The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
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Manh Choh underscores the potential of Contango's Hybrid Royalty Model to unlock the value of orphaned high-grade mineral deposits. The pouring of the first bar of gold from the Manh Choh Mine was a momentous occasion for Contango ORE Inc., Kinross Gold Corp., Tetlin Village, and others involved in the development of Alaska's newest gold mine. Two unique business models that led to the early July gold pour, however, could be more valuable than the 600 ounces of gold in the...
Aerial robots quickly and safely deliver detailed maps of Northern Star and Agnico Eagle's underground mines in Alaska and Nunavut. From providing an advantageous survey of mines and mineral exploration sites from the sky above, to autonomously mapping the depths of underground operations, drones are playing an increasingly important role in safe and efficient mining around the world. Two companies with gold mining operations at opposite ends of the North of 60 Mining News... Full story
Undertake an adventure through the riveting tale of Nellie Cashman, perhaps one of the most inspiring women of the 18th century. Perhaps no other individual could be regarded as true an American pioneer as Irish immigrant Ellen "Nellie" Cashman. Easily regarded as a quintessential gold mining stampeder with her acumen in business and the nose to sniff out opportunity, she traveled the width and breadth of America, leaving success and hope in her wake. Known as the Angel of... Full story
Recent study shows Exyn drones more safely collect higher quality survey data in half the time compared to traditional mine mapping methods. Exyn Technologies' drone-based mapping system is faster, more accurate, and infinitely safer than traditional underground mine surveying technologies, according to a recent study completed at Northern Star Resources Ltd.'s Pogo gold mine in Alaska. "[T]he data doesn't even compare," said Andrew Loomes, chief mine surveyor at Pogo. Exyn...
From breaking ground at Alaska's next gold mine to the advancement of North of 60 projects focused on delivering the metals needed for the transition of low-carbon energy, and an impressive safety milestone at Alaska's only coal mine to a history of the helicopters that make mineral exploration across the North possible, here is a countdown of the 10 most popular North of 60 Mining News articles in 2023: No. 10 - CORE celebrates Manh Choh, Lucky Shot Contango Ore Inc., a... Full story
TOK, ALASKA – An Aug. 29 groundbreaking ceremony at Manh Choh marked the official opening of Alaska's newest gold mine. But even before tribal, corporate, and state leaders tossed the symbolic golden shovels of dirt celebrating the start of Manh Choh, the Alaskan crossroads town of Tok about 15 miles to the northwest was already bustling from the added business this mine brings. As the first real sign of civilization in nearly 300 miles for northbound Alaska Highway travelers,...
Banyan Gold Corp. March 6 announced the start of its 2023 exploration program at the company's AurMac property in Yukon, Canada, as well as the addition of Brad Thrall as technical advisor for early prep-work needed to build a working mine. In addition to its initially planned 25,000 meters of drilling being completed with three diamond rigs now turning, which is being supported by an on-site assay prep lab, Banyan's 2023 program at AurMac will include expanded metallurgical,...
As we honor tradition and significant achievement toward mining, mineral exploration, or all-around trailblazing in Alaska, there are many individuals who have been immortalized through the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame. Among these legends is Wesley Earl Dunkle, whose impacts on Last Frontier aviation are as memorable as his mining exploits and possibly even more strongly felt today. In 2006, Charles Hawley chronicled Dunkle's high-flying Alaska exploits in a book titled...
Coal ash, acid drainage, and tailings for future green economy As the world continues to prime itself for the global energy shift, academia, governments and the private sector are scrambling to extract the valuable minerals and metals necessary to power the low-carbon renewable future – resulting in some truly innovative and unconventional methods. In addition to the rare earths, cobalt, lithium, and other technology metals that capture headline attention, this list often miss...
"Grade is king" is an adage that guides mineral exploration and mining. The premise behind this basic axiom of the mining business is the less ore that needs to be mined and processed per ounce of precious metals, pound of base metals, kilogram of critical minerals, or carat of gemstones produced, the more profitable an operation will be. The kingliest of orebodies would be of such high grade that a mining company would simply need to dig up the ore, crush it, and then ship it...
Whether exploring and mapping a historical underground mine for the first time since it was shuttered during World War II or generating more detailed maps of a modern operation, drones that navigate the labyrinth of ramps, declines, stopes, and other underground environs without reliance on the global positioning system or human guidance can make subterranean mine surveying safer, faster, and more accurate. Ascot Resources Ltd. and Northern Star Resources Ltd. are amongst the...
"During the two decades preceding and those following World War I, when the United States produced more than half the world's copper, the mines at Kennecott, Alaska were among the nation's largest, and contained the last of the great high grade copper ore deposits discovered in the American West. Just as mining technology was gearing up to exploit the low-grade ores that remained in the West, the Kennecott mines exposed an ore deposit of quality unequaled anywhere in the... Full story
Contango ORE Inc. Aug. 25 announced that it has acquired full ownership of the historic Lucky Shot gold mine project in the Willow Mining District of Southcentral Alaska. A road-accessible project about 75 miles north of Anchorage, the 8,590-acre Lucky Shot property blankets a large portion of the Willow Creek Mining District, including the pre-World War II Lucky Shot and War Baby mines. It is estimated that from 1918 until being shut down by the federal War Production Board i...
Roughly 38,000 metric tons of rare earth concentrates were produced from American soil during 2020, yet the United States remains 100% reliant on foreign countries for its supply of these 17 elements critical to our modern high-tech society – an apparent paradox that speaks to the complexities of these enigmatic metals. The irony of rare earth elements (REEs) begins with their name, which is at the same time a misnomer and accurate descriptor. "All the REEs except p... Full story
From electric vehicles plugged into renewable energy to smartphones connected to 5G networks, new technologies take advantage of the special properties of a suite of critical minerals and metals that are often rare and in short supply. In addition to the rare earths, cobalt, lithium, and other technology metals that capture headline attention, this list includes even more obscure mined materials such as gallium, germanium, scandium, and tellurium. While scarce, these critical... Full story
Rockhaven Resources Ltd. Aug. 19 announced major changes to its board of directors, management, and technical team that reflect a transition toward prefeasibility and permitting at the company's Klaza gold-silver project in the Yukon. A preliminary economic assessment completed last year outlines plans for a mine at Klaza that would produce roughly 750,000 ounces of gold and 13.8 million oz of silver over 12-years. This scoping level study is based on 4.46 million metric tons...
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. said its Pebble project could provide another source of jobs and revenue to an Alaska economy challenged by an interrelated combination of COVID-19 and low oil prices. Though fewer than 400 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Alaska, placing it among the lowest states in the country on an absolute and per capita basis, the economic impact of the global pandemic on the largest of the United States is both severe and ongoing. As a result of... Full story
More than a century-old silver discovery turned settlement may see a revitalization with recent exploration efforts at the Keno Hill District. Lying within the traditional land of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, the Keno Hill Mining District comprises almost 90 square miles (235 square kilometers) characterized by numerous mineral occurrences in more than 35 mines with a history of production. According to the Yukon government records, between 1913 and 1989 the district... Full story
The incredibly interesting history of Juneau is a tale of gold, the persistence of a Tlingit chief and a series of chance events that allowed Alaska's future capital to grow and leave its mark on history, a story that continues to be written today. Juneau is home to some of the earliest large-scale gold mining sites in Alaska. But, if you were to ask the pioneers who founded the future capital that their settlement would become the seat of government in a future state of... Full story
Following the pouring of the 4 millionth ounce of gold at the Pogo Mine, Northern Star Resources Ltd. Executive Chairman Bill Beament sat down with Mining News to talk about what this milestone means for the Interior Alaska gold mine; the Australia-based mining company's progress since acquiring Pogo; keys to Northern Star's success; and the vast mineral potential at Pogo and across Alaska. Q. Over the past decade, Northern Star Resources Ltd. has grown from a single-asset... Full story
North of 60 Mining News is proud to introduce 20 questions for 2020. Over the course of this series, Mining News will interview mining and political leaders from Alaska, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. Each interview will include 20 questions on mining, markets and doing business across Alaska and Canada's North. For the inaugural 20 questions for 2020, Mining News talks with Contango ORE Inc. CEO Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, a longtime mining executive... Full story
Trilogy Metals Inc. Oct. 28 reported the final set of assay results from the 2019 drill program at Bornite, part of the company's Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects (UKMP) in the Ambler mining district of Northwest Alaska. The open-pit portion of Bornite hosts 40.5 million metric tons of indicated resource averaging 1.02 percent (913 million pounds) copper; and 84.1 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 0.95 percent (1.77 billion lb) copper. The underground portion of...
Alaska's mining community lost a strong champion and friend with the passing of Sen. Chris Birch, R-Anchorage. Must Read Alaska, the first to report on Birch's passing, said the senator from South Anchorage died suddenly from a heart attack on Aug. 7. This article was followed by shock and an outpouring of support from the senator's friends and colleagues. "Life is short. We all know it, but it's easy to forget. Tonight, that simple fact snapped into focus when I learned of Ch... Full story
IDM Mining Ltd. and Ascot Resources Ltd. are joining forces to create a premier mine development and exploration company with two high-grade gold-silver mine projects near Stewart, a mining town in northwestern British Columbia's Golden Triangle. "The combination of Ascot and IDM creates a very attractive opportunity in northwest British Columbia's Golden Triangle for our shareholders and stakeholders," said Ascot Resources President and CEO Derek White. "Based near the...
Since investing roughly US$70 million to acquire a 28 percent stake in Novagold Resources Inc. in 2009, American billionaire Thomas Kaplan and his Electrum Group of companies have taken a keen interest in some of the more intriguing mineral exploration companies and projects in Alaska and across Canada's North. Kaplan, an Oxford-educated historian that began investing in natural resources in the 1980s, knows that gold has served as a currency throughout mankind's written histo... Full story
