The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Sorted by date Results 1 - 13 of 13
I must join what appears to be a growing parade of voices criticizing some aspect of the mega-blockbuster sci-fi movie, Avatar, and add my two cents. Critics have complained about the movie's story line, citing everything from its blatant allusions to the worst aspects of the recent war in Iraq (a la military contractors run amok) to its disturbing similarity to some of the most shameful chapters in western history where Europeans brutally exploited gold and other precious metals controlled by Native Americans. But the bone...
Terrane Metals Corp. has decided to move ahead with construction of a C$900 million open-pit copper-gold mine at the Mt. Milligan Project in north-central British Columbia. Robert Pease, Terrane's president and CEO, told investors Jan. 12 that the junior is talking with Japan's Mitsubishi Corp. and Sumitomo Corp., as well as other companies, in search of financing alternatives for the project, which has a C$172 million construction budget for 2010. Terrane plans to start construction at Mt. Milligan in July, and will need to...
As we plunge headlong into a new year and a new decade, the broad economic indicators for the mining industry suggest continued strong prices for most commodities in 2010 followed by slightly lower average prices in 2011 and beyond as supplies catch up to demand. Not surprisingly, the source of much of the commodities demand will be Asia with China and India being the two leading economic engines driving commodity prices. Where Alaska's mining industry fits into this global...
In my simple world of cause and effect, when I see things happen I always leap to the conclusion that there will be a related subsequent development. When I see the United States borrow untold billions of dollars from the People's Republic of China (for whatever wonderful reason), I assume that the People's Republic will want to be repaid - and not in deflated dollars. When I see millions of people out of work, I assume they will try very hard to find a way to feed their...
Among juniors actively working to attract majors to invest in mineral exploration projects scattered across Canada's Far North, one Vancouver, B.C.-based company leaped to the front of the pack recently in Nunavut Territory. Commander Resources Inc. is exploring the Baffin Island Gold Project, a district-scale project with multimillion-ounce potential covering an entire greenstone belt about 175 kilometers, or 105 miles, in length east to west. Baffin is one of at least four giant gold deposits currently being explored in...
During their first exploration season as joint venture partners at the Man nickel-copper-platinum group element project in Interior Alaska, Pure Nickel Inc. and Itochu Corp. said they discovered compelling new targets to investigate in 2010. Tokyo-based Itochu and Toronto-based Pure Nickel originally set a US$ 4.4 million budget to support a 2009 exploration program at Man. The partners later added US$500,000 to the budget in order to complete a 2,722-line-kilometer Z-Axis...
Zazu Metals Corp. has signed an agreement with the state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Agency to complete due diligence for transportation infrastructure needed to support a mine at its Lik zinc-lead-silver project located about 22 kilometers, or 14 miles, northeast of Red Dog Mine in Northwest Alaska. Hammering out transportation infrastructure is a key component for a prefeasibility study that Zazu plans to have completed later in 2010. "Lik is a known lead-...
NovaGold Resources Inc. has cut a deal with Rio Tinto subsidiary Kennecott Exploration Co. to purchase 100 percent interest in the precious-metal-rich Ambler copper-zinc property in Northwest Alaska. The outright purchase overrides a 2004 joint venture agreement in which NovaGold would have earned a 51 percent stake in the property by spending US$20 million and delivering a positive prefeasibility study on the project by 2016. The junior agreed to pay US$29 million to...
The prospector who discovered the highly promising White Gold property near Dawson City, Yukon Territory says he believes the future is beyond bright for the region - it's blazing. Shawn Ryan, a self-taught mineral hunter who has spent the past 12 years tramping the Klondike bush and adjacent areas, is being honored by the Association for Mineral Exploration in British Columbia at its annual Mineral Exploration Roundup Jan. 18-21. AMEBC is singling out Ryan as the 2009 recipient of the coveted H.H. "Spud" Huestis Award for ex...
NovaGold Resources Inc. tapped a wealth of mining experience recently when it appointed Gil Leathley as senior advisor to the junior's president and CEO, Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse. "Mr. Leathley is one of the best mine builders in our industry," Nieuwenhuyse said. "He has an unparalleled record of building and operating mines around the world, including Golden Giant in Ontario, Eskay Creek in British Columbia and Ruby Hill in Nevada. Mr. Leathley's pragmatic advice and expertise...
Just as junior and major mining companies have important roles to play in the chain of developments that lead, hopefully, to discovery of substantial mineral deposits and subsequent commercial development, individual prospectors occupy a critical niche in the industry's life cycle. In the vast and remote stretches of northwestern Canada, this is especially true and the need for mineral prospectors is acute. Yet, rather than being thick on the ground, individuals who hunt for minerals are relatively rare. Most mineral...
After focusing on its ruby-rich claims in Greenland for the past few years, True North Gems Inc. has returned to Yukon Territory to hunt for rare earth elements rather than gems. The junior has confirmed the presence of significant REE and niobium mineralization at its True Blue gem aquamarine property located 55 kilometers, or 34 miles, south of Ross River, in southern Yukon Territory. True North reported completion of an eight-day field program in August and testing of samples in November. The field program was primarily...
Increased interest in Alaska coal from buyers in Asia and Chile boosted exports from the Usibelli Coal Mine to record levels in 2009. According to Steve Denton, vice president for business development for Usibelli Coal Mine Inc., exports jumped 54 percent to 803,572 metric tons last year, or roughly twice the mine's five-year average. The previous peak for exports totaled 723,000 metric tons in 1990. Denton told Mining News Dec. 18 that tightening markets in the Pacific Rim explained the bump. "The demand in the Pacific...
