The difficulty in creating and obtaining a competitive edge in the mineral
industry is rapidly increasing. The Kiruna Iron Ore Mine in the far north
of Sweden is currently thriving on the world market through firm
managerial strategy. LKAB believes in upgrading its raw material to
produce a high quality iron ore product for sale to steelworks throughout
the world. It is vital that this product is also of uniform quality and
quantity to provide quality assurance to customers. The first link in
meeting these product requirements starts in the underground workings.
Mining methods and operations are of large-scale. Automation and
continuous production streamline operations and reduce operating costs.
These factors have built Kiruna Iron Ore Mine into the world's biggest,
most modern, underground iron ore mine. To remain competitive on the world market, LKAB relies heavily on
research and development. The mine is currently in a phase of upgrading
its operations. A 25-tonne Toro electric loader is being tested to improve
the rate of output of ore from the mine. Long hole drills are being
improved to increase accuracy and efficiency. An electronic detonating
system will improve detonator delay precision. Projects are underway to
better understand ore flow mechanisms from a caving orebody. Benefits
include improved ore recovery along with better rock quality control at
the caving front. The continued updating of mining operations at Kiruna
will enable LKAB to continue to maintain its competitive advantage on
the world market in the production of high quality iron ore products.