Getö Silvergruva och Norra Getögruvan

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Foto: Greta Bronell.

In 1822, a meeting was held with the claim holders of the Born, Getö, and Getberget silver mines in an attempt to establish cooperation. In 1823, the Josephina Silver Works was formed, in which all the owners of the silver mines held shares. Work then began in the three mines, and when operations ceased at the end of the year, nearly 100 skeppund of lead ore had been extracted, more than half of which came from the Oskar Mine.

1 skeppund = 170 kg

During the years 1845–1846, 130 tons of ore were extracted, but the economic return was unsatisfactory, and operations were therefore discontinued. When work in the island’s iron ore mines ceased in 1860, both machinery and labor were moved to the northern silver and copper mines to resume operations there. (Carlborg.)

Getö Stora Silver Mine and Northern Getö Mine

Location

• Located on Getön in Lake Yngen, 2.2 km from the Persberg mining field, Färnebo parish, Värmland County.

Discovery and Operation

• Getö Stora Silver Mine: opened 1859, operated until 1863.

• Northern Getö Mine: opened 1907, minor operations only.

Rock Types and Ore

• Main rock types: granulite, limestone, dolomite, skarn.

• Limestone and dolomite form the island’s main mass and extend into Lake Yngen toward the SE.

• Skarn occurs as an interlayer between granulite and limestone, similar to the Persberg field.

• Ores: lead, copper, and iron, associated with skarn.

• Specific ore types:

  • Galena (lead sulfide)

  • Chalcopyrite (copper sulfide)

  • Mixed ores; sometimes mixed with iron ore and magnetite

Production and History

• 1862: Ore output with 10 workers:

  • 287.5 tons galena

  • 61.9 tons high-grade copper ore

  • 348.7 tons lower-grade copper ore

  • 524.6 tons tailings

• Lead smelter built; 5.1 tons of lead produced before operations were paused.

• 1863: Production declined: 164.7 tons lead ore, 272.6 tons copper ore, 4037.3 tons broken rock. Mine closed at year’s end.

• 1891: Mine re-claimed, new claims 1895.

• 1908–1909: Trial mining:

  • 115 tons lead ore, 22.1 % lead, 110 g silver/t

  • 60 tons lead

  • Copper ore 1.06 % Cu, 13 % Pb, 90 g silver/t

  • 70 tons copper ore, 3.2 % Cu

  • 570 tons tailings, 0.74 % Cu, 7.8 % Pb

Northern Getö Mine

• Copper-bearing skarn up to 3.2 m wide.

• Ore with 10–11 % Cu obtained in trial mining.

• Mines inactive from 1909, reopened autumn 1915, mining resumed early 1916.

• Plan: concentrate ore at Torskbäcken Concentration Plant on Lake Yngen.

• Owner: Getö Nya Gruvaktiebolag