Description of the company
Dragon Mining Oy is a Finnish mining company that conducts ore exploration around its mines. Dragon Mining Oy is owned by the Australian Dragon Mining Ltd, which is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. In 2025, the company has an operating gold mine in Jokisivu Huittinen, where the ore is mined underground. The production of Kaapelinkulma mine in Valkeakoski ended in April 2021 and the production of the Orivesi mine ended in June 2019. In these mines the closure processes are ongoing. The ore mined from the Jokisivu mine is processed at the Vammala Plant in Sastamala. The Vammala Plant is a conventional flotation facility that produces gold concentrate and a lesser amount of gravity gold. The company’s main product is gold concentrate.
The answers presented in the social responsibility report concern the Jokisivu, Kaapelinkulma and Orivesi mines and the Vammala Plant.
Results according to the TSM Finland Standard
| C | B | A | AA | AAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Outreach | |||||
| Biodiversity Management | |||||
| Tailings management | |||||
| Water management | |||||
| Climate change management | |||||
| Mine closure | |||||
| Occupational health and safety | |||||
| Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) * | NA |
* The results are self-assessments and will be verified in 2028
Crisis management
| Crisis management preparedness | Internal review | Training and exercises | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crisis Management Planning – Corporate | |||
| Crisis Management Planning – Site |
Social Responsibility Report
Company in figures
- Production volume: A total of approx. 5350 t of gold concentrate.
- Total mining: Ore approx. 345 000 t and waste rock approx. 174 000 t.
- Reported one reserves: Jokisivu / Huittinen: Proved 930 000 t @ 1,9 g/t Au. Probable 2 100 000 t @ 2,4 g/t Au
- Reported mineral reserves: Jokisivu / Huittinen: Measured 940 000 t / 3,2 g/t Au. Indicated 2 000 000 t / 3,6 g/t Au. Inferred 810 000 t / 2,4 g/t Au. Kaapelinkulma / Valkeakoski: Measured 21 000 t / 1,9 g/t Au. Indicated 63 000 t / 2,9 g/t Au. Inferred 98 000 t / 4,8 g/t Au (1.5.2025). Orivesi: Measured 93 000 t / 5,0 g/t Au. Indicated 110 000 t / 5,9 g/t Au. Inferred 71 000 t / 4,8 g/t Au (1.5.2025).
- Year of commencement: Mining operations at the Huittinen Jokisivu mine commenced in 2009. Mining operations at the Valkeakoski Kaapelinkulma mine commenced in 2019 and ended in April 2021. The closure plan for Kaapelinkulma has been approved by the authorities. The potential utilization of the mine’s waste rock is currently being investigated. Mining operations at the Orivesi mine recommenced in 2006 following a shutdown in 2003–2006. The mine was originally opened in 1994 by another company. Mining operations at Orivesi ended in June 2019, and the closure plan has been submitted to the authorities. The latest study prepared to supplement the closure plan was a Natura assessment. The closure plan is currently under review by the authorities. The Vammala Plant crushing, milling and flotation facility was recommissioned in 2007. The Vammala Plant was closed between 2003 to 2007, and was originally opened in the mid-1970s by another company.
- Expected remaining life of the mine: Huittinen / Jokisivu 5-10 years.
- Mining area: A total of 358 ha.
- Number of own employees (31.12.): 33
- The main localities of the employees: Sastamala, Tampere, Nokia, Huittinen
- Number of permanent contractors (31.12.): 53
- Operating profit EBITDA: 46,6 million euros
- Paid capital gains tax: 8,21 million euros
Information about prospecting
In 2025, exploration has been done in Jokisivu mining concession and mining permit areas by diamond drilling. Exploration studies and drilling were also conducted at the Uunimäki exploration area in Vampula, Huittinen.
- Number and area of reservation areas: 0
- Number and area of exploration permit areas: 4 pcs ja 615 hectares
- Number and area of exploration permit application: 0
- Exploration permits under appeal: 0
- Exploration drilling: 18287 metres (exploration and production drilling in 2025)
Environment
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Location in a nature reserve* | ||
| Environmental Management System ** | ||
| Environmental impact assessment required (in accordance with the EIA Act) * | ||
| Measurements for dust | ||
| Measurements for noise | ||
| Measurements for vibration | ||
| Environmental risk assessment carried out | ||
| Deviations from environmental permits *** | ||
| Closure plan for the mine | ||
| Plan for the controlled shutdown of the mine in unexpected situations |
- Environmental permit granted: kyllä
- Year of permit: Huittinen / Jokisivu: The current environmental permit was granted in 2026. Vammala: The current environmental permit was granted in 2024, when the Supreme Administrative Court issued its decision regarding the environmental permit for the Vammala processing plant.
- Link of permit: -
- Guarantee in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act: In accordance with the valid permits.
- Financial guarantee in accordance with the mining act in the mining permit area: In accordance with the valid permits.
- Financial guarantee in accordance with the mining act in mineral exploration permit area: In accordance with the valid permits.
Key Figures
- Amount of mining waste: Waste rock approx. 174 000 t and tailings about 295 000 t.
- Utilixation of extractive waste: In 2025, approximately 160 000 tonnes of waste rock was transported and used as stope backfill material at the Jokisivu underground mine. Approximately 14 500 tonnes of waste rock was crushed for internal use.
- Fuel Consumption: Fuel oil 460 t, Diesel 300 t.
- Other energy consumption: Electricity 15,0 GWh. The heating plant at Jokisivu used 0,04 GWh LPG
- CO2 emissions from the mine: 11,751 t CO₂e (all operations in Finland)
- Water consumption: The Company uses groundwater, surface water and recycled water in its operations.
- Discharge of water outside the mining area: Jokisivu 0,22Mm3, Vammala 0,49Mm3, Kaapelinkulma 0,0038Mm3, Orivesi 0Mm3.
- Number of dams in the mining area: 1 pcs (Vammala tailings area, class 2).
- Endangered species are present in the operational area: kylla
- Use of environmentally hazardous chemicals: Environmentally hazardous chemicals are not used in the mines. In the flotation process of the Vammala Plant, collector chemicals are used and some of those have been defined as dangerous for the environment. The chemicals are mainly remained in the the final product (concentrate).
- Biodiversity actions: Based on the flying squirrel surveys conducted in the Jokisivu mining area of Huittinen in 2018 and 2022, the mining area has a vibrant flying squirrel population and one reason for the good flying squirrel situation is the good nesting situation. A large number of nesting huts suitable for flying squirrels have been installed in the area by the mining company. The most recent installation of the nesting huts was carried out during the summer of 2023. In the 2025 survey, signs of flying squirrels were found in a smaller area than in 2018 and 2022. The differences in the number of squirrels may be explained to some extent by weather conditions and the fact that the survey was carried out at different times of spring in different years. A more likely explanation for the weaker results in 2025 is probably the small size and isolation of the forests in the Jokisivu mining area, which means that predators and random causes can cause more variation in the flying squirrel population than usual. The flying squirrel population in the area is monitored through regular surveys. In the Kaapelinkulma area, the Woodland brown butterfly has been monitored in 2018–2025, and based on the monitoring, the butterfly populations in Kaapelinkulma have been found to be viable.
Personnel and security
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Staff initiative system | ||
| Performance appraisals concerning the entire personnel | ||
| Staff training plan | ||
| Equality plan | ||
| Employee representation in company administration | ||
| Occupational health and safety management system* | ||
| Occupational safety card for everyone working in the area | ||
| Own rescue unit |
- * * Not certified, also applies to contractors.
Key Figures
- Average training days: About 3,15 days/employee
- Sickness absences (excluding contractors): 1,9 %
- Accident frequency: (1 pcs): 6,00 accidents per million working hours (including contractors).
- Shift systems in use: 2-shift system, 7.5-hour working day system, 12-hour working day system, flexible working time.
- Share of women in the labour force: 18 %
Impact on the use and livelihoods of nearby areas
Impact on local livelihoods:
Mining operations are not located in the reindeer herding area. The municipality, residents of the surrounding area, landowners and rural businesses are taken into account in the company’s stakeholder cooperation work.
Impact on nearby recreational use:
According to the company’s own assessment, its operations have a partial impact on land use, particularly where operational areas are away from other land uses.
The finished operations at the Orivesi mine have had an impact on two downstream lakes. The condition and water quality of the lakes are monitored regularly.
According to the fish survey conducted in 2024, the perch population in lake Ala-Jalkajärvi has increased significantly since 2021. Perch were so abundant in the survey catch that the catch per net unit was more than twice that of lake Peräjärvi. The size distribution of perch in lake Ala-Jalkajärvi was diverse, presumably representing a wide range of age classes. The change in the perch population is a clear indication that conditions have become more favorable for fish as metal concentrations in the water have decreased significantly.
From lake Ala-Jalkajärvi, water from the mine area flows via Horhanpuro stream into lake Peräjärvi. The strong stratification of lake Peräjärvi has reduced the area with sufficient oxygen and suitable conditions for fish, and in 2024 the four nets placed at the deepest depths contained no fish at all. The most significant change in the 2024 fish survey results for lake Peräjärvi was a decrease in the roach population compared with the previous three monitoring surveys. The perch catch has remained more or less the same.
According to the water monitoring results, the stratification of lake Peräjärvi caused by high sulphate concentrations has partially broken down in both 2023 and 2024. This trend is expected to significantly improve conditions for fish and other aquatic organisms.
The cessation of the mine discharge waters together with recent changes in the water quality and metal concentrations in lake Peräjärvi, has likely contributed to the fact that the signal crayfish has finally spread from the Peräjoki river to lake Peräjärvi. Experimental crayfishing in lake Peräjärvi has been conducted since 2003, and the two signal crayfish caught in 2024 were the first recorded during the entire monitoring history.
In electrofishing surveys conducted in 2025, 2–3 cm long juvenile signal crayfish were found at the two uppermost sampling sites on the Peräjoki river, indicating successful crayfish reproduction in this section of the river. Signal crayfish are relatively demanding in terms of water quality, and the spread of the signal crayfish population therefore indicates a positive trend in the ecological condition of the monitored water system.
Impact on landscape value:
Landscape values have been taken into account in the planning of the company’s operations. Upon completion of operations, the areas will be rehabilitated in accordance with the closure plans.
Interaction with stakeholders
Stakeholder cooperation:
- The company has organized open house days.
- The company receives visitors, such as the neighbors of the mines and the Vammala Plant, as well as student groups.
- The company offers thesis, summer work and internships for schoolchildren and students.
- The company supports local sports and hobby activities.
Research and cooperation projects:
- Thesis works has been accomplished, which serve both the student and the company.
- The company is a partner in development and research projects.