Investor Insight
With its focused and strategic goals of advancing, expanding and de-risking its highly prospective gold and cobalt resource in Finland, Mawson Finland is well-placed to become a key player in Europe’s growing precious metals and battery markets.
Overview
Mawson Finland (TSXV:MFL) is a relatively new listed exploration-stage mining development company focused on gold-cobalt in northern Finland. The company is advancing its 100 percent owned Rajapalot gold-cobalt project in Finland’s Lapland region. The project covers 18,000 hectares and boasts an inferred resource of 9.8 Mt consisting of 867,000 oz gold at 2.8 g/t and 4,311 tonnes of cobalt at 441 parts per million (ppm). The company aims to de-risk and expand this project, targeting resource growth through drilling. A completed preliminary economic assessment (PEA) estimated a net present value (NPV) of US$211 million and a 27 percent internal rate of return (IRR) based on US$1,700 gold price, with significant upside from greenfield exploration.
Mawson Finland is driven by a highly experienced local management and technical team, and supported by a strong Finnish investor ownership, all committed to rapidly advancing the Rajapalot project. Noora Ahola, the CEO of Mawson Finland, is a seasoned mining professional with over a decade of experience working on the Rajapalot gold-cobalt project. Based in Rovaniemi, Finland, Ahola has played a key role in advancing the project under its previous owner, Mawson Gold, and in bringing in a roster of Finnish investors into the company. Mawson Finland has a tight shareholder structure, with 19 million shares outstanding and no warrants.
Committed to sustainable development, Mawson Finland places a strong emphasis on environmental stewardship and community engagement. The company adheres to Finland’s rigorous environmental regulations, conducting its operations with a focus on minimizing the ecological impact in the area in which it operates. The ethical sourcing of cobalt, a metal critical for electric vehicle batteries, aligns the project well with current global efforts to ensure responsible supply chains for green energy technologies.
Company Highlights
- Mawson Finland is a newly listed exploration company focused on advancing its gold-cobalt project in the Lapland Region of Finland, a tier 1 mining jurisdiction.
- The project hosts multiple high-grade zones, which have been the focus of extensive exploration activities.
- Cobalt, a key by-product of the Rajapalot project, is crucial for the manufacturing of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and renewable energy storage solutions.
Key Project
Rajapalot Gold-Cobalt Project
The Rajapalot gold-cobalt project is the cornerstone asset of Mawson Finland, situated in the Lapland region of northern Finland, a tier 1 location. Covering approximately 18,000 hectares, the project is distinguished by its significant gold and cobalt mineralization, making it one of the notable dual-commodity projects in Europe.
The project hosts multiple high-grade gold-cobalt zones, including Palokas, South Palokas, Raja and Rumajärvi. These zones have been the focus of extensive exploration activities, leading to the delineation of a substantial inferred mineral resource. The resource estimates indicate the presence of both gold and cobalt, with gold grades and cobalt credits enhancing the overall economic potential of the project. The mineralization remains open at depth and along strike, suggesting considerable upside from resource expansion through further drilling.
Rajapalot is characterised by its favourable geology within the Paleoproterozoic Peräpohja Belt. The mineralization is associated with metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Anomalous gold is known to correlate with elevated levels of cobalt, bismuth, and other minerals. The area’s geological similarities to other significant mining districts add to the Project’s prospectivity.
Mawson Finland has undertaken comprehensive exploration programs, including diamond drilling, geophysical surveys, and geological mapping. These efforts have not only expanded the known mineralized zones, but have also identified new targets for future exploration. The company’s strategy focuses on both increasing the resource base and advancing the project towards a feasibility study.
Mawson Finland has completed and reported on its 2024 drill results. The company’s goal remains increasing its gold and cobalt resources at the Rajapalot project. The upcoming results will focus on expanding known high-grade zones and testing new exploration targets, with the goal of boosting both the gold and cobalt resources. These efforts are part of the company’s broader strategy to demonstrate the full potential of the project and to continue growing the resource.
Management Team
Neil MacRae – Executive Chairman
Neil MacRae is a capital markets professional with 29 years of experience in investor relations, commodities trading and corporate development within the global mining industry. MacRae holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary and started his career in 1994 with Mitsui & Co. (Canada). Over the years, he has held various management and investor relations roles with companies such as First Majestic Silver, Sherwood Copper (merged with Capstone in 2008), Farallon Mining (sold to Nyrstar in 2011), NovaGold Resources, and Santacruz Silver Mining. MacRae was previously a director of Mawson Gold.
Noora Ahola – President, CEO and Director
Noora Ahola is a forestry engineer with a masters degree in natural resources and Landscape Management. She has developed strong experience within the Finnish environmental administration, applying environmental and other land-use legislation for nature protection and other purposes. Her most recent roles include managing director of Mawson Oy and interim CEO and environmental director of Mawson Gold. She also worked at The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Lapland (ELY-Centre) in the nature protection unit as a manager for a program based on developing biodiversity and ecological connections between Natura 2000 sites. As environmental director at Mawson Gold, Ahola set environmental policy, and was responsible for permitting, environmental monitoring and management and research plans. She was responsible also for identifying and managing key environmental risks associated with Mawson Gold’s projects and for ensuring all ESG factors are effectively addressed and managed. Ahola continues to represent Mawson Oy as a director in the Lapland Chamber of Commerce and Finnish Mining Association boards. She is also a member of the national Chamber of Commerce delegation.
Nick DeMare – Chief Financial Officer
Nick DeMare, a chartered professional accountant, has been president of Chase Management since 1991, providing accounting, management, securities regulatory compliance and corporate secretarial services to private and public-listed companies. DeMare also serves as an officer and/or director of a number of public-listed companies. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and is a member in good standing of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia.