FINNISH mining and metals group Outokumpu said on Friday it would work with South African Gold Fields Limited in northern Finland to explore for and develop platinum group metals. It said Gold Fields had committed $1.5-million in exploration funding until the year’s end, with the option to take a 30% stake in the partnership by funding $5-million for exploration before December 2002. Outokumpu said Gold Fields could raise its stake further to 49% by funding an additional $6-million for exploration of the 14000 hectare patch before December 2004. It said Gold Fields had the option of taking a controlling 51 percent stake by either completing a feasibility study for developing mining operations or funding additional exploration over the next year. Outokumpu said it was familiar with the land, with a database of over 600 drill holes from platinum group element exploration performed in the 1980s.