Stock Exchange Releases
19.1.2006
*The Russian Federation and the Republic of Karelia grant Tulikivi a permit with prospecting and industrial utilization rights for soapstone deposits in the Republic of Karelia. *The permit for the Medvezhyegorsk area covers most of the soapstone deposits in Karelia classed as suitable for utilization.
In accordance with its corporate strategy, Tulikivi Corporation is investing in making sure that it has the best soapstone reserves in the world. The company has systematically prospected for soapstone deposits for the past 25 years using the expert services of the Geological Survey of Finland, among others. The objective has been to chart the company’s current as well as new soapstone reserves. As a result, Tulikivi Corporation became interested in the soapstone deposits in the Republic of Karelia.
The Karelian Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Republic of Karelia have granted OOO Tulikivi Russia, a wholly- owned subsidiary of Tulikivi Corporation, a permit for the utilization of soapstone deposits in the Medvezhyegorsk area. In addition to prospecting rights, the permit covers the rights for industrial utilization and is valid until the end of 2030.
The soapstone deposits in the Medvezhyegorsk area covered by the permit are estimated to represent a significant share of all soapstone classed as suitable for utilization in the Republic of Karelia. In the near future, Tulikivi will perform more detailed charting and studies in cooperation with the Geology Institute of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Geological Survey of Finland.
Based on the results of the studies, Tulikivi Corporation will decide on the possible industrial utilization of the area’s stone deposits. “We will first conduct more detailed studies on the quality and extent of the deposit, after which we will decide how the stone will be industrially utilized. Tulikivi has invested in marketing in Russia during the last couple of years. Russians are familiar with the idea of heat-retaining fireplaces. The number of potential customers also grows with rapidly increasing wealth. Last year, our sales in Russia actually doubled”, says Juha Sivonen, Managing Director.
The soapstone deposits in the Medvezhyegorsk area are expected to increase Tulikivi’s current reserves considerably.
For additional information, contact:
– Tulikivi Corporation, FI-83900 Juuka, Finland, tel. +358 207 636 000, www.tulikivi.com – Chairman of the Board of Directors Matti Virtaala – Managing Director Juha Sivonen
Distribution: – Helsinki Stock Exchange, – Central media
Tulikivi Corporation and its subsidiaries form the Tulikivi Group, the world’s largest and most technologically advanced processor of soapstone and the world’s largest manufacturer of industrially produced heat-retaining fireplaces. The Group is one of the five largest stone processors in Europe. The Group has net sales of about EUR 60 million. The Group owns six production plants and employs more than 500 people.