The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that gold miner Agnico Eagle Mines is bulking up in northern Finland, unveiling three acquisitions worth roughly $3.8-billion. The Globe's Niall McGee writes that Agnico on Monday announced it has reached agreements to buy Rupert Resources for up to $2.9-billion in stock and cash, Aurion Resources for $481-million in cash, and B2Gold's 70-per-cent stake in Fingold Ventures for $325-million (U.S.). Agnico's Kittila mine has been operating in Finland since 2009 and is one of the biggest gold operations in Europe. Located 150 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Kittila last year produced more than 217,000 ounces of gold. In a statement Monday, Agnico said the acquisitions should give it the potential to eventually produce about half a million ounces of gold a year from the region. "This consolidated land package is the most prospective land package, not just in Finland, but in all of the Nordic Region," Agnico chief executive officer Ammar Al-Joundi told The Globe. "It was important for us to consolidate all of it because our strategy has always been to go to what we think are the best geologic places with good political stability and try to build a competitive advantage."