Malmberget Iron Mine

Malmbergsgruvan


Useful Information

Location: Gällivare, Lapland.
(67.195889, 20.705665)
Open: Mid-JUN to mid-AUG Mon-Fri 9:30, 13:30.
[2022]
Fee: Adults SEK 360, Children SEK 100.
[2022]
Classification: MineIron mine
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:  
Guided tours: D=3 h.
Photography:  
Accessibility:  
Bibliography:  
Address: Gällivare Turistbyrå (Tourism Office), Centralplan 3, SE-98232 Gällivare, Sweden, Tel: +46-970-16660, Fax: +46-970-66739. E-mail: contact
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1880s first mining at Malmberget.
1998 start of hematite mining.

Geology

Malmberget's ores are hosted in Precambrian volcanic rocks. The entire deposit complex has been largely metamorphosed to gneiss and strongly folded. The apatite-bearing iron ore consists of a number of ore sheets that may have originally been connected. The main ore zone is 6.5 km long.

The principal iron ore mineral is magnetite, some areas contain significant amounts of haematite. Apatite contents vary considerably, the average phosphorus content is lower than 0.8%.

Description

Sometimes nomen est omen: Malmberget translates ore mountain. The mine tour at Malmbergsgruvan (Malmberget Iron Mine) begins with a presentation and film. After the visitors have put on protective clothing, the tour starts "below sea level". Tour groups will visit sites where drilling, rock handling and hauling operations are in progress, and they may even visit a workshop.

The Gruvtur (mine tour) visits the underground iron-ore mine and includes the Gruvmuseet (mining museum). The museum displays tools and other artifacts from 250 years of mining in the area. As far as we understand the tours are organized by the Gällivare Turistbyrå. They also start at their office in Gällivare, transport is provided.

The mine is owned by Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB) and has an annual production capacity of over 5 million tonnes of iron ore. They also operate the Kiruna mine and several smaller mines, but they more or less mine only iron ores.