Mining News: Wanted: Mineral prospectors with skills 01/17/2010
Far North territories, B.C. governments use mining incentives to ease financial burden of grassroots exploration by individuals
Just as junior and major mining companies have important roles to play in the chain of developments that lead, hopefully, to discovery of substantial mineral deposits and subsequent commercial develop...

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: Zazu orders Lik transportation study 01/17/2010
AIDEA agrees to evaluate expanding transportation system to accommodate mine development at lead-zinc-silver deposit near Red Dog
Zazu Metals Corp. has signed an agreement with the state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Agency to complete due diligence for transportation infrastructure needed to support a mine at i...

Mining News: Alaska miners face hopeful New Year 01/17/2010
State's fairly independent economic cycle and growing global demand for minerals will spawn many opportunities for industry
In my simple world of cause and effect, when I see things happen I always leap to the conclusion that there will be a related subsequent development. When I see the United States borrow untold billio...

Mining News: New year, decade brings opportunities 01/17/2010
Alaska mining industry will continue to supply world's demands for mineral resources, despite ups and downs in global markets
As we plunge headlong into a new year and a new decade, the broad economic indicators for the mining industry suggest continued strong prices for most commodities in 2010 followed by slightly lower av...

Mining News: Movie gives industry a big black eye 01/17/2010
James Cameron's 'Avatar' exploits outdated stereotype; gifted earth scientists and engineers lead most successful mining companies
I must join what appears to be a growing parade of voices criticizing some aspect of the mega-blockbuster sci-fi movie, Avatar, and add my two cents. Critics have complained about the movie's story l...

Mining News: Usibelli thrives on coal exports in 2009 01/17/2010
Miner anticipates continued strength in overseas sales in 2010; groups file suit to curb alleged 'Clean Water Act' violations
Increased interest in Alaska coal from buyers in Asia and Chile boosted exports from the Usibelli Coal Mine to record levels in 2009. According to Steve Denton, vice president for business developmen...

Arctic warms while Europe and L48 freeze 01/17/2010
Unusual weather pattern sweeps frigid air south while warmer than normal conditions in North Atlantic reduce rate of sea ice formation
Newsreel shots of blizzards in central Europe, the sight of snow storms in Oklahoma and reports of Arctic-like temperatures in Scotland and Scandinavia may leave people wondering what the weather has...

Alberta energy minister demoted 01/17/2010
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach has caved in to industry pressure and his government's freefall in the latest opinion polls by dumping Energy Minister Mel Knight in a major cabinet house-cleaning Jan. 13....

Tales of woe on North America's refinery row 01/17/2010
The trail of wreckage on North America's Refinery Row gained another victim Jan. 7 with Royal Dutch Shell's decision to turn its Montreal facility into a fuel terminal after failing to find a buyer fo...

Talisman puts eggs in shale basket 01/17/2010
Talisman Energy is keeping mum about its Alaska interests as it gears up for the possible sale this year of 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of gas-weighted properties which could fetch up to...

Chukchi air permit takes Shell closer to 2010 drilling program 01/17/2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Jan. 7 decision to propose an amended air quality permit for Shell's planned exploration drilling in the Arctic Alaska outer continental shelf of the Chukchi...

West Alpine on hold 01/17/2010
Without corps permit, ConocoPhillips can't start work in 2010-11 winter season
Work on ConocoPhillips Alaska's Alpine West or CD-5 satellite - the first satellite planned for development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska - has been delayed by at least a year. The company...

Exxon wins a round 01/17/2010
For second time, judge disallows breakup of Alaska's Point Thomson unit
An Alaska judge on Jan. 11 dealt the state government a blow in its quest to wrest control of the rich Point Thomson oil and gas field from ExxonMobil and other leaseholders. Superior Court Judge Shar...

Greening of Oil: Streever's 'Cold' appeals to young and old 01/17/2010
Take a pound of science, a slice of history, a cup of travel, three teaspoons of horror, a pinch of humor and-presto!-you have "Cold; Adventures in the World's Frozen Places," a book with appeal for y...

Greening of Oil: What better New Year's resolution than to get rid of some of last years' gifts? 01/17/2010
After a holiday season full of new presents, what could be a better New Year's resolution than to get rid of some of last years' gifts? If your family is anything like mine, you might be experiencing...

Greening of Oil: Are electric cars coming too soon? 01/17/2010
Greening of the grid, manufacturing more hybrids is chicken-and-egg situation
If you're in the market for a new car in the next few years, you're likely to have an impressive array of options, and not just in style and trim, but in the most fundamental aspect of the car-what ma...

Oil Patch Bits: Rain for Rent's PWQMS designed to be versatile 01/10/2010
Rain for Rent said Dec. 30 that its Portable Water Quality Monitoring System is designed to help keep remote watch over discharge flow, and to ensure that the flow meets discharge requirements. The co...

New Nicolai Creek gas well goes on line 01/10/2010
Aurora Gas has brought no. 11 well into operation and company applies for new PA and unit expansion at west Cook Inlet gas field
Independent gas producer Aurora Gas has brought on line a new well, the Nicolai Creek No. 11, in its Nicolai Creek gas field, at the northern end of Trading Bay, on the western coast of Alaska's Cook...

Canada clears Chinese oil sands purchase 01/10/2010
Applies stiff conditions to large stake by state-run PetroChina; makes clear Canada eager to allow 2-way trade, resource investment
The Canadian government is opening the door to investment in its energy and mining sector by Asia's resource-hungry, state-run companies, but has left no doubt that the welcome mat does not constitute...

Canadian companies weeding out the weak 01/10/2010
New decade launched with flurry of MandA action as Suncor offloads unwanted Petro-Canada assets, PetroBakken adds tech-driver plays
Canadian-based companies have added early sizzle to the 2010 mergers and acquisitions market, led by Suncor Energy's swift action to weed out what Chief Executive Officer Rick George rates as weaker,...

Ho-ho-hold the holidays 01/10/2010
Proponents of Mackenzie gas have tight deadline to respond to 679-page report
It landed Dec. 30 with a thud on desks in the high-rise petroleum towers of downtown Calgary, spoiling whatever hopes employees working on the Mackenzie Gas Project might have had to put their feet up...

Assuring your approval 01/10/2010
Modern permitting involves doing due diligence, proving sustainable benefits
There was a time when people tended to view permitting as simply a question of obtaining government agency approval for certain specific actions planned for a project. But that's no longer a viable ap...

Prudhoe spill maybe 100 gallons of oil 01/03/2010
Using an assessment of the amount of liquid likely to have been in the well bore and its surface flow line at the time that the line ruptured in the Prudhoe Bay drill site six oil spill incident on De...