The mineral project on Rolla was initiated in 2012 following a proposal for a development project in Ibestad municipality. The background for the project was mapping of potential future mineral resources in North Norway carried out by the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) in 2008 – 2010, in which the deposits of calcite marble in the Breivoll area on Rolla were characterized as being “of national importance”.
Ibestad municipality, based on NGU’s investigations and report from 2011, concluded that it would be of interest to carry out further mapping of the resource base in the Breivoll area. Ibestad municipality, with financial support from Troms county and professional support from NGU, carried out the project “Minerals Ibestad” in the period 2013 – 2015.
The purpose of the project was to document the quantities and quality of the calcite marble in the Breivoll area. Geological consultant Perry Kaspersen was hired as project leader.
This project included core drilling in the Breivoll and Skog areas, in which a total of 19 cored holes were drilled, totalling 2223.5 m, with subsequent analyses and assessment and reporting of the information (Kaspersen, 2015). The drill cores were analysed by ALS (a global leader in the provision of analytical laboratory and services) and by NGU. The project provided a considerable volume of information about the occurrence of the rocks and the variations in their chemical and mineralogical characteristics.
Ibestad municipality decided, based on the knowledge of the mineral deposits which was gathered during the project “minerals Ibestad”, to carry out a feasibility study. A study of this kind, linked to the mineral deposits, was carried out by the municipality in the period 2016 – 2018, based on 3 groups of factors:
1. Geological
2. Economic
3. Social factors – Exploitation of the deposit must be granted formal approval
An additional goal for the project was to visualize the deposit in a better way, and a 3D-model of the area, based on all available geological data, was carried out by NGU.
The feasibility study has concluded that close to 50% of the ground in the ca. 5 km2 large study area consists of calcite marble. The calcite marble occurs in different qualities: average values, with regional variations, are that ca. 16% of the calcite marble is of good quality/purity (less than 250 ppm carbonate-bound Fe + Mn) and that 30% is of medium quality/purity (250- 500 ppm Fe + Mn). See the reports for more detailed descriptions of these features.
3-D visualization displays the form of the calcite marble in the ground and provides a very good starting point for further, more detailed planning aimed at industrial exploitation of the resources. It can be concluded, based on the geological features, tonnages and quality, considered together with the interests of the ground-owners and the local population, that there are 2 areas in which mineral extraction, at the present, can be considered to be compatible with local interests, and where this can also be of interest industrially and have a large potential.
The Møvika and Storvika areas are easily accessible, both from the land and from the sea, they are shielded from housing and recreation areas, and have locations which permit establishment of the necessary infrastructure related to the deposits. Storvika is, in addition, an area which has already been “earmarked”. There are no known, defined limitations, regulations or special interests linked to these areas, which would be a hindrance to mineral extraction.
The Ibestad municipality and the ground-owners in the relevant area are very positive to an industrial initiative aimed at commercial extraction of the resources. The municipality and the ground-owners have, in recent years, experienced a process which has made them relatively well-prepared for potentially both negative and positive consequences which
mineral extraction could lead to in the municipality, and are prepared for a dialogue with potential industrial interests.
contact ibestad municipality