History of exploration of the nickel resources of the Råna Intrusion, Nordland, Norway

Abstract

The report gives a history of the discovery and exploration of the Råna layered mafic\/ultramafic intrusion in Nordland county, with particular emphasis on the Bruvann Ni-Cu-Co mineralisation, in the NW part of the intrusion, which consists predominantly of disseminated sulphides in layers of peridotite. The tonnage and grade were calculated in 1975 to be 43.6 Mt grading 0.33% sulphide-bound Ni, 0.08% Cu and 0.015% Co (cut-off 0.15% sulphide-bound Ni). The Bruvann ore bodies also include lesser, irregular bodies of massive sulphide containing up to 3-4% Ni.The first half of the report is based on a draft written by C. O. Mathiesen before his retirement in 1997: he died in 2013.