Kuovila

Kuovila carbonate deposit is situated in South-Finland, about 100 kilometres west of Helsinki airport by road. It is sparsely habited agriculture area. The road distance to the Tytyri marble mine in the east and the Förby ground calcium carbonate (GCC) factory in the west is 40 kilometers. There are no conservation areas close to the deposit. Endomines has left two claim applications, 140 hectares, over Kuovila deposit.

The Kuovila carbonate deposit is bordered mainly by felsic and mafic volcanic rocks and is composed of two lenses or fold hinge areas, which are 20-180 metres wide and 2 kilometres long. The deposit itself comprises alternating, 10-45 metres wide layers of calcite and calcite-wollastonite marble, which are separated by 3-10 metres wide felsic and mafic volcanic rock layers. Minor calcite-dolomite marble, gray in colour, occurs occasionally as 1-20 metres wide layers. The deposit is covered by a 3-15 metres thick sandy till layer.

The deposit Kuovila is located in South-Finland, 100 kilometres west of Helsinki airport by road. Source: Geological Survey of Finland.

Geological Survey of Finland has carried out exploration work on the area in 1999-2002 and later 2004-2005. Totally 57 diamond drill holes, 6084 metres, has been drilled in the area. Based on these drillings GSF made resource estimate for the deposit. The indicated total resources of the deposit estimated to a depth of 50-185 metres, are 50 Mt calcite marble with 74 % calcite. The resources include 22,7 Mt calcite marble containing 81,7 % calcite, and 10 Mt wollastonite-calcite marble composed of 60,7 % calcite and 10,5 % wollastonite. The indicated and inferred resources, based on a geological estimation to a depth of 160 metres, are 85 Mt calcite marble with 73 % calcite. Laboratory scale beneficiation tests on the core samples were carried out at GSF in 2005. The ISO-brightness of the calcite concentrates was 91,4 - 95,3 % and yellowness 0,3-1,2 %. This correspond to commercial GCC products. Also a mini pilot plant test was carried out at GSF Mineral Tecnology Laboratory. The calcite marble has good process ability with a recovery of 82-84 % and this mini pilot plant test produced a concentrate with low MG, Fe, Si and Al values.