Store Norske’s exploration activities
Store Norske has carried out extensive exploration activities on Svalbard for several decades. The purpose of these activities is to identify and map new resources.
The main focus of the exploration activities is coal deposits in an area known as the Central Tertiary Basin, a trough-shaped structure in central Spitsbergen which through geological time has been filled with organic material and sediments. Some of the organic material was transformed into coal which now provides the basis for Store Norske’s coal production in Longyearbyen and Svea.
Store Norske carries out both geological mapping and explorational drilling. Owing to Svalbard’s strict environmental laws, the drilling is done in the winter between January and June. During this period, the ground is frozen and covered with snow so that the activity leaves no permanent traces. The cold, the dark, and drilling through permafrost and glaciers creates huge challenges for the teams and their equipment. Over time, the company has however developed the expertise and technology that permits Store Norske to master these conditions better than most.
Parallel with coal exploration, Store Norske is also exploring potential gold resources on Svalbard through the company Store Norske Gull AS.
Store Norske carries out both geological mapping and explorational drilling. Owing to Svalbard’s strict environmental laws, the drilling is done in the winter between January and June. During this period, the ground is frozen and covered with snow so that the activity leaves no permanent traces. The cold, the dark, and drilling through permafrost and glaciers creates huge challenges for the teams and their equipment. Over time, the company has however developed the expertise and technology that permits Store Norske to master these conditions better than most.
Parallel with coal exploration, Store Norske is also exploring potential gold resources on Svalbard through the company Store Norske Gull AS.
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