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Sydvaranger mine
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The stones come from the Sydvaranger mine in Bjørnevatn outside Kirkenes. Iron ore was discovered in Kirkenes in 1866. The mine was built in 1910 and operated until 1997.
Sydvaranger was the largest mine in Norway for most of its operational life. Large parts of the local community developed around the state-owned mine. The iron ore was transported from Bjørnevatn to the port of Kirkenes for further distribution.
The mine was reopened with new private owners in 2009 but closed again in 2015. New owners are conducting geological surveys with plans to reopen the mine.
Mapping of archives at Sydvaranger Drift AS – Norwegian Mining Industry Archive (Norwegian)
History Sydvaranger
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