Mining News: Seasoned mine builder joins NovaGold 01/17/2010
Gil Leathley's five decades of experience is expected to be invaluable as the company continues to build world-class mines
NovaGold Resources Inc. tapped a wealth of mining experience recently when it appointed Gil Leathley as senior advisor to the junior's president and CEO, Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse. "Mr. Leathley is one of...

Mining News: Prospector looks beyond White Gold find 01/17/2010
Yukon's Shawn Ryan sees bright future for mining district; expects major to purchase Underworld property then grab Coffee deposit
The prospector who discovered the highly promising White Gold property near Dawson City, Yukon Territory says he believes the future is beyond bright for the region – it's blazing. Shawn Ryan, a self-...

Mining News: Junior jumps in with both feet at Ambler 01/17/2010
NovaGold agrees to buy Arctic VMS project for US$29 million; opts to focus on environmental studies, Northwest community in 2010
NovaGold Resources Inc. has cut a deal with Rio Tinto subsidiary Kennecott Exploration Co. to purchase 100 percent interest in the precious-metal-rich Ambler copper-zinc property in Northwest Alaska....

Noah: standalone line work on schedule 12/20/2009
Parks Highway route selected because it is shorter, could cost less; gas conditioning in Cook Inlet, at PBU facilities, considered
Harry Noah, special manager of the in-state gas pipeline project, told Alaska legislators Dec. 16 that the standalone or bullet line - a project which would deliver gas just within Alaska, not to outs...

State reverses Holitna license decision 12/13/2009
Overturning a 2006 decision, DNR finds that a gas exploration license in Southwest Alaska is in the best interest of the state
Alaska officials have again decided that an exploration license in the Holitna basin is in the best interests of the state, returning in a 2005 ruling that had previously been overturned. In a decisi...

Projecting the jobs 11/29/2009
AEDC CEO Bill Popp works with Petroleum News and Mining News on new project forecast
Like one of Scrooge's Christmas apparitions, a ghost of Alaska's future could portend doom, or could just prove to be a warning of the consequences of not taking appropriate action. And from the persp...

The Explorers 2009: Interior Alaska basins 11/15/2009
Although analysts think that the majority of Alaska's oil and gas resources lie within the major basins of northern Alaska, Cook Inlet and the Bristol Bay area, there are several other basins around t...

Mining Explorers 2009: Majors discover value in Millrock 11/01/2009
Investments help project-generating junior seek new gold projects in tough financial times
When Greg Beischer and Phil St. George teamed up to form Millrock Resources Inc. early in 2007, they set out to make big discoveries that would attract the interest of the world's mining giants. The M...

Mining Explorers 2009: Powerful allies launch Mantra 11/01/2009
Backed by Electrum and NovaGold, junior positions itself as major Alaska explorer
Since Mantra Mining Inc. emerged as the vehicle in which NovaGold Resources Inc. would spin off its noncore assets, the Vancouver B.C.-based junior has positioned itself to become a major player on th...

Mining Explorers 2009: Kinross partners with dynamic juniors 11/01/2009
Owner of Alaska's largest gold mine invests in exploration ventures that seek new discoveries in the prospective Tintina Gold Belt
Kinross Gold Corp. – operator of the largest gold mine in the Tintina Gold Belt – has embarked on a treasure hunt in hopes of identifying another Fort Knox-like deposit in this gold-rich province. Th...

Mining Explorers 2009: Full Metal weathers financial storm 11/01/2009
Waiting for improved market conditions, junior prepares for smoother sailing in 2010
Full Metal Mineral Ltd., like many juniors, battened down the hatches in 2009 to ride out the financial storm that sank many explorers and caused others to climb aboard ships better suited to the turb...

Mining Explorers 2009: Partners prepare to permit Donlin 11/01/2009
Barrick, NovaGold agree Donlin is feasible; permitting scheduled to begin late '09
The US$4.48 billion price tag to build a mine at the Donlin Creek gold project did not invoke sticker shock for Barrick Gold Corp. and NovaGold Resources Inc., co-owners of the enormous gold project. ...

Mining Explorers 2009: NovaGold: Focused on production 11/01/2009
Gold explorer sheds early-stage projects and focuses on mining its three key assets
The arrival of 2009 was a milestone for NovaGold Resources Inc. Emerging from a tumultuous 2008, the Vancouver, B.C.-based explorer raised badly needed capital and positioned itself to move its three...

Mining Explorers 2009: Gold shines through financial cloud 11/01/2009
While base metal explorers struggled, gold seekers carried the torch in 2009
The plunge of base metal prices and turmoil in the financial markets caused explorers and producers alike to scale back exploration budgets for 2009. North of 60 Mining News estimates this year's expl...

Mining News: Gold prices top US$1,000-an-ounce mark 10/25/2009
NovaGold executive offers insight into the precious metal's outlook and resulting implications for the mining industry
Gold shone brightly through the financial tempest that caused base metal prices to plummet and sent stock markets tumbling during the past year. Neither the global financial meltdown of 2008, nor the...

Mining News: Miners reclaim Alaska mines as they work 10/25/2009
Property owners' intentions for land after minerals have been extracted is important element of planning for mine closures
Reclamation is a critical element of modern mining and mine planning. In Alaska, companies who wish to extract minerals from the earth must first present a plan on how they propose to return the distu...

Mining News: Recession walloped exploration spending 10/25/2009
As drought in available venture capital eases, miners seeking acquisitions would do well to accelerate the pace of purchases
As the active exploration season winds down in Alaska, both good news and bad is afoot and both sets of news turn out to be the same data. Double speak you say? Read on and judge for yourself. Halifa...

Mining News: Junior caps 2009 season with name change 09/27/2009
Mantra Mining reports on first drilling at Colorado Creek, other Alaska properties; takes steps to spin off base metal properties
Mantra Mining Inc. reported several major developments recently, including plans to spin off properties with significant zinc mineralization, changing its name and completion of planned 2009 work prog...

Mining News: Majors discover value in Millrock 09/27/2009
Junior uses investments to expand portfolio of Alaska gold properties; restricts exploration focus to prospect for giant deposits
Built on a project generator model, Millrock Resources Inc. has teamed up with Kinross Gold Corp., Altius Resources Inc. and Vale Exploration Canada to seek out and explore new large gold and copper p...

Serving western Alaska 09/20/2009
As it looks at ways natural gas could be delivered to Alaska residents on the Railbelt, the state is also looking at ways to move natural gas to western Alaska, in-state gas project manager Harry Noah...

In-state costs by route 09/20/2009
Terrain differences, environmental issues a wash - miles the primary difference
In a first step at determining the economics of in-state gas projects, the state has completed an analysis of pipeline costs for different routes for three types of in-state gas delivery systems. Har...

October target for ROW applications 09/06/2009
State's standalone gas line project will permit two routes, one along Parks Highway, one along Richardson and Glenn highways
A state-directed team working on costs and feasibility for a standalone Alaska gas pipeline aims to have a summary of alternative routes complete by early September, including a Parks Highway route wh...

Mining News: Miners explore SW Alaska properties 08/30/2009
Full Metal, Kinross acquire gold-silver property near Donlin Creek from Calista Corp.; strategic partners begin drilling prospects
Full Metal Minerals Ltd. and Kinross Gold Corp. struck a deal with Calista Corp., an Alaska Native regional corporation, to acquire 100 percent of mineral rights to the Russian and Horn Mountain compl...

Mining News: Kinross partners with dynamic juniors 07/26/2009
Owner of Alaska's largest gold mine invests in exploration ventures that seek new discoveries in the prospective Tintina Gold Belt
Kinross Gold Corp. – operator of the largest gold mine in the Tintina Gold Belt – has embarked on a treasure hunt in hopes of identifying another Fort Knox-like deposit in this gold-rich province. Th...

Mining News: News from Alaska field slows in summer 07/26/2009
PricewaterhouseCoopers report tallies the devastating financial impact of the 2008, 2009 recession on mining companies worldwide
The Alaska summer is in full swing but news is slow in arriving from new field programs and mining operations around the state. The biggest news in the past month was the U.S. Supreme Court's affirma...