The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Sorted by date Results 1 - 9 of 9
The mining industry just passed through one of the quietest year-end transitions in over a decade. The last month has seen few new public announcements regarding Alaska mineral occurrences but that relative silence is about to change. Within a week of completing this summary, the 2013 Cordilleran Roundup mineral convention will begin in Vancouver, B.C. This annual event is well-attended by individuals and corporations that are active in Alaska's mineral industry or looking to...
With the re-inauguration of the President, Alaska's miners are being forced to hunker down and withstand yet another election cycle wondering what gifts the federal agencies will bestow upon us now. Interior Secretary Salazar is out. His replacement has yet to be identified; however, there is little room to be optimistic. Even under friendly administrations, the selection of Secretary of the Interior has not served us well. The environmentalist community undoubtedly has the...
A new federally collected royalty (read tax) on hardrock mining has recently been proposed as a part of Congress' solution to fix the national debt and manage the mining industry. A bill co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., would set a 12.5 percent royalty rate on the value of certain hardrock minerals on public lands. This proposal would rewrite the original 1872 mining law in the United States. The proposed U.S. royalties would be among the highest of any country in the world. Mining is today one of the...
Lacking the fanfare emblematic of an explorer hot on the trail of a high tenor gold-copper-silver deposit, Contango Ore Inc. recently posted results from its Tetlin project that include a 58.5-meter intercept averaging 14.45 grams per metric ton gold, 0.24 percent copper and 9.1 g/t silver. While this interval from hole TET1218 underscores the potential of this previously undrilled prospect, it is not alone. Some 20 holes sunk into the newly discovered Peak zone tapped broad...
A recent ruling by the Court of Appeal for Yukon could give an Aboriginal group in southeastern Yukon Territory a big say in who gets to explore for and mine minerals discovered on its traditional lands. Unless overturned on appeal, the unanimous decision Dec. 27 by a three-judge panel comprised of British Columbia Court of Appeal judges, also could affect interaction between governments and First Nations throughout Canada, according to some observers. In "Ross River Dena Council v. Government of Yukon," the Yukon appellate...
In today's difficult financing climate, Homestake Resources Corp. is living the dream of most junior mining companies. Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd., an aggressive intermediate gold producer, has signed on to pay the bills at the Homestake Ridge project located in northwestern British Columbia in a deal where the gold producer could spending up to C$25.3 million and earn up to a 70 percent interest in the exploration and development venture. Formerly Bravo Gold Corp., the junior changes its name to Homestake Resources in April....
When it comes to multimillion-ounce bulk-tonnage gold deposits in Alaska, one would be hard pressed to find one more ideally located than Freegold Ventures Ltd.'s Golden Summit Project. Situated alongside the paved Steese Highway some 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Fairbanks, a city of 87,000 that embraces its gold mining heritage, the project has direct access to an able work force, grid power and the full range of services needed to operate a low-cost drill program....
Alaska miners are on the cusp of topping 1 million ounces of gold produced, an annual milestone that has not been achieved since Gold Rush pioneers recovered copious amounts of alluvial aurum at the turn of the 20th Century. "When you think about what a million ounces of production means, it is all the more amazing that it was first accomplished by placer miners and a few lode miners, a few shovelfuls at a time, more than a century ago!" Curt Freeman, a well-known Alaska...
Victoria Gold Corp. appears to be well on its way to building a mine at the Eagle Gold Project in central Yukon Territory by 2015, with construction startup tentatively scheduled for April. Eagle Gold is the most advanced new project in the region and is on track to become the largest gold mine in Yukon history. With estimated employment of 350-400 people, the mine also is expected to make a significant contribution to the territory's economy. Victoria aims to produce 207,000 ounces of gold during the first full year of...
