The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Sorted by date Results 1 - 8 of 8
Recently, an interesting question about AS 38.05.275 came to my attention, and it seems to have implications for a number of holders of federal claims situated within State of Alaska-selected land. The statute allows an Alaska mining location to be placed on top of an unconveyed valid federal mining claim situated within a selection. Until the federal claim is abandoned or declared invalid, the overstaked Alaska claim is "at risk" and conveys no rights to the locator, except...
From the bold fortune hunters at the close of the 19th Century to the hopeful miners starring on 21st Century "reality" television programs, placer gold mining in Alaska conjures images of "Gold Rush." In truth, however, neither of these are accurate representations of the hard work and careful planning that lends to success at a contemporary placer gold mining operation in the Last Frontier. To paint a clearer picture of today's placer miner in the Far North State and to...
The nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away." As 2014 quickly slip-slides away, these normally melancholy lyrics by Paul Simon take on a surprisingly upbeat meaning for Alaska's mining industry. Unlike watching most years slip by, seeing 2014 in the rearview mirror will bring a smile to most in the mining industry, not only in Alaska, but worldwide. This was our third consecutive year of declining commodities prices, near-zero investor interest and the...
Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. made considerable progress in 2014 in advancing its Back River Gold Project located in southwestern Nunavut toward production. If the project continues development on its current track, the junior could pour first gold as soon as 2018 and quickly rival Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.'s Meadowbank Gold Mine in size, producing 300,000 to 400,000 ounces of gold annually for 10-15 years. The Back River project comprises seven properties covering 48,563 hectares (120,000 acres), located 520 kilometers (322.4...
Thanks to recent progress in development of several major projects in 2014, the outlook for diamond mining in Northwest Territories is suddenly a lot brighter. This is especially good news for the territory's mining industry, which is largely dependent on the production of diamonds now and in the foreseeable future. This point was driven home most forcefully in "Measuring Success 2014: NWT Diamond Mines Continue to Create Benefits," a report recently released by the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines. An update of a January 2013...
The nearly operational Red Chris Mine is plugged into the electrical grid, and Imperial Metals Corp. is readying all the components for operations in anticipation of final approvals from the local Tahltan First Nation and Government of British Columbia. By the end of October, the final leg of the power line that connects Red Chris to the affordable and clean power delivered by the 287-kilovolt Northwest Transmission Line was complete. This milestone is allowing Imperial...
The Supreme Court of Yukon Dec. 2 struck down a land use plan crafted by the Government of Yukon for the territory's vast Peel River Watershed region that could have ripple effects throughout Yukon and beyond. The Peel Watershed, roughly the size of Ireland, sprawls across 77,000 square kilometers (30,000 square miles) of mountainous terrain situated at the northern end of the Rocky and Mackenzie mountains. Though about 10 percent of the watershed lies across the border in Northwest Territories, some 68,000 square kilometers...
Since buying out its mining rival Inmet Mining Corp. in early 2013, First Quantum Minerals Ltd. has shown a keen interest in Alaska's copper potential. With seven mines in operation and five mineral projects under development, First Quantum is a growing, diversified miner with a particular focus on copper. Its operating mines and development projects are located in Africa, Australia, Finland, Spain, Turkey and Latin America. Yet the company has no foothold in North America....
