The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 588
While Advanced Explorations Inc. is focusing mainly on its two massive iron ore projects in Nunavut this summer, the aggressive exploration company is also continuing to explore promising West Melville Peninsula nickel and copper showings and to study an iron sands project it recently optioned in Alaska. The Toronto-based junior plans to produce iron products initially from the C Zone, one of four zones on the 3,730-hectare (9,213 acres) Roche Bay property, which is located in one of the world's largest developing iron ore... Full story
As Alaska embarks on building a major new hydropower generation project, the question of whether the endeavor could spur development of hardrock mines in Interior and Southcentral Alaska arises. Gov. Sean Parnell signed energy legislation in mid-July aimed at moving the Susitna-Watana hydroelectric project toward licensing and construction with first power anticipated in 2023. Senate Bill 42, sponsored by the governor, allows the Alaska Energy Authority to advance the engineering and design of the Susitna Dam. "The Susitna Da... Full story
Though still a ways from completely sorting it out, the Government of British Columbia and the province's mining industry have taken long strides recently toward mastering the intricacies of social responsibility, especially in meeting requirements of law and conscience in aboriginal relations. During the past 12 months, the provincial government inked the first-ever mine revenue-sharing agreements with First Nations and BC Hydro successfully negotiated impact agreements with at least five First Nations as part of continuing...
Five months after the devastating blow dealt to uranium markets by the earthquake and tsunami that damaged Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-Ichi power station in March, global markets are showing signs of life as miners in Nunavut report encouraging drill results and exploration activity. Uranium spot prices remain depressed by Japan's ongoing nuclear crisis - down 24 percent since the week before the March 11 event - and leading uranium producers are predicting significant declines in world consumption of the...
Tyhee Gold Corp received a raft of good news in recent weeks, including approval by 98 percent of its shareholders Aug. 17 to do away with the company's poison pill, or shareholder rights plan. The junior is exploring the Yellowknife Gold Project in Northwest Territories where it is focused on developing a 4,000-metric-ton-per-day gold mining operation with annual production exceeding 108,000 ounces of gold by 2013. Termination of the company's rights plan became effective Aug. 19, and rights held by shareholders under the... Full story
Thanks to rising revenue, exports, production and prices, the mining industry in British Columbia is racing toward a potential record year for exploration, development and production activity. The province's mining boom is being fueled by the global recovery in manufacturing, and in particular the strong demand for raw materials in Asia, according to B.C. officials. In 2010, the price of metallurgical coal rose by 70 percent, while prices for copper climbed 45 percent, silver by 37 percent and gold by 25 percent from 2009.... Full story
China Minerals Mining Corp., formerly Hawthorne Gold Corp., is gearing up to begin its 2011 exploration program at the company's two northern British Columbia gold properties, Table Mountain and Taurus. China Minerals is the result of a fortuitous meeting of Hawthorne principle co-founders Richard Barclay and Michael Beley with a major shareholder, Skyocean Holding Co. Ltd. The two well-known Canadian miners visited Beijing in late 2009 to meet with executives of the private Beijing-based development company and came away a...
While most fortune-seeking juniors and investors joining the recent stampeded to Yukon Territory are scrambling to acquire properties in the highly prospective White Gold area located in the central Dawson Range and the eastern Selwyn Basin districts, a few canny explorers are quietly staking claims far from the heavy traffic in the southwestern corner of the territory. Solomon Resources Ltd. is one such explorer who has reported making a recent play in the region in a big way. Solomon July 18 reported the acquisition of a...
With analysts forecasting improved prices, earnings and cash flows for platinum group and base metals producers in 2011, more juniors are searching for these minerals in northern Canada. Prophecy Platinum Corp. reported results of a NI 43-101-compliant report and mineral resource estimate in mid-July for its Wellgreen platinum group element-nickel-copper property located about 35 kilometers (22 miles) northwest of Burwash Landing in southwestern Yukon Territory. Caribou Copper Resources Ltd. and Alix Resources Corp. July 20 s...
With a mining boom in full swing in Yukon Territory, government officials can be proud of having created an attractive business climate, one that is bringing hordes of excited miners and investors to the territory, with seemingly no end in sight. But a group of industry leaders recently submitted a report to the Government of Yukon, warning that storm clouds are gathering that could extinguish mining's bright forecast in the territory. In order for the industry to continue to make significant contributions to the economic...
Another busy summer field season is getting underway in Yukon Territory, and government officials are projecting record numbers of mining companies flocking to the Northwest Canada jurisdiction and spending unprecedented sums on mineral exploration programs scattered across the southern two-thirds of the territory. Based on the industry's spending intentions in February, Natural Resources Canada projected C$39.3 million would be spent in 2011 by the majors on exploration and deposit appraisal activities in Yukon Territory,...
Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., 60 percent owner and operator of the Diavik Diamond Mine in Northwest Territories is quietly looking for more diamond deposits in Canada's high Arctic. Though the company declined to confirm a start date for its 2011 exploration program or discuss its plans, officials of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Parks Canada, Environment Canada and other affected federal regulators signed off this spring on a new land use permit for proposed work to be carried out between March and October 2011... Full story
More junior mining companies are turning to the experts to lead their exploration programs, hoping to hit the ground running and substantially shorten the time required between identifying a likely prospect and targeting commercial quantities of minerals on that property. The strategy is not only helping the industry to control costs, it is also enabling some explorers with accomplished technical teams to preserve this expertise during tough economic times. TerraLogic Exploration Services Inc. is one such company. Launched as...
A strategy outlined by Golden Predator Corp. early in the year to focus most of its exploration resources in 2011 on three advanced exploration projects in Yukon Territory has morphed in recent weeks into unblinking attention on the one past gold producer in the company's portfolio - the Brewery Creek Project. "Due to the nature of the mineralization and the grade and consistency, we've certainly accelerated the budget on Brewery Creek "Our entire thinking about the project has changed," Golden Predator Chairman and CEO Wil...
Growing demand, especially in China and India, is driving intensified diamond exploration, development and mining activities in Northwest Territories. Diamond prices, which plunged during the recession, also have steadily rebounded recently amid healthier demand. The territory's producing diamond mines are pulling out the stops to boost their output, while developers of potentially a fourth large diamond mine reported progress recently in moving their project closer to startup. Output climbs at Diavik Harry Winston Diamond Co...
Prospects for Nunavut emerging as another major center of diamond production in Canada are rising right along with prices and worldwide demand for the sparkly stones, thanks to small group of dedicated explorers working across the northern territory. Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. and BHP Billiton are reporting ongoing exploration success in eastern Nunavut, while Shear Diamonds Ltd. is mounting a new effort to rehabilitate the closed Jericho Diamond Mine in the west. They and other explorers, including Diamonds North Resources... Full story
Nunavut Resources Corporation, an Inuit-owned corporation created a little over a year ago, is making considerable progress toward achieving its bold vision of becoming a viable option for direct Inuit participation in non-resource development in Nunavut. Canada's largest territory, Nunavut has an estimated population of about 33,000 spread over an area the size of Western Europe. The NRC is the brainchild of Kitikmeot Inuit Association President Charlie Evalik. It aims to give Nunavut's 30,000 or so Inuit more involvement an... Full story
Nearly a half century ago, John S. Brock ventured into Yukon Territory to explore for hardrock minerals. The young geologist soon found himself involved in Anvil Mining and Dynasty Exploration's discoveries that led to the development of Faro, which became the world's largest open-pit lead-zinc mine. "I was just a kid then, and I thought, 'This business is really easy,' " Brock recalled. Today, the longtime explorationist knows better. During the past 48 years, Brock has participated in numerous mineral discoveries in Canada,...
As mining activity heats up in Yukon Territory, vendors and suppliers are flush with a corresponding rise in demand for their services. Business is booming, in particular, for helicopter support services as exploration and development companies rush to mount their 2011 field programs as soon as weather permits north of the 60th parallel this spring. In 2010, mining exploration and development spending in the Yukon exceeded C$290 million, with exploration expenditures setting a new yearly record as activity accelerated in...
New Gold Inc. and Richfield Ventures Corp. jointly unveiled plans April 4 for New Gold to acquire the junior gold explorer and its promising Blackwater gold project in central British Columbia in a transaction valued at some C$550 million. New Gold and Richfield said they entered definitive agreement in which New Gold will acquire, through a plan of arrangement, all of the outstanding common shares of Richfield. Under terms of the buyout, each Richfield shareholder will receive 0.9217 of a New Gold share for each Richfield... Full story
Relatively little had changed during the past 12 months in how Alaska and Northwest Canada stack up to competing jurisdictions in opportunities for mining investment, according to a widely respected industry survey conducted by a Canadian public policy think-tank. But a worldwide economic turnaround has created optimism in the mining industry, with more than three-quarters of respondents in the Fraser Institute's Annual Mining Survey 2010-2011 saying they expect to increase their exploration budgets this year. "In order to... Full story
Who says lightning can't strike twice in the same place? In just 32 days last summer, Atac Resources Ltd. rocketed from near-oblivion to ignite what is rapidly becoming the second modern exploration rush to Yukon Territory in recent years. Atac had explored a small area in the western portion of its Rackla Gold (formerly Rau) Project in east-central Yukon for several years. After making an impressive gold discovery in 2008, the company has drilled about 26,000 meters in 132 holes through 2010 in the Tiger Zone. As recently... Full story
All bets are off, but prospects for the project most likely to succeed in becoming the next producing mine in Northwest Territories got a boost recently when its developer commissioned a new feasibility study. Canadian Zinc Corp. in February reported engaging SNC-Lavalin Inc. to complete the feasibility study in 2011 for the underground Prairie Creek Project, a longstanding mining venture where it hopes to capitalize on several decades of development work to produce lead and zinc concentrates and a silver-bearing copper...
By signing a preliminary devolution agreement with the federal government Jan. 26, the Government of Northwest Territories has signaled that it is as eager for resource development as Yukon Territory, its neighbor to the west. "This agreement brings us one step closer to devolution, to having province-like powers. With devolution, we will gain local management and control over our non-renewable resources," said the N.W.T. Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Robert McLeod in a recent interview. "I think it was an... Full story
One soil at a time," said Shawn Ryan, describing the gold-hunting technique he has perfected in a decade of working what has become the hottest exploration play in Canada. After collecting more than 200,000 soil samples since 2003 and leading at least two junior mining companies to the most significant gold discoveries in the new White Gold District of Yukon Territory, Ryan is happy to share the particulars of his slow and careful approach to prospecting. The former Dawson City prospector, who recently moved to Whitehorse,... Full story
