The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Sorted by date Results 1 - 16 of 16
With a summer marred by unprecedented wildfires behind them, companies exploring the mineral-rich Northwest Territories are reporting impressive results from their 2023 programs. Seeking new deposits of valuable minerals, ranging from ever-popular diamonds and precious metals to recently designated "critical minerals," such as lithium, rare earth elements and zinc, a score of explorers took to the field across the territory. "An exciting new chapter is emerging for mining in t...
NorZinc Ltd. April 20 announced the completion of a 170-kilometer (about 105 miles) pioneer winter road to the Prairie Creek Mine, which serves as the first phase of an all-season access road to the zinc mine in Canada's Northwest Territories. Prairie Creek is the site of a historical zinc-silver mine that was developed in the 1970s and 1980s but was never ramped up to full production due to a collapse in the price of silver that supported the economics of the project....
In preparation for a new era of mining at Prairie Creek, NorZinc Ltd. carried out a roughly 5,300-meter drill program in 2022 focused on gathering geological and other data needed for an updated feasibility study for this underground zinc mine project in Northwest Territories. According to a 2021 calculation, Prairie Creek hosts 9.8 million metric tons of measured and indicated resources averaging 9.7% zinc, 8.8% lead, and 139 grams per metric ton silver; and 6.4 million...
Mining activity in Northwest Territories held steady in 2022 despite constraints imposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as a cadre of mainly junior mining companies took up the international challenge to seek out large deposits of critical minerals. Early in the year, government officials noted that industry interest in diamonds, gold, and especially critical minerals boded well for the NWT economy in the coming year. "An exciting new chapter is emerging for mining in the...
NorZinc Ltd. Oct. 19 announced that it has received the final approvals needed to begin construction of a winter road to Prairie Creek, the first phase of a planned 170-kilometer (105 miles) all-season road that will allow concentrates from the mine to be delivered to market. The territorial government and Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board approved all NorZinc's management plans pertaining to the permit and license to construct the Pioneer Winter Road. While these are the...
NorZinc Ltd. Sept. 29 announced that it has received the final permit needed to develop the expanded operation it has planned for the past producing Prairie Creek zinc mine in Canada's Northwest Territories. The company originally permitted a 1,600-metric-ton-per-day operation for Prairie Creek but decided to expand the mill throughput following the positive results from a 2021 preliminary economic assessment for a 2,400-metric-ton-per-day mining operation that would produce...
NorZinc Ltd. Aug. 17 announced the signing of a transportation corridor benefits agreement with Acho Dene Koe First Nation, whose traditional territory lies along the route for delivering zinc and silver-rich lead concentrates produced at a future Prairie Mine in Northwest Territories to global markets. "We are pleased to be signing this agreement with the Acho Dene Koe First Nation which sets a strong foundation for us to work collectively, ensuring the benefits to its...
NorZinc Ltd. Aug. 10 announced the signing of an environmental agreement with the Naha Dehe Dene Band and Liidlii Kue First Nation Band for the development and operation of a mine at Prairie Creek and an all-season road to access this zinc-lead-silver project in Northwest Territories. "We are very pleased to have entered into this agreement with NDDB and LFKN, which reflects our commitment to respect and prioritize the environmental well-being of their traditional and sacred...
NorZinc Ltd. June 13 announced that the Prairie Creek camp is open, and it has mobilized two drills for the start of a planned 5,300-meter drill program at the zinc mine project in Northwest Territories. According to a 2021 calculation, Prairie Creek hosts 9.8 million metric tons of measured and indicated resources averaging 9.7% zinc, 8.8% lead, and 139 grams per metric ton silver; and 6.4 million metric tons of total inferred resources averaging 12.9% zinc, 6.7% lead, and...
NorZinc Ltd. May 4 announced progress on the permitting and updated feasibility for an expanded operation at its Prairie Creek zinc project in Canada's Northwest Territories. According to a 2021 calculation, Prairie Creek hosts 9.8 million metric tons of measured and indicated resources averaging 9.7% zinc, 8.8% lead, and 139 grams per metric ton silver; and 6.4 million metric tons of total inferred resources averaging 12.9% zinc, 6.7% lead, and 150 g/t silver. In October,...
Mineral exploration activity in Northwest Territories showed signs of revival in 2021, coming on the heels of the slowest year in recent memory. Excited by renewed interest in gold deposits in and around the capital city of Yellowknife and other hot spots after the pandemic-related restrictions of 2020, juniors joined longtime explorers Nighthawk Gold Corp. and Gold Terra Resource Corp. (formerly TerraX Minerals) in hunting for the yellow metal across the 1.14...
NorZinc Ltd. appears headed into the home stretch in its decades-long marathon to bring to production the Prairie Creek zinc mine project in southern Northwest Territories. The junior, formerly Canadian Zinc Corp., Oct. 21 reported completion of an updated preliminary economic assessment of the zinc, lead, and silver mineralization that it hopes to mine and mill at a rate of 2,400 metric tons per day. NorZinc said the PEA lays the groundwork for a new feasibility study for...
For many mining companies eyeing prospects in Canada's far north, 2020 presented insurmountable challenges. But for the few explorers and producers focused on Northwest Territories, the year proved to be quite productive, even as a global coronavirus pandemic added expensive restrictions to already costly campaigns. Rigorous restrictions imposed by local and federal officials to quell potential outbreaks of the disease at mining camps and prevent its spread to local...
NorZinc Ltd. Nov. 14 announced that two of the permits needed to begin construction on the all-season road to its Prairie Creek zinc-lead-silver mine project in Northwest Territories has been issued. The Prairie Creek Mine is surrounded by Canada's Nahanni National Park Reserve, which encompassed the property when the park was expanded in 2009. At the time of the park expansion, however, the federal government provided NorZinc (then Canadian Zinc Corp.) with assurance that it...
As the worldwide deficit in zinc production grows, several zinc-lead mining projects across northern Canada await construction of access arteries needed to deliver their ore to market. The projects are among the world's most attractive and represent a base metals treasure trove coveted by would-be developers and end users alike. Recent funding from the Canadian government and other public and private sources could unlock the floodgates to critical infrastructure development...
New gold mines are expected to drive strong economic growth in Nunavut and Yukon over the next several years, according to the latest Territorial Outlook published by The Conference Board of Canada. The non-profit think tank focused primarily on researching and analyzing economic trends, however, forecasts a shrinking economy for Northwest Territories as the diamond sector there matures. Despite a tepid recovery for the mining sector as a whole, the new mines being developed...
