What is the biggest mine in Norway?
Kongsberg Silver Mines
The silver mines of Kongsberg, in Buskerud county in Norway, constitute the largest mining field in Norway, with over 80 different mines. It was the largest pre-industrial working place in Norway, with over 4,000 workers at its peak in the 1770s and supplied over 10% of the gross national product of the Danish–Norwegian union during its 335-year-long history: over 450,000 man-years were expended in the production.
Indre Wijdefjorden National Park
Traditionally, the mining industry in Svalbard has had more rights to operations within protected areas than in mainland Norway, where all such activities would be completely banned. Indre Wijdefjorden has the most strict regulations, with a total ban on construction of buildings and facilities, laying of cables and roads, earthwork, drainage, drilling, blasting, and excavation of petroleum, gas and minerals. It is the authorities' goal that Svalbard is to be one of the best-managed wilderness areas in the world. Svalbard, and thus the national park, is on Norway's tentative list for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nurbinskaya diamond mine
The Nurbinskaya mine is one of the largest diamond mines in Russia and in the world. The mine is located in the north-eastern part of the country in the Sakha Republic. The mine has estimated reserves of 67.8 million carats of diamonds and an annual production capacity of 6.95 million carats.
Goldstrike mine
Goldstrike is a gold mine in Eureka County in north-eastern Nevada. It is located on the Carlin Trend, a prolific gold mining district. It is owned and operated by the world's largest gold mining company, Barrick Gold. Goldstrike is the largest gold mine in North America. Since Barrick acquired Goldstrike in 1986 it has produced 42 million ounces of gold.
Brønnøysund
In recent years, Brønnøysund has managed to create a certain economic growth. "Fjord Seafood" originated here, as well as the largest limestone mine in Northern Europe and the highest foodstuff production in Northern Norway are examples of entrepreneurship and well-run economy in this somewhat prosperous region. Modern agriculture, hydroponics, the large TTS transport corporation, wood-processing and tourism are the main driving industries.
Henrich Krummedige
Krummedige understood the value of maximizing the profit from his produce by selling it for the best price and participated actively in commercial trade – owning houses and commercial facilities in Bergen, Oslo, and Tønsberg in Norway as well as Roskilde, the Gothenburg area (Nya Lödöse), Halmstad, Malmø, and Copenhagen in Denmark. He also participated in foreign trade with his own vessels. 
His interests were not limited to agriculture and commerce. He may have run the earliest known copper mining venture in Norway, which was located at "Sandsvær". The mine is mentioned in a 1490 letter from King Hans to Henrik Krummedike, and is the first written source that directly deals with a copper mine in Norway, mentioning "our copper plant in Sandsvær." (Benedictow 1991:9). Although Krummedike and Pålsson were granted the mining rights, there are no sources confirming the mine was cost effective. He was among the first who used water-driven saws for the production of large quantities of lumber in Norway and may have introduced them. He also constructed a large brick kiln capable of producing over 18,000 bricks at a firing on his estate in Månstorp
Ruoutevare mine
The Ruoutevare Iron Deposit is one of the largest known unexploited iron ore deposits in Sweden. Located in Kvikkjokk in Norrbotten County, Lapland, the deposit was discovered in the early 1970s by the Geological Survey of Sweden and found to have between 116 and 123 million tonnes of iron ore. In 2008 Beowulf Mining announced a maiden JORC compliant resource estimate for Ruoutevare with an inferred mineral resource estimate of 140 million tonnes of iron ore at a grade of 39.1%, with 5.7% titanium and 0.2% Vanadium
Nuclear labor issues
Namibia's Rössing Uranium Mine is the longest-operating open-pit uranium mine, and one of the largest in the world. The company is owned and operated by Rio Tinto, one of the world's largest mining groups, and Rössing Uranium Limited. The uranium mill tailings dam has been leaking for a number of years, and on January 17, 2014, a catastrophic structural failure of a leach tank caused a major spill. The France-based laboratory, Commission de Recherche et d'Information Independentantes sur la Radioactivite (CRIIAD) reported elevated levels of radioactive materials in the area surrounding the mine.
Visnes, Rogaland
Visnes has a local copper mine that provided material for the Statue of Liberty in New York City. The copper at this site was first discovered in 1865. Visnes was the site of one of the most active of the Norwegian copper mines in history. During the 1870s, it was the largest copper mine in Norway. Up to 70% of Norway's copper export came from Visnes, which at that time was one of northern Europe's largest mines. This mine was in full operation throughout much of the latter half of the 19th century and was not fully closed until 1972. The copper mine has its own museum, Visnes Gruvemuseum.
Kongsberg
Kongsberg was founded by Danish-Norwegian king Christian IV as a mining community in 1624 after the discovery of silver. In the second year, the town of Kongsberg and the Kongsberg Silver Mines were built. According to official records, the Kongsberg silver mine was discovered by the shepherds Jacob Grosvold and Helge Værp in the summer of 1623. According to the indications of silver mining, the existence of a large amount of precious metals was known before.With the rise of the silver mining industry, it became the largest industrial center in Norway before the industrial revolution.By the peak of the Kongsberg silver mine in the early eighteenth century, Kongsberg's silver mining industry and related industries contributed 10% of the Denmark–Norway gross national product.
Hammerfest
The construction of the large liquefied natural gas site on Melkøya (island) just off Hammerfest, which will process natural gas from Snøhvit, is the most expensive construction project in the history of Northern Norway. This project has resulted in an economic boom and new optimism in Hammerfest in recent years, a stark contrast to the economic downhill and negative population growth most other municipalities in Finnmark are experiencing. After the opening of natural gas production on Melkøya there have been some problems with significant smoke and soot pollution in the initial production phases. Snøhvit is Europe's first export facility for liquefied natural gas.
Hammerfest offers sport and commercial fishing, both sea and freshwater, as well as scuba diving. The northernmost glacier on the Norwegian mainland is a hiking destination. The town is a starting point for northern tours. There is a daily boat to the North Cape (). One chain of the Struve Geodetic Arc, now on the World Heritage List, is located at Fuglenes in Hammerfest.
Carajás Mine
The Carajás Mine is the largest iron ore mine in the world. It is located in the municipality of Parauapebas, state of Pará in the Carajás Mountains of Northern Brazil. The mine is operated as an open-pit mine, and is estimated to contain roughly 7.2 billion tons of iron ore, plus gold, manganese, bauxite, copper, and nickel.
The mine is located in the mining concession area of the Carajás National Forest, which "contains known reserves of the order of 18 billion tons with an average grade of 65.4% Fe."
Selvåg mine
The Selvåg mine is one of the largest titanium mines in Norway. The mine is located in Nordland. The mine has reserves amounting to 94 million tonnes of ore grading 6% titanium.
List of mines in Norway
This list of mines in Norway is subsidiary to the list of mines article and lists working, defunct and future mines in the country and is organised by the primary mineral output. For practical purposes stone, marble and other quarries may be included in this list.
Kevitsa mine
The Kevitsa mine is a large mine in the north of Finland in Lapland. Kevitsa represents one of the largest nickel reserve in Finland having estimated reserves of 237.4 million tonnes of ore grading 0.3% nickel. The 237.4 million tonnes of ore contains 710,000 tonnes of nickel metal.
Woxna mine
The Woxna mine is one of the largest graphite mines in Sweden and in the world. The mine is located in the center of the country in Gävleborg County. The mine has estimated reserves of 6.93 million tonnes of ore 8.82% graphite.
Juomasuo mine
The Juomasuo mine is one of the largest cobalt mines in Finland. The mine is located in Northern Ostrobothnia. The mine has reserves amounting to 5 million tonnes of ore grading 0.13% cobalt.
Quenangen Mining Association
Several mines were established in Kvænangen; the largest were the Edward Mine ("Edwards gruve") and Cedar Mine ("Cedars gruve"). The Edward Mine was the first to be opened. It was located on the Kjækan River ("Kjækanelva"), a few kilometers from the sea. The company built housing for workers at Kjækan. When copper ore was found further up in the mountains, on the Badder River ("Badderelva"), new mines were established there. It was too far for the workers to go up and down everyday, and so the Quenangen Mining Association built temporary housing for the workers near the new mines and introduced five-day work weeks so that workers could visit their families down in the valley on weekends.
Holdong mine
The Holdong mine is one of the largest gold mines in North Korea and in the world. The mine is located in the south of the country in North Hwanghae Province. The mine has estimated reserves of 63.2 million oz of gold and 149.8 million oz of silver. The mine also has reserves amounting to 520 million tonnes of ore grading 0.35% copper metal and 266 million tonnes of ore grading 26% iron metal.
Storgangen mine
The Storgangen mine is one of the largest titanium mines in Norway. The mine is located in Nordland. The mine has reserves amounting to 100 million tonnes of ore grading 18% titanium.
Nordic Mining
Nordic Mining ASA is a Norwegian public limited company ("allmennaksjeselskap"), registered with VAT number NO 989 796 739 in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange market Oslo Axess since 14 September 2007, Nordic Mining ASA shares have ticker symbol NOM.OAX and ISIN NO 001 031 7340. They are also listed on the Nasdaq OMX market First North (ticker symbol: NOMo.ST) in Stockholm, Sweden.
Grasberg mine
The Grasberg mine is the largest gold mine and the second largest copper mine in the world. It is located in the province of Papua in Indonesia near Puncak Jaya, the highest mountain in Papua. It has 19,500 employees. It is mostly owned by Freeport-McMoRan (FCX), which owns 48.74% of PT Freeport Indonesia (PT-FI), the principal operating subsidiary in Indonesia, including 9.36% owned through its wholly owned subsidiary, PT Indocopper Investama. The government of Indonesia owns 51.23% of PT Freeport Indonesia.
Norway
Norway contains significant mineral resources, and in 2013, its mineral production was valued at US$1.5 billion (Norwegian Geological Survey data). The most valuable minerals are calcium carbonate (limestone), building stone, nepheline syenite, olivine, iron, titanium, and nickel.
Vishnyakovskoe mine
The Vishnyakovskoe mine is one of the largest lithium mines in Russia. The mine is located in southern Russia in Irkutsk Oblast. The Vishnyakovskoe mine has reserves amounting to 42 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 0.49% lithium thus resulting 0.2 million tonnes of lithium.
Solør Line
The density of forest in Hedmark along both the Solør and Røros Lines is amongst the most productive in the country, and these lines see an unprecedented amount of lumber trains compared to elsewhere in the country. Norsenga Lumber Terminal has an annual loading of 536,546 tonnes of lumber in 2013, making it the busiest such terminal in Norway. It was followed by Vestmo, with 470,292 tonnes. Braskereidsfoss is the fifth-busiest, with 66,863 tonnes. Train operators include Hector Rail, TX Logistik and Tågåkeriet i Bergslagen. The largest customer is Stora Enso, which mostly imports the lumber for use at its plant in Karlstad, Sweden. Lesser quantities are transported to Gävle and Sundsvall.
Equinor operations by country
Equinor is the largest operator on the Norwegian continental shelf, with 60% of total production. The fields operated are Glitne, Gullfaks, Heidrun, Huldra, Kristin, Kvitebjørn, Mikkel, Norne, Sleipner, Snorre, Snøhvit, Statfjord, Sygna, Tordis, Troll, Veslefrikk, Vigdis, Visund, Volve and Åsgard. Equinor also operates a chain of service stations and other energy related products. The company has processing plants at Kolsnes, Kårstø, Mongstad and Tjeldbergodden. The company's global headquarters are in Stavanger, and it has other offices around Norway.
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (SNSK), or simply Store Norske, is a Norwegian coal mining company based on the Svalbard archipelago. It was formed in 1916, after a Norwegian purchase of the American Arctic Coal Company (ACC).
Ahtium
Ahtium plc was a Finnish mining company, which filed for bankruptcy on 6 March 2018. Until late 2017 the company was known as Talvivaara Mining Company plc (), when it was a nickel mining business operating Talvivaara mine in Finland. Formerly listed on the London and Helsinki Stock Exchanges, the company was a constituent of the OMXH25 index. Its mining business, Talvivaara Sotkamo, went bankrupt in November 2014, and it is bound for liquidation, with at least 98% of equity lost, and €1.4 million debt outstanding. The mine had suffered several leaks of toxic metal-contaminated tailings, which had threatened local waterways. Members of the management have been charged with criminal environmental offenses. There has been considerable government involvement, with the Government of Finland being the largest single owner through their investment company Solidium. In 2015, the newly established government-owned corporation Terrafame Oy bought the mining business of Talvivaara. Since the company is now an assetless shell, its creditors have demanded that Talvivaara (the parent company) file for bankruptcy. Since February 2017 Terrafame, operating the Talvivaara Mine, have new owners from Singapore Trafigura and its Galena Asset Management.
Nyhamna Gas Plant
Ormen Lange is around 65 miles west of the gas plant. The field was discovered by Norsk Hydro in 1997. The wells were drilled by the ship "West Navigator". The operation of Ormen Lange was owned 18% by Norsk Hydro, 17% by Norske Shell, 36% by Petoro, 10% by Statoil, 10% by Dansk Olie og Naturgas, and 7% by ExxonMobil (Esso). Ormen Lange is Norway's second largest gas field.
Nordic Mining
Originally an integrated part of Norwegian petroleum company Rocksource ASA, today's Nordic Mining ASA was de-merged and established as an independent public limited company on 23 February 2006, and received Rocksource ASA's assets and liabilities related to metals and minerals. In September 2006, Nordic Mining ASA also acquired claims to the Engebøfjell rutile deposit from ConocoPhillips Investments Norge AS.
Bingham Canyon Mine
The Bingham Canyon Mine, more commonly known as Kennecott Copper Mine among locals, is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Oquirrh Mountains. The mine is the largest man-made excavation in the world and is considered to have produced more copper than any other mine in history – more than 19 million tons. The mine is owned by Rio Tinto Group, a British-Australian multinational corporation. The copper operations at Bingham Canyon Mine are managed through Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation which operates the mine, a concentrator plant, a smelter, and a refinery. The mine has been in production since 1906, and has resulted in the creation of a pit over deep, wide, and covering . It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 under the name Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine. The mine experienced a massive landslide in April 2013 and a smaller slide in September 2013.
Svalbard
Since the resettlement of Svalbard in the early 20th century, coal mining has been the dominant commercial activity. Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani, a subsidiary of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, operates Svea Nord in Sveagruva and Mine 7 in Longyearbyen. The former produced 3.4 million tonnes in 2008, while the latter uses 35% of its output to Longyearbyen Power Station. Since 2007, there has not been any significant mining by the Russian state-owned Arktikugol in Barentsburg. There have previously been performed test drilling for petroleum on land, but these did not give satisfactory results for permanent operation. The Norwegian authorities do not allow offshore petroleum activities for environmental reasons, and the land formerly test-drilled on has been protected as natural reserves or national parks. In 2011, a 20-year plan to develop offshore oil and gas resources around Svalbard was announced.
Svalbard has historically been a base for both whaling and fishing. Norway claimed a exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Svalbard in 1977, with of internal waters and of EEZ. Norway retains a restrictive fisheries policy in the zone, and the claims are disputed by Russia. Tourism is focused on the environment and is centered on Longyearbyen. Activities include hiking, kayaking, walks through glacier caves and snowmobile and dog-sled safari. Cruise ships generate a significant portion of the traffic, including both stops by offshore vessels and expeditionary cruises starting and ending in Svalbard. Traffic is strongly concentrated between March and August; overnights have quintupled from 1991 to 2008, when there were 93,000 guest-nights.
Geology of Estonia
Oil shale in Estonia remains a major part of the economy and throughout the 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s and early '90s, geologists extensively prospected oil shale resources, with peak production in 1980. Phosphorite mining was also an important activity in Estonia through the 1980s, prompting the so-called Phosphorite War in 1987 when the Estonian public opposed the expansion of mining efforts, and the implicit threat of additional Russian miners being sent to the region. The major phosphorite mine at Maardu closed in 1991 due to its environmental impact. 
Estonia has 165,000 mires (including 20,000 peat bogs), each with an area of one hectare or greater. About 1500 are commercially important and most have thicknesses of three to seven meters, with a maximum of 16.7 meters in the Haanja Heights.
Lake chalk is sometimes used to neutralize high acidity and for art material. Estonia also has iron ore in the crystalline basement, pyrite and glauconite and, as well as lead and zinc sulfide ore. Granite rock near Tallinn is often extracted for road work.
Sulitjelma Mines
Several technical innovations and inventions were made at Sulitjelma, including the Knudsen process and some of the world's first electric copper smelters. Later in the history of the works many other improvements were made, especially in concentrating ore and smelting. In the early 1900s, Sulitjelma Mines was the second-largest industrial company in Norway.
Mo Industrial Park
Mo Industrial Park () is one of Norways largest industrial parks, situated in the town of Mo i Rana, North Norway. The company Mo Industrial Park produces oxygen, nitrogen and compressed air, and also provides security, telephone-switchboard and mail services to the other companies in the park. The companies engage in a wide range of activities, including iron and steel production, ferro alloy production, workshop industry, service industry, research, quality and computer technology, expertise industry, and even fish farming. Total gross income is close to 4 billion NOK per year.
Grasberg mine
Both Freeport and its partner Rio Tinto have been excluded from the investment portfolio of The Government Pension Fund of Norway, the world's second-largest pension fund, due to criticism over the environmental damages caused by the Grasberg mine. Stocks at a value of ca. US$870 million were divested from the fund as a result of the decisions.
Kåfjord Copper Works
The "Big Mine" ("Storgruva") in Kåfjord, which was located above Strømsnes, was also called the Marit Mine ("Maritgruva") in memory of Maret Aslaksdatter. The four other mines that were set up in Kåfjord by 1827 were named after stakeholders in the copper works: the Woodfall Mine ("Woodfalls gruve"), Crowe Mine ("Crowes gruve"), Ward Mine ("Wards gruve"), and Nellen Mine ("Nellens gruve"). All of these were in the mountains above Kåfjord. The Raipa Mine ("Raipas gruve") is located on a ridge known as Lille-Raipas and is believed to have been opened in 1685. Two men from Alta presented two ore samples at a meeting in Sørøya in that year, and the description of the site indicates that the samples came from Raipas. Alten Copper Works operated the mine from 1836 to 1869. The Raipas Mine and the "Old Mine" ("Gammelgruva") in Kåfjord were the two most important mines for the copper works in Kåfjord.
Nordic Mining
The Engebø Project at Engebø in Naustdal, Sogn og Fjordane, is operated and fully owned by Nordic Mining ASA via Nordic Rutile AS. The rutile deposit at Engebø is among the largest in the world. Engebø also contains almandine garnet. The project has an estimated production time of 50 years. In April 2015, The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation approved the Engebø Project, parallelly with The Ministry of Climate and Environment granting a related discharge permit.
Sangnong mine
The Sangnong mine is one of the largest gold mines in North Korea and in the world. The mine is located in the center of the country in South Hamgyong Province. The mine has estimated reserves of 6.4 million oz of gold. The mine also has reserves amounting to 200 million tonnes of ore grading 0.23% copper metal.
Vestre gravlund
Vestre Gravlund is a cemetery in the Frogner borough of Oslo, Norway. It is located next to the Borgen metro station. At , it is the largest cemetery in Norway. It was inaugurated in September 1902 and also contains a crematorium ("Vestre krematorium") and chapel ("Gravkapellet").
Kongsberg School of Mines
At the 1769 Census, Kongsberg was the second largest city in Norway (after Bergen), with more than 8,000 inhabitants, and the number of employees at the Kongsberg Silver Mines exceeded 4,000.
Spitsbergen
Since the resettlement of Spitsbergen in the early 20th century, coal mining has been the dominant commercial activity. Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani, a subsidiary of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, operates Svea Nord in Sveagruva and Mine 7 in Longyearbyen. The former produced 3.4 million tonnes in 2008, while the latter sends 35% of its output to Longyearbyen Power Station. Since 2007, there has not been any significant mining by the Russian state-owned Arktikugol in Barentsburg. There has previously been some test drilling for petroleum on land, but this did not give results good enough to justify permanent operation. The Norwegian authorities do not allow offshore petroleum drilling activities for environmental reasons, and the land formerly test-drilled on has been protected as nature reserves or national parks.
Energy in Norway
In 2011, Norway was the eighth largest crude oil exporter in the world (at 78Mt), and the 9th largest exporter of refined oil (at 86Mt). It was also the world's third largest natural gas exporter (at 99bcm), having significant gas reserves in the North Sea. Norway also possesses some of the world's largest potentially exploitable coal reserves (located under the Norwegian continental shelf) on earth.
Sydvaranger
Sydvaranger Gruve AS, previously A/S Sydvaranger, is an iron ore mining company operating in Sør-Varanger, Norway. Owned by the Tschudi Group-controlled Northern Iron, Sydvaranger operates an open-pit mine at Bjørnevatn and then hauls the ore with the Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line to Kirkenes for processing and shipping.
Moi, Norway
The largest employer in Moi is NorDan, which is the largest window factory in northern Europe. After the Industrial Revolution, Moi developed a relatively large timber industry. Moi is also home to Moen Bjøllefabrikk, a bell manufacturer, which was the official supplier of animal bells used to cheer on athletes at the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics, and in partnership with Cowbells.com for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics. Additionally, Norway's only active clog factory is located just north of Moi in the village of Eik.
Nezhdaninka mine
The Nezhdaninka mine is one of the largest gold mines in Russia and in the world. The mine is located in Krasnoyarsk Krai. The mine has estimated reserves of 16 million oz of gold.
Ahmavaara mine
The Ahmavaara mine is one of the largest gold mines in Finland and in the world. The mine is located in the north of the country in Lapland. The mine has estimated reserves of 4.5 million oz of gold, 3.4 million oz of palladium and 0.72 million oz of platinum. The mine also has ore reserves amounting to 78.1 million tonnes grading 0.24% copper and 0.09% nickel.
Economy of Norway
The state has large ownership positions in key industrial sectors, such as the strategic petroleum sector (Equinor), hydroelectric energy production (Statkraft), aluminum production (Norsk Hydro), the largest Norwegian bank (DNB) and telecommunication provider (Telenor). The government controls 31.6% of publicly listed companies. When non-listed companies are included the state has an even higher share in ownership (mainly from direct oil license ownership).
Grane oil field
Grane () is an offshore oil field in the North Sea located west of the city of Haugesund on the western coast of Norway. It is Norway's first heavy crude oil production field and Statoil's largest heavy oil field in the Norwegian continental shelf. The oil from the field, located in Block 25/11 is transported to Sture terminal via Grane oil pipeline. The injection gas is imported to Grane oil field from the Heimdal, located just north the field.
Boliden AB
Business Area Mines conducts exploration, mining and milling operations in Sweden and Ireland. Its main products are zinc and copper concentrate, with some lead, gold and silver content. The goods produced are sold both to the Group's own smelters and to external customers. Boliden owns and operates Europe's biggest zinc mine at Tara in Ireland. Tara became part of Boliden in early 2004, but production began there in 1977, since when over 60 million tonnes of ore have been mined. Boliden also owns Garpenberg, which is Sweden's oldest mine still in operation. Mining at Garpenberg began back in the 13th century. The mineral-rich Skellefte field lies within the Boliden Area, where almost 30 mines have been opened since production began in the 1920s and where Boliden currently operates the Renström and Kristineberg underground mines and the Maurliden open pit mine. Boliden also owns and operates the Aitik open pit mine, which is one of Europe's biggest copper mines. Metal grades at Aitik are low, but this is compensated for by high productivity levels and efficient milling processes that also exploit the ore's gold and silver content. An expansion project that will double Aitik's ore production to 36 million tonnes per annum by 2014 began in 2007 and will be completed in 2010.
Bjørnevatn mine
The Bjørnevatn mine is a large mine in the north of Norway in Finnmark. Bjørnevatn represents one of the largest iron reserves in Norway, having estimated reserves of 565 million tonnes of ore grading 31% iron.
Equinor
Equinor is the largest operator on the Norwegian continental shelf, with 60% of the total production. The fields operated are Brage, Heimdal, Grane, Glitne, Gullfaks, Heidrun, Huldra, Kristin, Kvitebjørn, Mikkel, Njord, Norne, Ormen Lange, Oseberg, Sleipner, Snorre, Snøhvit, Statfjord, Sygna, Tordis, Troll, Veslefrikk, Vigdis, Visund, Volve, and Åsgard. The company also has processing plants at Kolsnes, Kårstø, Mongstad, Tjeldbergodden, and Melkøya.
Daeheung mine
The Daeheung mine is one of the largest magnesium mines in North Korea and in the world. The mine is located in the center of the country in South Hamgyong Province. The mine has estimated reserves of 826 million tonnes of ore 46.77% magnesium.
Sulitjelma
In 1887, the Swedish industrialist and entrepreneur Nils Persson (1836-1916) bought the mineral rights to those findings and the mining era began.
Sulitjelma Gruber was founded in 1891 as a Norwegian limited company to mine the area's minerals. In addition to the mines themselves, there was also a plant for processing the ore, a smelting plant, a conveying plant, as well as all the other necessary service institutions needed to support the growing population of the community. By the early 20th century, it was the largest mining company in the country—and the second largest Norwegian industrial company. At its peak in 1913, the company had 1,750 employees.
Over time it became necessary to go deeper into the mountain to reach the ore. This increased the cost of the operations. When the mining license expired in 1983, the state took over the operation under the name of Sulitjelma Bergverk A/S. In 1991, all mining in Sulitjelma was stopped as the costs of extraction became greater than the value of the ore on the market. The remaining ore deposits still constitute the largest known deposit of copper in Norway.
The construction of the Sulitjelma Line railway began in May 1891 when the mining company in Sulitjelma decided to build a railway between the villages of Sjønstå and Fossen. The line was the first in Northern Norway. The expansion of the mine into the mountains at Fagerli began in 1912, and at the same time the railway gauge was increased from to . The railroad line was closed on 22 July 1972. The tracks were removed and the former trackbed was converted into a roadway. Norwegian County Road 830 opened to traffic in 1975.
Løkken Mine
The Løkken Mine is an underground pyrite mine located in the municipality of Meldal in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. The mine was operative from 1654 to 1987, from the mining community Løkken Verk. It contained the largest deposits of its kind in Norway. Between 1654 and 1845, a total of 11,300 tons of copper was produced from the mine. From 1904 the mine was run by the company Orkla Grube-Aktiebolag, and until 1987 a total of 24 million tons of pyrite was produced from the mine. In addition to sulphur, the pyrite contained about 2% copper, in addition to zinc and traces of silver and gold. The products were originally transported to the sea by horse and sledge during winter time. From 1908 the ore was transported by the Thamshavn Line, which was the first electrical railway line in Norway. The annual production was about 350,000 tons of ore during its final years.
Government Pension Fund of Norway
As of June 2011, it was the largest pension fund in the world, but it is not a pension fund in the conventional sense, as it derives its financial backing from oil profits, not pension contributions. In September 2017, the fund exceeded US$1 trillion in value for the first time, a thirteen-fold increase since 2002. With a population of 5.2 million people, the fund was worth $192,307 per Norwegian citizen. Of the assets, 65% were equities (account for 1.3% of global equity markets), and the rest were property and fixed-income investments. Norway can withdraw up to 3% of the fund's value each year. The first withdrawal in its history was made in 2016. In a parliamentary white paper in April 2011, the Norwegian Ministry of Finance forecast that the fund would reach $1 trillion by the end of 2019. According to the forecast, a worst-case scenario for the fund value in 2030 was forecast at $455 billion, and a best case scenario at $3.3 trillion. With 2.33 percent of European stocks, it is the largest stock owner in Europe.
Foundations in Norway
There are approximately 7,600 foundations in Norway. Based on a total capital of nearly 100 billion crowns, foundations possess and control assets of estimated 200–300 billions. They constitute a small but economically important contribution to Norway's social and cultural life and to sports, education, and science. Norwegian foundations partly employ and partly engage approximately 35,500 individuals. Most foundations are located in the capital Oslo (the biggest city) and Bergen (the second biggest city). However, city-based foundations often cover most or all parts of the Kingdom.
Stordø Kisgruber
Mining for pyrite at Litlabø had first been estgablished in 1865. Stordø Kisgruber A/S was established in 1907 and maintained mining operations which ended in 1968. A total of about eight million tons of ore was won during the operation of the mine. Under the elevator tower is the main mine shaft which went straight down about 750 meters deep. Altogether there are 80 km of shafts into the mountain. A railway line operated between Litlabø and the quays at Sagvåg.
During the Nazi occupation of Norway, the mines delivered pyrite to Germany for use by the country's war industry. During 1941, this amounted to 9,000 tons per month. In January 1943 the mines were targeted by the British Commando raid Operation Cartoon. Several dynamite charges were set off in various buildings at Litlabø. The hoist machine, the compressor house and the locomotive engine shed, among others, were blown up.
History of Ny-Ålesund
The mine flooded on 26 April 1949 and it took half a year to empty it. Production that year ended at 40,000 tonnes. A series of upgrades were carried out, bringing production up to 80,000 tonnes in 1951. On 7 January 1951 there was an explosion in the Ester V Mine, killing nine men. The same day a mining explosion in Longyearbyen killed six people, and a common investigation was carried out by a government committee. A year later, on 19 March 1952, yet another explosion took place in the Ester Mine, this time killing nineteen men. The miners sent a letter to the Minister of Justice stating that they would not work until the safety measures proposed by the previous two commissions were carried out. A new commission was dispatched to Ny-Ålesund, which found that some of the safety measured had been carried out, and some had not. It recommended that new safety measures be implemented. In the mean time mining was placed on hold.
Parliament granted NOK 1.2 million to upgrade the mines, with the company having an operating deficit of NOK 2.9 million that year. A further grant of NOK 1.9 million was issued the following year. The population dropped to 72 while production was halted. In 1954 there was produced 5,000 tonnes of coal, mostly for the towns own consumption. By 1955 the estimates for continuing operation, mostly prominently the need for improved ventilation systems, reached an estimate of NOK 20 million. A certain amount of production was resumed, reaching 15,000 tonnes in 1955. Parliament approved a new production plan on 20 March 1956, which set a production goal of 200,000 tonnes of coal annually. The company built a new power station, bath and a fire station, as well as additional housing. Ester I was re-opened and upgraded. Production gradually increased to 47,000 in 1958, before falling again, in part because of falling coal prices.
Kayelekera mine
Kayelekera uranium mine is an open cast uranium mine 52 kilometers west of the regional administrative and commercial centre Karonga in Malawi, Africa and is the country's largest mine. Kayelekera is owned 100% by Paladin (Africa) Limited (PAL), an 85% subsidiary of Australian and Canadian listed Paladin Energy and in July 2009, Paladin issued 15% of the equity in Paladin (Africa) Ltd to the Government of Malawi under the terms of the Mining Development Agreement signed between PAL and the Government in February 2007. The mine was officially opened on 17 April 2009 by the then Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika. As of 2014, the mine is in care and maintenance mode owing to a depressed uranium market. While in production, the mine exported containers of uranium oxide via the port of Walvis Bay. The mine has not been profitable for its operators and has met opposition from organisations and individuals concerned about the mine's tax concessions, operation, adherence to law and regulation and its potential impacts on human and environmental safety.
Mir mine
The Mir mine ( "Kimberlitovaya Almaznaya Trubka "Mir""; English: kimberlite diamond pipe "Peace"), also called the Mirny mine, is an open pit diamond mine located in Mirny, Sakha Republic, in the Siberian region of eastern Russia. The mine is > deep (4th in the world) and has a diameter of , and is one of the largest excavated holes in the world.
Vemork
Vemork is the name of a hydroelectric power plant outside Rjukan in Tinn, Norway. The plant was built by Norsk Hydro and opened in 1911, its main purpose being to fix nitrogen for the production of fertilizer. At opening, it was the world's largest power plant with a capacity of 108 MW.
List of glaciers in Norway
These are the largest glaciers on mainland Norway. However, the 18 largest glaciers in the Kingdom of Norway are on Svalbard, including the second largest glacier in Europe, Austfonna on Nordaustlandet. In total, Norway has around 1,600 glaciers - 900 of these are in North Norway, but 60% of the total glacier area is south of Trøndelag. 1% of mainland Norway is covered by glaciers.
Jøssingfjord
The Tellnes mine, one of Norway's largest titanium mines, is located in the mountains about northeast of the fjord. The mine is run by a company called "Titania", and the fjord is used as the shipping port for the company. The Nedre Helleren Power Plant is located at the head of the fjord. The electricity is generated by water from lakes located high in the mountains and the water is piped down to the sea level power plant the force of the falling water produces the electricity.
Aurora mine
The Aurora mine is the largest integrated phosphate mining and chemical plant in the world. The mine is located in Richland Township, in Aurora in Beaufort County, North Carolina. The mine which is owned since 1995 by PotashCorp, the world's largest potash producer and the second and third largest producer of nitrogen and phosphate, has an annual production capacity of over six million tonnes of phosphate ore. In 2008 the mine produced 6.6 million tonnes of phosphate ore from which 1.3 million tonnes of phosphoric acid was produced.
Camp Morton, Svalbard
The coal mining was never as profitable as investors had hoped, and operations had ended by the mid-1920s. Mining of other resources was also difficult. In 1932 the investors sold the Northern Exploration Company to the Norwegian government; its total property included 58 huts. Twenty-seven have survived, and the largest is Michelsenhuset, now known as Camp Morton. It has been restored by the government and is the largest structure at the site. A nearby hut, known as Clara Ville, is available for use by the Longyearbyen snowmobile club. The site also has some remains of mining equipment and the tracks of the mine railway.
Outotec
In spring 2014, Outotec received an order worth EUR 50 million from Alumina do Norte do Brasil (known as Alunorte). Majority-owned by Norwegian aluminum producer Norsk Hydro ASA, Alunorte's alumina refinery is the largest in the world. A new filtration plant was ordered for the refinery, located in Barcarena in Northern Brazil, to enable dry storage of caustic residue. The plant is due to be started up in March 2016.
Oil shale in Estonia
The Estonia underground mine at Väike-Pungerja, operated by state owned Eesti Energia Kaevandused, is the largest oil shale mine in the world. The other underground mine, operated by privately owned Viru Keemia Grupp, is located at Ojamaa. Both mines use the room and pillar mining method. Oil shale mined at Ojamaa is transported to the processing plant by a unique conveyor belt. Although there are similar conveyors in operation in other countries, the one at Ojamaa is an unusually challenging installation since its path contains many curves and sharp turns.
Norwegian School of Economics
The Student Association at NHH (NHHS) has groups to accommodate many student interests. As would be expected for a leading business school, NHHS has many groups involved with economics and business issues. These groups maintain contact with the business community and serve to stimulate interest in and improve knowledge of various sectors Norwegians and international business. This is achieved through conferences, seminars, company visits, excursions in Norway and abroad and trainee programs in various businesses. The Student Association is led by a board of seven people - Kjernestyret.NHH alumni hold several important positions in Norwegian business and politics. Eldar Sætre is CEO of Statoil, Norway's largest company and the largest offshore oil and gas company in the world. Jon Fredrik Baksaas is CEO of Telenor, Norway's second largest company and one of the world's largest mobile phone operators. Siv Jensen is Norway's Minister of Finance and Yngve Slyngstad is CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the part of the Norwegian Central Bank responsible for managing Norway's sovereign wealth fund.
Mølen
Mølen in Brunlanes, Larvik is Norway's largest beach of rolling stones, and is a part of Vestfoldraet, the terrain left behind after the end of the most recent ice age around 10,000 years ago. Mølen is one of Larvik's most popular tourist attractions. It is home to over a hundred species of rock, including Norway's national stone, "Larvikite", which is named from the area.
Oil shale industry
The largest oil shale mine in the world is the Estonia Mine, operated by Enefit Kaevandused. In 2005, Estonia mined 14.8 million tonnes of oil shale. During the same period, mining permits were issued for almost 24 million tonnes, with applications being received for mining an additional 26 million tonnes. In 2008, the Estonian Parliament approved the "National Development Plan for the Use of Oil Shale 2008-2015", which limits the annual extraction of oil shale to 20 million tonnes.
Kiruna Mine
The Kiruna mine is the largest and most modern underground iron ore mine in the world. The mine is located in Kiruna in Norrbotten County, Lapland. The mine which is owned by Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB), a large Swedish mining company, has an annual production capacity of over 26 million tonnes of iron ore. In 2008 the mine produced 27.5 million tonnes of iron ore. The Kiruna mine has an ore body which is long, to thick and reaching a depth of up to . Since mining began at the site in 1898, the mine has produced over 950 million tonnes of ore.
Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line
Arctic Bulk Minerals bought the mining rights, and operated a train once to twice a year to keep the track and rolling stock maintained. This company filed for bankruptcy in 2002. The mining company was then bought by the local power company Varanger Kraft and Sør-Varanger Municipality. In 2006, they sold the mining company to Tschudi Group for 102 million Norwegian krone (NOK). The Tschudi Group established Northern Iron, registered in Perth, Australia, as a holding company to own the mining company. Operations in the mine and on the line resumed in 2009, after the price of iron had risen dramatically since the closing of the mine. With the opening of the mine, production is estimated at 3 million tonnes of export per year. The Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line was the northern-most railway in the world until 2010, when Russia's Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Line was opened.
Vestfold
Vestfold is the county in Norway with the most traces from the Viking Age. Examples include the Oseberg- and Gokstad Burial Mounds. While the Oseberg Ship was discovered in Tønsberg, the Gokstad Ship was discovered in Sandefjord. The Gokstad Ship is Norway's largest preserved Viking ship. Both ships are now located at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. Additional burial mounds are found at Borre mound cemetery and Mølen, an UNESCO Global Geopark. Borre mound cemetery is home to Northern Europe's largest burial mound site from Viking Age.
Evje og Hornnes
The Flåt nickel mine is situated a couple of hundreds of meters behind the Evje Mineralsti, and has been Europe's largest nickel mine. The mine was operated from 1844 initially as a copper mine, but from 1872 to 1946 as a nickel mine. The upper parts of the Flåt Nickel Mine is open to visitors and during the summer there are daily guided tours.
Ringnes
Ringnes is the largest brewer in Norway.
Aitik
The Aitik copper mine is owned by Boliden AB and situated outside the town of Gällivare in northern Sweden. It is one of Europe's largest open pit copper mines. Associated with the copper, some quantities of gold, silver are produced alongside the main production.
Norway
The state has large ownership positions in key industrial sectors, such as the strategic petroleum sector (Statoil), hydroelectric energy production (Statkraft), aluminium production (Norsk Hydro), the largest Norwegian bank (DNB), and telecommunication provider (Telenor). Through these big companies, the government controls approximately 30% of the stock values at the Oslo Stock Exchange. When non-listed companies are included, the state has even higher share in ownership (mainly from direct oil licence ownership). Norway is a major shipping nation and has the world's 6th largest merchant fleet, with 1,412 Norwegian-owned merchant vessels.
Engebø mine
The Engebø mine is one of the largest titanium mines in Norway. The mine is located in Sogn og Fjordane. The mine has reserves amounting to 154 million tonnes of ore grading 3.8% titanium.
Olimpiada mine
The Olimpiada mine is one of the largest gold mines in Russia and in the world. The mine is located in Krasnoyarsk Krai. The mine has estimated resources of 47.37, and reserves of 30.01 million oz of gold.
Mining in North Korea
The Hyesan Mine, located in Masan-dong, Hyesan-si, and Ryanggang-do, has been in operation since 1970 and is the largest copper mine in the country. It was flooded and hence closed from 1994 to 2009 and has been partially reopened, after bailing out water, since 2010. Other products from the mine are chalcocite, chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite. The plant has a capacity to handle 1,200,000 tons of copper ore annually. According to a 1993 report, the mine produced about 90,000 tons of concentrate of 16% grade of copper.
Rødsand mine
The Rødsand mine is one of the largest titanium mines in Norway. The mine is located in Møre og Romsdal. The mine has reserves amounting to 131 million tonnes of ore grading 4% titanium.
Mining in Sweden
The Kiruna Mine, the largest iron ore mine pit in Europe, plans to expand operations in the future. The nearby town of Kiruna would be endangered, however, if iron ore is extracted beneath it, which would cause instability in soil and building foundations. In order to resolve this problem, the mining company LKAB plans to move the entire town with its 18,000 people to the east.
Mongstad
Mongstad is an industrial site in Hordaland county, Norway. The site sits on the border of the municipalities of Lindås and Austrheim, with most of the site in Lindås. The site features an oil refinery for Statoil and other oil companies, including Shell. At Mongstad, Statoil has a crude oil terminal with a capacity of . The port at Mongstad is the largest in Norway, measured in tonnage. The refinery at Mongstad is modern, and has been extensively upgraded, with a capacity of 12 million tonnes of crude oil per year (230,000 barrels per day). The refinery is the largest in Norway, though medium-sized by European standards. It is owned by a company called Mongstad Refining, in which Statoil has whole ownership (since 2013).
Gross mine
The Gross mine is one of the largest gold mines in Russia and in the world. The mine is located in Sakha Republic. The mine has estimated reserves of 8.27 million oz of gold and is being developed by Nordgold.
Norwegian Sea
The most important products of the Norwegian Sea are no longer fish, but oil and especially gas found under the ocean floor. Norway started undersea oil production in 1993, followed by development of the Huldra gas field in 2001. The large depth and harsh waters of the Norwegian Sea pose significant technical challenges for offshore drilling. Whereas drilling at depths exceeding 500 meters has been conducted since 1995, only a few deep gas fields have been explored commercially. The most important current project is Ormen Lange (depth 800-1,100 m), where gas production started in 2007. With reserves of 1.4 cubic feet, it is the major Norwegian gas field. It is connected to the Langeled pipeline, currently the world's longest underwater pipeline, and thus to a major European gas pipeline network. Several other gas fields are being developed. A particular challenge is the Kristin field, where the temperature is as high as 170 °C and the gas pressure exceeds 900 bar (900 times the normal pressure).
Further north are Norne and Snøhvit.
Husab Mine
The Husab Mine, also known as the Husab Uranium Project, is a uranium mine under development near the town of Swakopmund in the Erongo region of western-central Namibia. The mine is located approximately from Walvis Bay. The Husab Mine is expected to be the second largest uranium mine in the world after the McArthur River uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada and the largest open-pit mine on the African continent. The Husab Mine is to start production in early December 2015 after completion of the sulfuric acid leaching plant.
Prognoz mine
The Prognoz mine is one of the largest silver mines in Russia and in the world. The mine is located in Sakha Republic. The mine has estimated reserves of 205 million oz of silver.
Cerro Matoso mine
The Cerro Matoso mine in northwest of Colombia is one of the largest open-pit ferronickel mines with the highest-grade lateritic nickel ore deposits in the world. The largest mine of South America, containing the largest nickel reserve in Colombia has been operated by Anglo-Australian multinational BHP Billiton since 1980. 
After 4 decades of mining with heavy metal pollution affecting especially local indigenous Zenuand Afro-Descendant residents the first study of a public health impact was published in 2015. BHP spun off Cerro Matoso in a new company. In 2018 the Constitutional Court of Colombia has ordered the mine to pay damages to local communities.
Norsk Hydro
Hydro is one of the largest aluminium companies worldwide. In Norway, Hydro has plants in Magnor, Rjukan, Raufoss, Vennesla, Karmøy, Høyanger, Årdal, Husnes, Sunndalsøra, and Holmestrand. Most of the employees in the company work in plants and offices located outside Norway, such as Germany and Brazil. Hydro has more employees in the United States than any other Norwegian company.
Longyearbyen
The only mining still taking place in Longyearbyen is at Mine 7, located up Adventdalen. It produces of coal annually, of which is used to fuel Longyear Power Station, Norway's only coal-fueled power station. Most of Store Norske's production is done at Sveagruva, located on Van Mijenfjorden, south of Longyearbyen. No roads connect the communities; instead, workers live in dormitories in Svea. Seventy percent commute home to the mainland while thirty percent commute to Longyearbyen. Mining has not been profitable and Store Norske relies on state subsidies to retain production.
Rössing uranium mine
The Rössing Uranium Mine in Namibia is the longest-running and one of the largest open pit uranium mines in the world and is located in the Namib Desert near the town of Arandis, which is 70 kilometres from the coastal town of Swakopmund. Discovered in 1928, the Rössing mine started operations in 1976 and, in 2005, produced 3,711 tonnes of uranium oxide, becoming the fifth-largest uranium mine with 8 per cent of global output. Namibia is the world's fourth-largest exporter of uranium.
Langer Heinrich mine
The Langer Heinrich mine (LHM) is a large open pit mine located in the western part of Namibia in the Erongo Region. Langer Heinrich represents one of the largest uranium reserves in Namibia having estimated reserves of 57,000 tonnes of ore grading 0.055% uranium. The Langer Heinrich mine is currently owned by Paladin Energy Ltd with a 75% stake and CNNC Overseas Uranium Holding Ltd with a 25% stake. Paladin Energy sold the 25% to the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in 2014 for a reported $190 million.
Mine clearance agency
Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) is one of Norway's largest non-governmental organisations, founded in 1939. Based upon the principles of solidarity, unity, human dignity, peace and freedom, NPA is involved in more than 400 projects in 30 countries. NPA has been involved in mine action since 1992. Cambodia was the first country where NPA started mine clearance and the organisation has grown considerably since then. NPA sits in the CC of the ICBL and the core group of LM and participates in different activities with SWG and SAC. As of December 2011, NPA was involved in mine action in sixteen countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Norseman Gold Mine
It is operated by Norseman Gold Plc and is Australia’s longest continuously running gold mining operation. The Norseman area lies at the southern end of the Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone Belt. Norseman Gold plc is a private gold production and exploration company de-listed from the ASX. Its key asset is the Norseman Project, which lies at the Eastern Goldfields Province of the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia.
Vestfold
Mølen in Larvik is home to Norway's largest stone beach and is an ancient burial site consisting of 230 cairns, some exceeding in diameter. Excavations have dated the rock piles to about 250 A.D. It was the first UNESCO Global Geopark in the Nordics when established in 2008. Mølen is one of Larvik's most popular tourist attractions. It is home to over a hundred species of rock, including Norway's national stone, "Larvikite", which is named from the area. It is a crucially important seabird habitat, where over 316 species of bird have been recorded.
Kuruozek mine
The Kuruozek mine is one of the largest cobalt mines in Russia. The mine is located in Altai Republic. The mine has reserves amounting to 50 million tonnes of ore grading 0.35% cobalt, 0.5% nickel and 3.2 million oz of gold.
Uranium mining in Namibia
Bannerman Resources Ltd. has an 80% interest in the Etango project, which is located southwest of Rossing Mine, about east of Swakopmund. The Etango is considered to have the largest unexploited uranium resources in the world. The company is scheduled to start mining operations in 2013 and has predicted to produce between 2,300 and 3,200 per year of uranium oxide.The environmental impact of uranium mining in Namibia has raised concerns amongst environmentalists, especially as many mining activities are conducted within the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The highly acidic tailings dams found at Namibia's uranium mines are an environmental concern. Monitoring activities include: air, water, and dust quality; biodiversity; medical surveillance; occupational hazards; and radiation protection.
Kemi mine
The Kemi Mine is owned by Outokumpu Chrome Oy, a subsidiary of Outokumpu Oyj. It is located in Elijärvi, in the municipality of Keminmaa, to the north of Kemi. The Kemi Mine is the largest underground mine in Finland, with an annual production capacity of 2.7 million tonnes of ore. It is also part of the integrated ferrochrome and stainless steel manufacturing chain owned by Outokumpu in the Kemi-Tornio region. The Kemi Mine has approximately 400 employees every day, both employees of Outokumpu and contractors.
Nordland
There is a long history of mining. Sulitjelma has the largest copper deposits in the county, as well as pyrite, the latter is also found in several other locations, but the mining here has been discontinued for economical reasons. In earlier days, silver was mined in the Dunderland Valley in Rana, and until 2002 nickel and olivine was mined in Ballangen. There are several limestone, marble, and dolostone quarries, dolomite in Vefsn, Fauske, Sørfold and Ballangen. As of 2008, mining of gold in Bindal is in testing stages ().
The port of Narvik has a direct rail connection to the well known and profitable Kiruna-Gällivare iron-ore fields in Sweden. There are many dams for hydroelectric power.
Nordland has an increasing diverse economy, with fledgling research and development in aerospace and space exploration at the Andøya Rocket Range, which primarily is known for its satellite launches. This vast province, Norway's second largest, almost the size of Denmark, traditionally was very important for NATO, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force has two squadrons of F-16 fighters stationed at Bodø Airport, and all its P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft stationed at Andøya Air Station. The decommissioning of closing military bases has led to a regional shift towards a new knowledge based economy.
Thamshavn Line
Mining at Løkken Verk had its roots back to 1633 when King Christian IV of Denmark–Norway had opened the mine. At this time all mining was a privilege of the king. Later, in the 1800s, the mine was privatised and owned by Løkken Kobber og Kisværks Interessentskab. In 1868 the local farmer and sawmill owner Wilhelm A. Thams and his accountant Christian Salvesen from Leith, Scotland founded the mining company Ørkedals Mining Company and bought a number of small mines around Løkken. In the early 1880s Wilhelm's grandson, Christian Thams returned from Switzerland and took over the running of the mining company. He realized that to make money from mining, he had to purchase the largest mine of the all, but didn't succeed until 1896 when it no longer was feasible to manually pump out the water, and bought Løkken Mine.