Located 45 km from Sodankylä in northern Finland, within the Lapland region, the Ikkari project is a grassroots discovery made in 2020 and advanced to a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) in early 2025. The project is now progressing toward a staged 3.5 Mt/y operation with a 20-year life of mine. The development strategy accelerates production through an initial opencast operation over the first ten years and will transition to long-hole open-stope underground mining for the remaining ten years.
Ausenco will lead and deliver a robust, bankable Feasibility Study from its Perth office, integrating specialists from across its Australian and Canadian teams. This collaborative approach leverages decades of technical expertise and a proven track record in designing and executing gold projects worldwide, including in harsh, remote environments.
Graham Crew, Rupert’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “The appointment of Ausenco represents an important milestone in advancing the project towards development. As a global leader in engineering, project delivery and consulting leader, Ausenco brings proven experience in the design and execution of gold processing plants comparable in scale and flowsheet design to Ikkari. Their proven ability to integrate teams from Australia and Canada in close collaboration with our project team and local partners ensures the delivery of a world-class study aligned with our strategic objectives.”
The scope will include value engineering, implementation planning, and detailed design of the process plant, and supporting mine infrastructure. The study will apply innovative, energy-efficient designs to reduce the project’s overall carbon footprint to support Rupert’s carbon-neutral targets. It will be completed to AACE Class 3 standards, delivering capital and operating cost estimates with ±15% accuracy. Ausenco will also act as the Qualified Person (QP) for the NI 43-101 Technical Report.
Reuben Joseph, President – APAC/Africa at Ausenco, said, “We are excited to partner with Rupert Resources on their Ikkari project, which will allow us to showcase technical excellence in a unique regional environment. By leveraging our global gold study and project delivery experience, along with our industry expertise in gold recovery and energy efficiency, we are well positioned to deliver a robust study that supports Rupert’s operational, environmental, and local community goals.”
Ausenco recognises that partnership with local communities and organisations is central to the success of world-class projects. As the Ikkari Feasibility Study progresses, Ausenco will develop a delivery framework that integrates local knowledge, aligns with regional standards and identifies opportunities to use local expertise, helping ensure lasting positive outcomes for the region.