The Rakkurijärvi copper-gold deposit, the Sakatti copper-nickel-PGE deposit and the IOCG model within the Kiruna District, Sweden have helped geologist Jim Coppard (not the person in the picture here at Sakatti), Regional Head of Exploration-Arctic, Anglo American win the 2012 Nordic Exploration Award for his significant contribution to the renaissance of exploration and mining in the Nordic region and recognising and developing the IOCG model within the Kiruna District, Sweden. Also his two major discoveries:

• His discovery of the Rakkurijärvi copper-gold deposit in northern Sweden
• His discovery of the Sakatti copper-nickel-PGE deposit in northern Finland.

Coppard earned his MSc from the Imperial Collage at the Royal School of Mines in London in 1987 and became a Chartered Geologist in 1998; he is also a EuroGeologist. His main expertise and passion for exploration is in the Fennoscandian region where he has been focused for the last 22 years. In 1991 for RTZ (Rio Tinto) he commenced working in Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland, helping set up exploration activities in each country. In 1998 Jim started his own consulting company working for both major and junior companies and Jim concentrated on Sweden seeing several untested geological opportunities including the idea that the Kiruna area in Sweden was a potential Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) district.    

In 1999, he joined Minorco/Anglo American with an exploration concept for IOCG’s in Sweden and was instrumental in discovering the Rakkurijärvi copper-gold deposit close to Kiruna through the successful Anglo American-Rio Tinto JV. The Rakkurijärvi deposit was subsequently classified as an IOCG deposit and in 2007 Jim co-authored a paper on the discovery which was published in Economic Geology.

In 1999 he established an Anglo American exploration office in Malå, Sweden and was a frequent guest at the Swedish Geological Survey’s Mineral Information Office in Malå throughout his time spent exploring in Sweden.

In 2002 he had an exploration idea for the Finnish Lapland Greenstone Belt and initiated a Ni-sulphide exploration program in 2004. This program has culminated in the discovery of the highly significant Sakatti Cu-Ni-PGE deposit which is considered by him to be the peak of his 25-year career. Although nobody knows yet the dimensions of the Sakatti deposit, it is already evident that this is the most significant discovery in the Nordic region in the 21st century to date. The discovery is based on both he and Anglo American’s high-level expertise and innovation in mineral exploration and also demonstrates that there are still major deposits to be discovered in Fennoscandia.

Located in an environmentally sensitive region, the Sakatti project team was recognised at the 2011 Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining Conference for its contribution to the local mining industry and the technological innovation of a new closed-loop drilling system developed in partnership with our drilling contractor, Kati, specifically for the project.

The system enables the team to drill in extreme environments – with temperatures often below -20°C – at the same time as reducing waste and water use and significantly minimising the environmental footprint.

As well as the commitment to drilling responsibly, The Anglo team also carries out its activities in consultation with other land users. For example, drill plans arediscussed with the local reindeer herders to understand which areas they will be using for winter grazing. On some occasions in 2011 Anglo revised drill locations to ensure it did not disturb their activities. Drilling was stopped for a day and the rigs covered with camouflage so as to not distract the reindeer as they were being herded past.

Raw Materials Group says “Coppard has significantly contributed to the mining renaissance in the Nordic region through his extraordinary ability to recognise mineral potential in under-explored terrains, his perseverance to back a theory through the tough exploration phase and to transform them into quality production assets all of which more than qualifies him to receive the Raw Materials Group Nordic Exploration Award for 2012.”