The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Sorted by date Results 526 - 545 of 545
As anyone can tell you who has tried recently to locate geologists, drill rigs and helicopters, Alaska is not the place to search for any of these commodities. Mineral exploration and development in Alaska is clipping along at a pace not seen in more than five years and in the process, these activities have sucked up just about all of the people, rigs and aircraft in the state. Exploration and development projects are spread from Nome to Ketchikan, the Brooks Range to...
Spending about $250,000 on its first phase of drilling this year, Bravo Venture Group hit the ground mid-May with a core drill to test three prospects on the Woewodski Island property in Southeast Alaska about 18 miles southwest of Petersburg. The 3,000 meter drill program will be completed mid-June, according to Jay Oness, vice president of investor relations for the Canadian junior, part of the Manex Group of mineral exploration companies. "We might increase that (drill work)," Oness told Mining News June 7. "We're getting...
Freegold Ventures and Pacific Northwest Capital announced plans June 1 to begin drilling mid-June at the company's Union Bay property about 35 miles northwest of Ketchikan, Alaska, a $1.2 million exploration program being funded by Lonmin Plc. "Exploration will commence immediately with a detailed geological mapping and sampling program and an airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey," the company said in its press release. Crews will complete 9,000 feet of drill samples during this summer's season, according to... Full story
Metals prices remain strong and funding for projects large and small is already in place or nearly so as Alaska prepares for the annual summer exploration dance. Exploration drilling on several winter drilling targets has been completed and summer drilling projects are beginning on several others. Mine permitting issues at Pogo have cast a shadow over the otherwise bright picture of Alaska's mining industry but resolution of this problem is expected sooner rather than later...
Hunting hard in remote elephant country, NovaGold Resources can claim a lion's share of kills. Now the aggressive junior has to prove whether it's found any trophies that will make the company a metals producer. NovaGold announced March 26 an agreement with Kennecott Exploration and Kennecott Arctic to acquire a 51 percent interest in the Ambler gold, silver, copper and base metals property in remote northwestern Alaska. Previous exploration on Arctic, the most advanced target on the Ambler property, identified an inferred... Full story
Although the traditional Alaska field season has not really arrived yet, three significant developments occurred in March: Teck Cominco and Sumitomo Metal Mining received final permits for the Pogo gold project from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allowing construction to move ahead at flank speed, Anglo American acquired its first U.S. mineral property in years by signing a joint venture option on Nevada Star's MAN nickel-copper-platinum group element project and Nov... Full story
Anchorage-based Alaska Earth Sciences has transformed the firm's first-ever land acquisition into a lease deal with an exploration upstart, Full Metal Minerals. Alaska Earth, a geological consulting firm with years of experience throughout southwest Alaska, staked a large land position last December adjacent to the Pebble gold-copper-molybdenum deposit. The company negotiated a land lease deal for the 261 state mining claims with Full Metal Minerals, announced in early March. No financial terms were released on the company's... Full story
Alaska's exploration season is well under way with drilling in progress at several locations and planning for the summer season proceeding at a frenetic pace not seen in more than five years. Anyone who has tried to line up a drill rig, a helicopter or a project manager will tell you the same thing: all are in short supply, even at this early point in the year. Projects under way and planned for the coming year include numerous gold projects, several base metal projects, a... Full story
As in past years, Canada's Fraser Institute (www.fraserinstitute.ca) has released the results of its annual mining investment attractiveness survey for 2003-2004. The survey represents responses from 132 junior mining companies and 27 senior mining companies who rated policy potential issues (regulatory and infrastructure), mineral potential and overall investment attractiveness in 53 political jurisdictions around the globe. The companies participating in the survey accounted for exploration budgets totaling US$642.4... Full story
Despite the drop in gold prices since a month ago, exploration activities in Alaska are picking up. Two drill programs have already kicked off in Interior Alaska and more are likely to be completed before the end of March. Contracts for drilling rigs, helicopters and experienced geologists are being finalized at a rate not seen here in half a decade. In addition, Alaska's new political administration is aggressively encouraging infrastructure development and making regulatory...
Another year has come and gone and Alaska's mining industry continues to generate jobs for its citizens and raw materials for the world. Although base metal prices remain mired at low levels, gold and platinum have risen steadily over the last month with gold in particular taking on new luster as it broke the $350 per ounce mark for the first time in five years. Platinum has rebounded from earlier lows and is now flirting with $600 per ounce levels while its geological... Full story
As 2002 draws rapidly to a close, news of this year's mineral exploration, development and production efforts in Alaska continues to come out while plans for next year are being formulated in board rooms across North America. The political landscape at both the national and state levels changed drastically as a result of the Nov. 5 elections; however, the effects of these changes will not become evident for some time. Metals prices remain depressed for lead, zinc and...
Information continues to trickle in from 2002 exploration programs around the state with the final tally suggesting exploration expenditures for 2002 will come in at about the same or slightly higher levels as in 2001. As is most years, a few major projects expend the majority of the funds while many smaller projects move either forward toward increased funding or backward to the project bone yard. The big spenders in 2002 will be Donlin Creek, Pebble and Pogo while properties... Full story
As the first snows of winter begin to fall around the state, more assay results are coming in and plans for next year are being formed. Metals prices continue to rise or hold steady and budgets for next year appear to be growing as a result. Several exploration projects remain in progress and are not likely to be completed before the end of October. By then we will have a good idea of how 2002 stacks up against previous year's exploration, development and production... Full story
The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that mining is one of the nation's safest occupations with a lower rate of illness and injury per 100 employees, 4.7, than manufacturing, 9, and construction, 8.3, and grocery stores, 8, hotels, 6.9, and retail sales, 5.9 As is usually the case, the Alaska summer season reached its peak in activity in August. As is always the case, some properties show promise of turning into Alaska's next operating mine while others have their names quietly scribed on the scroll of the dead. Several...
Drilling, trenching and prospecting results are pouring in from all over the state as the 2002 summer season hits its annual mid-point. The most active place in the states continues to be the Seward Peninsula although a number of other areas are seeing increased levels of interest and expenditure for the first time in five years. Tire kicking has increased across the board and new property acquisitions are expected to make their way to the public domain in August. Gold exploration has resurfaced after a long hiatus but base...
Is it my rose colored glasses or has the mining industry brightened considerably in the past month? The bump in the gold prices along with the slow but steady increase in the abysmal prices for other metals seems to have infused the mining industry with, dare I say it, optimism! Quite frankly I'm not sure how to react since we have not seen an industry-wide "smile" since the heady days at the end of the last millennium before the Busang scam devastated the industry and helped hasten the plunge of the already declining gold...
The snows are rapidly retreating and the Alaska mining industry is busy sharpening picks and pencils as it prepares for the summer season. Metals prices are on the rebound and a surprisingly vigorous economic recovery is under way in the United States. Although budgets for major companies for Alaska are not likely to change drastically in 2002, junior equity markets are surprisingly buoyant and should provide more immediate capital for investment in Alaska this year. Western Alaska NovaGold Resources announced the results...
Spring is in everyone's step in the Alaska mining industry even if spring is not quite yet in the air here in Alaska. Buoyant spirits are related to surprisingly buoyant metals prices and positive economic news from the U.S. economy. Plans for 2002 are in progress and fieldwork on some projects already is under way. Exploration activities for gold in 2002 appear to be on the rise compared to 2001 as is exploration for base metals. The professional begging (money raising) season is in full swing for junior and intermediate siz... Full story
Results from the 2001 field season have begun to show up from around the state. At the same time, the number of rumors circulating via the Tundra Telegraph about results that have not been formally announced, has picked up. Fieldwork continues on a number of projects around the state but that early morning chill in the air is a harbinger of change in the near future. When the dust settles later this year, it will be clear that several new discoveries have been made in Alaska in 2001 and that several promising properties did... Full story
