Maamorilik (old spelling: ''Mârmorilik'' or ''Maarmorilik'', also ''Black Angel Mine'') is a

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

site in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...

. Holding resources of

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

, and

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

, the mine is long,Angel Mining plc
/ref> with its entry level situated above the sea level.

Geography

The mine is located approximately northeast of

Ukkusissat Ukkusissat (, old spelling: ''Uvkusigssat'') is a settlement in Avannaata municipality, in northwestern Greenland. The population of the settlement was 154 in 2020. The name means soapstone. Geography The settlement abuts the northwestern t ...

in the Akuliarusikassak massif on the mainland of Greenland, on the southern shore of the Qaumarujuk Fjord, a tributary fjord of Perlerfiup Kangerlua, an inner branch of the

Uummannaq Fjord Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland. It has a roughly south-east to west-north-west orientation, emptying into the Baffin Bay in the nor ...

History

The first excavations in Maamorilik took place from 1938, possibly earlier, with operations continuing until 1945, and again from 1973 to 25 July 1990Greenland Employers Association
/ref> when the mine was closed. During seventeen years of operation, the mine yield of zinc

ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...

amounted to 12 mln tonnes.

Reactivation

In 2008 the government of Greenland decided to reinvigorate mining activities in Maamorilik, aiming to provide an economic lifeline to the communities of the

Uummannaq Uummannaq is a town in the Avannaata municipality, in central-western Greenland. With 1,407 inhabitants in 2020, it is the eighth-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal. Founded in 1763 as Omenak, t ...

region, keeping the relatively new

Qaarsut Airport Qaarsut Airport ( kl, Mittarfik Qaarsut) is an airport in Qaarsut, a settlement on the Nuussuaq Peninsula in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is a primary airport with a gravel runway, capable of serving STOL aircraft of Air ...

open. Proceeds from mineral resources exploitation will provide Greenland with a counterbalance to the lump-sum

subsidies A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...

from

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. The operations are carried out by Angel Mining plc, a UK-registered company. As of April 2010, work continues on widening of the mine entrance to the required . The mine is due to reopen in 2013, with zinc and iron ore reserves expected to last for 50 years. Prospective employment is estimated at 110 people.

Transport

Ukkusissat-heliport-air-greenland-bell212-takeoff

Ukkusissat Heliport is the closest

aerodrome An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

to the mining site, approximately to the southwest. As in the 1970s, supplies for the mine reconstruction are carried out via

Air Greenland Air Greenland A/S (formerly named Grønlandsfly), also known as Greenlandair, is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, owned by the Greenlandic Government. It operates a fleet of 32 aircraft, including 1 airliner used for transatlantic and ch ...

charter flights, now operated with the Bell 212 helicopter stationed in

Uummannaq Heliport Uummannaq Heliport is a heliport in Uummannaq, a town located on Uummannaq Island in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. There are no facilities in the heliport. Airlines and destinations Air Greenland operates government contr ...

, away. Heavy transport including mining products was and will be transported by ship. A port exists at the fjord. An

aerial tramway An aerial tramway, sky tram, cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip ...

was used to connect to the mine at 750 m above the fjord.

Notable People

Thue Christiansen, Greenlandic Teacher, Known for Creating the flag of Greenland

References

{{reflist

External links

Photographs of Maamorilik from the 1970s
Iron mines in Greenland Lead mines in Greenland Silver mines in Greenland Uummannaq Fjord Zinc mines in Greenland