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2OI6 Nordic Iron Ore NIOAnnual Report 2017 2OI7 NIO Nordic Iron Ore Annual Report 2017 Table of contents 1 Summary of 2017 2 Nordic Iron Ore in brief 3 Current permits and mineral resources 4 Statement from the Managing Director 5 Market and products 7 Strategic positioning 8 Where NIO concentrates can be used 9 Project development and planning EU-sponsored research projects 11 Ludvika Mines project Horizon 2020 and ERA-MIN are umbrella 12 Three sub-projects terms for a number of research and innovation 13 Sustainability projects sponsored by the EU. The projects cover many different industries, and Nordic Iron 14 Share Capital and Ownership Ore has been part of the applications for a num- 15 Board of Directors ber of projects oriented on mining exploration, three of which were approved by the EU. The 16 Management first of these approved research projects that 17 Directors’ Report Nordic Iron Ore was part of finished in 2017, and the other two began at year-end 2017. 20 Statement of comprehensive income The Smart Exploration project, led by Uppsa- la University, formally began on 1 December 21 Consolidated balance sheet 2017. Nordic Iron Ore is part of the project, in 22 Consolidated statement of changes in equity partnership with 27 other participants including Ludvika Municipality. In this project, Nordic Iron 23 Consolidated cash flow statement Ore is managing an activity in which advanced 24 Income statement – Parent Company exploration equipment and technology will be demonstrated for the purpose of enhancing the 25 Balance sheet – Parent Company efficiency of exploration. 26 Changes in equity – Parent Company The next project, AMSTEG, begins in May 2018 and is another exploration project in 27 Cash flow statement – Parent Company which alternative equipment will be used. The German company Supracon AG is managing 28 Notes the project, and a further five participants 37 Signatures of the Board are involved. This project is also intended to develop new technology that will then be tested 38 Auditor’s Report at NIO’s mineralisations, which ought to result 40 Glossary in increased geographical information in the areas around the Ludvika mines. Nordic Iron Ore Annual Report 2017 Summary of 2017 JANUARY • Studies relating to geophysics and geohydrology carried out in preparation for mine planning in the definitive feasibility study. FEBRUARY • A new share issue with pre-emptive rights for existing shareholders provided the company with SEK 18.3 million before issue costs. • Work on estimating mineral resources for the expanded concession area continued. APRIL • Consultants were contracted and the work on mine planning and production was begun. The geotechnical studies were completed as part of this work. The models from the geotechnical and hydroecolog- 2OI7 ical studies were used as a basis and set the limits for the final mine design and the mining plans. MAY • A declaration of intent regarding logistics between the mine and the harbour was signed with Rail Cargo, a subsidiary of the Austrian Federal Railways. JULY • DMT submitted the final update of the mineral resource estimate, which increased aggregate resources by approximately 15 per cent. AUGUST • The exploitation concession application for an area immediately to the north-west of Blötberget was approved by the Mining Inspec- torate of Sweden. DECEMBER • The Mining Inspectorate of Sweden granted the company’s exploitation concession application for the Södra Väsman field. • A draft report concerning the mine design mine was presented. 1 Nordic Iron Ore Annual Report 2017 Nordic Iron Ore in brief Vision Objectives Nordic Iron Ore will be one of the major Swed- The company’s operational objectives are to: ish producers of high-grade iron ore products. • Resume mining operations at the Ludvika Mines, with an anticipated annual production of about 4.4 million tonnes of Business concept finished product at full operation Nordic Iron Ore’s business concept is to own • Substantially expand its mineral resources, iron ore deposits in the mining district known primarily through continued exploration of as Bergslagen either under its own auspices the Väsman field or with other operators, and to develop them • Obtain the necessary permits for mining into operational mines with sound long-term operations in the Väsman field profitability that can supply high-grade • Sign long-term customer contracts for its products to steelworks in Europe and other entire production volume. parts of the world. The company’s financial objectives are to achieve sustainable profit after financial Strategy expenses at a level that is at least on a par with Nordic Iron Ore aims to realise our business the average for the industry within two years of concept through: the start of full-scale production. • Exploring and developing high-grade iron ore deposits • Creating an efficient, complete solution for Organisation mining, concentration and logistics Nordic Iron Ore has a small organisation with • Being an attractive business partner provid- an experienced management team supported ing a high level of reliability of supply for by a number of external consultants and selected customer segments, and having consulting firms with extensive experience from the ability to tailor products specifically to similar projects in Sweden. customers • Producing and marketing a niche product with a very high iron content MINERAL RESOURCES Mineral resources are classified according to the extent drawing up a mining plan and evaluating the economic of geological confidence about them as: viability of the deposits. The estimate is based on detailed exploration and testing data, reliably compiled Measured mineral resources and gathered through appropriate techniques from A measured mineral resource is the part of a mineral locations such as outcrops, trenches, test pits, quarry resource for which the tonnage, density, shape and grindings and drill holes that are sufficiently proximate physical characteristics are so well known that they to each other that it is reasonable to assume geological can be estimated with a reliability that is sufficient to and grade continuity. accord the application of the technical and financial parameters required for calculating mineral reserves. Inferred mineral resources An inferred mineral resource is the part of a mineral Indicated mineral resources resource for which tonnage, grade and mineral An indicated mineral resource is the part of a mineral content can be estimated based on geological surveys resource for which the tonnage, grade and mineral and limited sampling, and assumed but not verified, content, density, shape and physical characteristics geological and grade continuity. The estimate is based can be assessed with a reliability that is sufficient to on limited information and sampling, gathered by permit the application of the technical and economic appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, parameters required for calculating mineral reserves, test pits, quarry grindings and drill holes. 2 Nordic Iron Ore Annual Report 2017 Current permits and mineral resources During the year, the company had two additional exploitation concessions granted and now has four concessions in total. VALID EXPLOITATION CONCESSIONS NAME MINERAL PERIOD OF VALIDITY AREA (HA) Blötbergsgruvan K No. 1 Iron, lanthanum, lanthanides 30-08-2011 – 30-08-2036 126.4 and apatite Blötbergsgruvan K No. 2 Iron, lanthanum, yttrium, 14-08-2017 – 14-08-2042 38.7 scandium, apatite Southern Väsman field K Iron 20-12-2017 – 20-12-2042 115. 4 No. 1 Håksbergsgruvan K No. 1 Iron, copper, gold and molyb- 15-12-2011 – 15-12-2036 136.3 denum The concession areas for Blötberget and Håksberg are also covered by permits pursuant to the Swedish Environ- mental Code and established municipal zoning plans. IN ADDITION, THE COMPANY HAS THE FOLLOWING EXPLORATION PERMITS. PERMIT ID NAME PERIOD OF VALIDITY AREA (HA) 2010:100 Blötberget No. 3 16 -06 -2010 – 16 -06 -2018 215.72 MINERAL RESOURCES MEASURED INDICATED INFERRED CLASSIFICATION PROJECT MT % FE MT % FE MT % FE ACCORDING TO Blötberget 45.4 41.7 9.6 36.2 11.8 36.1 JORC 2012 Håksberg – – 25.4 36.4 11.6 36 JORC Väsman 7 38.5 85.9 38.4 JORC 3 Nordic Iron Ore Annual Report 2017 Statement from the Man- aging Director After several years of work on the definitive feasibility operations; if this is successful, it will become one of studies, in 2017 we looked forward to completing the Sweden’s more significant iron ore resources. During the year, Nordic Iron Ore continued its underground design of the mine and its production plan involvement in EU-sponsored development projects over its lifetime. This work, which has the greatest impact regarding exploration after the successful collabora- tion between Uppsala University and Nordic Iron Ore on the total costs of the mine project, constituted the most in the ERA-MIN project. The first of the EU’s sponsored important section of the definitive feasibility study that research programmes in which Nordic Iron Ore is taking part – “Smart Exploration” formally began on remained. Funding for these studies was obtained in 1 December 2017. Nordic Iron Ore is involved in the February 2017 through a rights issue, which provided project, led by Uppsala University, together with 27 other partners including Ludvika Municipality as a the company with SEK 18.3 million before issue costs. part of the Horizon 2020 programme. In this project, Nordic Iron Ore is managing an activity in which advanced exploration equipment Unfortunately, more detailed analyses of data that and technology will be demonstrated. The other was previously collected – primarily in 2015/16 – project – Leading Edge Exploration – is another ex- shows that scaling up historical mine operations based ploration programme in which alternative equipment on mining technologies adopted in previous studies is being used, which should also increase information and the interim report from 2015 was not optimal, about the local region. The project has been granted which is why alternate mining methods needed to be funding and is expected to begin in May, 2018.