The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
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Miners, explorers, suppliers and others interested in Alaska's mining industry got a generous helping of surf and turf during the Alaska Miners Association 2010 Annual Convention and Trade Show, held the first week of November at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel. Mining and Fisheries, the theme of this year's convention, also was the subject of a two-day course held Nov. 1-2. The class provided miners with information on the importance of the fishing industry to the economy and...
Alaska's mining industry is entering the final lap for what has turned out to be a more robust than expected year for exploration, development and production. Strong worldwide demand for mined products has certainly helped push metallic and energy minerals prices up, but all is not rosy for Alaska's mineral industry. A recent CNBC report placed Alaska dead last of all the states in terms of overall business attractiveness. We were a dismal 46th of 50 in terms of cost of doing...
There is a story that circulated around D.C. a number of years ago about the traditional little old lady in tennis shoes who approached her congressman and demanded he do something about some environmental cause or another. The congressman responded: "But Madam, we passed legislation last year to solve that very problem." She replied, "I know, I promised to lobby for it last year but couldn't because I was sick." When it comes to legislation and administrative action by the...
President Barack Obama heralds green renewables as key to a strong economy and energy independence, but without vigorous domestic copper production, his goals will be difficult to reach. Copper, the world's preeminent electricity and heat conductor, is a necessity. The average American home contains an estimated 400 pounds of copper in wire, plumbing, and fixtures; the average automobile requires 50 pounds. The Northwest Mining Association estimates that a typical child born today will use 1,500 pounds of copper throughout...
As mining heats up in Yukon Territory, professionals from around the globe are finding new roles in the region and employing a host of unique experiences and perspectives in pursuit of exploration, development and production of the territory's minerals. This growing international contingent covers the industry spectrum and hails from around the globe. Their presence is most evident in exploration camps scattered across the Yukon; however, the new manager of Yukon's sole producer, Capstone Mining Corp.'s Minto Mine, is a...
As more mine projects in Yukon Territory move through development, the Yukon Mine Training Association is coming into its own as a good source of well-trained mine workers recruited from local communities. Not only has the YMTA become fully operational in the past two years, it also has honed a strong reputation for providing a wide range of training opportunities for Yukoners. The four-year-old association is an uncommon network of partnerships between 19 companies, five educational institutions and 11 First Nations. In all,...
Williams Creek Explorations Ltd., a Vancouver, B.C.-based junior, and its investment advisor, Interinvest, have purchased significant equity positions in Tyhee Development Corp., a junior focused on developing the Yellowknife Gold Project in Northwest Territories. Moreover, Williams Creek Chairman and CEO Michael Sonnenreich joined Tyhee's board of directors. Williams Creek, which owns 28 Crown-granted mineral claims in its Westport gold project in the Barkerville gold camp of the Cariboo Mining Division and three Crown-grant...
Global demand for thermal coal is forecast to rise by 170 million tons a year by 2015, a niche PacRim Coal would like to help fill with the 300 million tons of ultra-low-sulfur, sub-bituminous coal sitting near tidewater at its Chuitna coal project on the west side of Cook Inlet in Southcentral Alaska. Chuitna was originally evaluated through an environmental impact statement and nearly permitted in the 1990s, but a coal mine was never developed. With the increased demand and...
Under the leadership of Gov. Sean Parnell, the Alaska Department of Law has not hesitated in taking up cases important to the responsible development of the state's natural resources. Parnell, who assumed Alaska's top position when former Gov. Sarah Palin stepped down from the position in July 2009, recently won election to his first full term as governor with landslide margins during the 2010 general elections. "Alaskans have just overwhelmingly elected a governor who, I can...
The Government of Yukon reported Nov. 5 that it has transferred a C$5.9 million royalty payment received from Minto Explorations Ltd. to the Selkirk First Nation government. It was calculated from production profits from the Minto Mine during 2009 and transferred to the Selkirk First Nation as the owner of the mineral rights. The Yukon government administers the mineral rights at the Minto Mine under provisions of the Quartz Mining Act and the Selkirk First Nation Final Agreement. The Selkirk First Nation is located at the vi...
The swift development of Ucore Rare Metals Inc.'s Bokan-Dotson Ridge deposit in Southeast Alaska is vital to providing the United States with a domestic supply of critical rare earth elements. This is the message world-renown REE expert Jack Lifton delivered to attendees of the Alaska Miners Association 2010 annual convention in Anchorage. Beyond just mining the heavy rare earth element-rich ore at Bokan, the technological metal consultant advised the State of Alaska to...
