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: 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....

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: Miners, like boats, rode tide in 2009 12/20/2009
But the fortunes of some mining companies foundered even as commodities prices marched steadily higher during the past 12 months
Although commodities prices have improved for the mining industry over the past year, 2009 has been the kind of year most of us hope not to repeat. The best analogy I can come up with is the one that...

Mining News: Kinross signs JV pact to explore claims 12/20/2009
Gold producer joins Millrock Resources in targeting grassroots prospects on Seward Peninsula; drill program scheduled for 2010
Kinross Gold Corp. has agreed to team up with Millrock Resources Inc. to explore more than 900 square kilometers, or 222,000 acres, of gold properties in the Council Mining District about 60 miles, or...

Exploration credits holding steady 12/20/2009
Proposed FY 2011 budget has $180M for tax credits, funds in-state and out-of-state gas, variety of other resource-related projects
The $10.5 billion budget proposed by Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell on Dec. 14 continues to fund many resource development projects started under the Palin administration, and creates several new projects,...

Mining News: Optimism surges among Alaska miners 11/22/2009
As metals prices climb and world demand resumes upward trend, mineral industry prepares for period of robust activity in 2010
Metals markets continue to climb out of the basement as the world demand for metals resumes its upward trend. Fueled by this growing demand, numerous Alaska precious, base and rare metal projects repo...

Melting of Greenland ice cap accelerating 11/22/2009
Scientists have discovered an acceleration in the rate of melting of the Greenland ice cap since 2000, the BBC reported Nov. 12. According to a paper published in the journal Science, data from a vari...

$15M for Alaska geothermal projects 11/15/2009
The Obama administration's economic stimulus package is providing $15 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Energy for geothermal projects in the State of Alaska, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-...

25 CI oil jobs to go 11/08/2009
Chevron cuts back staffing after production decline and Pacific Energy Resources bankruptcy
Chevron announced Nov. 4 that it is going to lay off an estimated 25 operations and maintenance staff from its Cook Inlet operations "due to decreased operational activity and difficult economic condi...

Mining Explorers 2009: Alix explores two new gold projects 11/01/2009
Junior's geologists investigate properties in Goodpaster, White districts
Alix Resources Corp. geologists spent the summer investigating the junior's two new gold properties in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Joining the 2009 gold rush to the White District south of Dawson...

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: 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: A bright future awaits mineral exploration in Alaska 11/01/2009
The financial meltdown of late 2008 and early 2009 was nearly the undoing of some junior exploration companies as well as some major companies. Many of the major mining companies had to drop prospects...

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: 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...

Mining News: It's the most wonderful time of the year 09/27/2009
As miners prepare for winter, the industry's focus and support turns to lawmakers who recognize mining's importance to economy
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Throughout the State state of Alaska, people are starting to make preparations for winter. Placer operators are thinking about the final clean-up, seasonal e...

Arctic Directory: Lindner and Nelson win NAC Iditarod awards 09/20/2009
Northern Air Cargo said that it sponsored two prizes for racers at the Iditarod musher's banquet in Nome on March 22. Sonny Lindner was the winner of the third annual Herbie Nayokpuk award. Lindner, a...

Resource roads 09/20/2009
What would it take to get a road built to access resources in Umiat, Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell was asked when he addressed the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Sept. 14. "About $3 million a mile," the go...

Parnell - now not time to change gas tax 09/20/2009
Governor says Alaska gas pipeline project needs 'time to bake'; commercial alignment first; state's next task royalty regulations
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell does not want to see legislation in next year's session to change the state's tax on natural gas. It's too soon, the governor told the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Sept. 14 -...

The hunt for GHG emissions in the Arctic 09/06/2009
As global climate change warms the Arctic, could vast quantities of carbon dioxide and methane, both thought to be potent greenhouse gases, be released from frozen organic material, or from disassocia...