Hartikainen is one of the largest mining and construction contractors in Finland, employing over 460 people around the country. Arto Hartikainen, managing director of Hartikainen, said that the company is beginning preparations immediately. He added: "Safety, quality and productivity will play a key role in the development of our services at the Otso gold mine."
Otso Gold changed its name from Firesteel Resources to Nordic Gold in 2018, then to Otso Gold Corp in 2019. The company also changed the mine name from Laiva to Otso.
The mine, then known as Laiva, completed its first gold pour in December 2018. In March 2019, the company fired its mining contractor Tallqvist Oy and put the mine on care and maintenance.
The company noted that the Otso gold mine is fully built and permitted with two open pits, a processing facility and all infrastructure in place. The mobilisation of machinery to site has started, and the company is progressing towards a September restart with a throughput of 2Mt/y.
Brian Wesson, president and CEO of Otso Gold Corp, stated that the company looks forward to its partnership with Hartikainen. He added: "The execution of the mining contract is an important milestone towards the start of production next month."
Otso Gold Corp owns other exploratory titles in Finland, as well as 49% of a copper porphyry project in the ‘golden triangle' in northwest British Columbia, Canada.
