Mining News: Junior finds REEs, niobium on gem claims 01/17/2010
True North Gems confirms significant mineralization at aquamarine property near the Ketza River gold mine south of Ross River
After focusing on its ruby-rich claims in Greenland for the past few years, True North Gems Inc. has returned to Yukon Territory to hunt for rare earth elements rather than gems. The junior has confir...

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: 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: Geophysics reveal deep targets at Man 01/17/2010
Pure Nickel plans to drill targets in large conductive bodies located below two areas of its nickel-copper-PGE property in Alaska
During their first exploration season as joint venture partners at the Man nickel-copper-platinum group element project in Interior Alaska, Pure Nickel Inc. and Itochu Corp. said they discovered compe...

Mining News: Junior scores 'major' coup in Far North 01/17/2010
AngloGold Ashanti Holdings Plc joins Commander Resources Inc. quest for 'elephant' gold on district-scale Baffin Island property
Among juniors actively working to attract majors to invest in mineral exploration projects scattered across Canada's Far North, one Vancouver, B.C.-based company leaped to the front of the pack recent...

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: Terrane seeks partner to build mine 01/17/2010
Terrane Metals Corp. has decided to move ahead with construction of a C$900 million open-pit copper-gold mine at the Mt. Milligan Project in north-central British Columbia. Robert Pease, Terrane's pr...

Parnell proposes changes to ACES credits 01/17/2010
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell announced Jan. 14 that his administration is proposing some changes to the tax credit rules within the state's ACES oil production tax to increase incentives for firms to inve...

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...

Greening of Oil: Technology that lessens impact makes good business sense 01/17/2010
North Slope Borough chooses to work with Shell versus joining latest lawsuit
The use of advanced technologies that reduce environmental impact and improve business efficiency distinguishes Shell in the oil and gas industry, Michael Macrander, Shell's Alaska lead scientist, tol...

Oil Patch Bits: Stoel Rives expands corporate services in Alaska 01/10/2010
Stoel Rives LLP said Dec. 14 that corporate attorneys William H. Timme and John D. Kauffman have joined the firm's Anchorage office. Timme has spent more than 35 years counseling mostly Alaska Native...

Olgoonik, UIC to support Shell operations 01/10/2010
Shell is partnering with Olgoonik Corp., the Native village corporation for the Chukchi Sea coast village of Wainwright, and Ukpeaegvik Inupiat Corp., the Native village corporation for Barrow, to ope...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Statoil drilling new well in Norwegian Sea 01/10/2010
Statoil has received consent for exploration drilling in the Norwegian Sea with the mobile facility Ocean Vanguard, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway said in a release Dec. 30. The Norwegian compa...

Time to take a stand on climate change? 01/10/2010
Alaska legislators want information to determine a strategy on responding to climate change actions and the use of the ESA in AK
The stakes are high and the rhetoric climbing in the debate between those who want to apply the Endangered Species Act for the protection of wildlife potentially threatened by a warming climate, and t...

December production down from November 01/10/2010
Alaska North Slope production drops 1.6%, month to month; Endicott, Milne, Alpine, Prudhoe Bay all have reduced volumes
Alaska North Slope crude oil production dropped 1.56 percent in December, averaging 688,765 barrels per day compared to the November average of 699,675 bpd. ANS crude oil production peaked in 1988 at...

EPA proposes approving Shell air permit 01/10/2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes to approve an air quality permit for Shell's planned exploration drilling operations in the Chukchi Sea, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conser...

Canada issues Mackenzie-Beaufort nominations call 01/10/2010
Whether Canada's frontier explorers see the initial round of regulatory backing for the Mackenzie Gas Project as a shot in the arm for eventual development of Arctic oil and natural gas is being put t...

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...

Noah tells legislators time to choose 01/03/2010
Says Legislature funding too many options, confusing market; Irwin says information isn't in for standalone or AGIA line to market
Alaska legislators heard two different views in mid-December of what they should do about gas projects in the state: Harry Noah, the outgoing project manager for the state's in-state gas project, said...

Swenson named in-state gas line manager 01/03/2010
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell has named Bob Swenson of Fairbanks to replace Harry Noah as the state's in-state gas line project manager. Noah announced his resignation earlier this year, citing the demands...

Shell goes for reduced OCS footprint 01/03/2010
Macrander says using advanced technologies to minimize environmental impacts makes business sense and protects the Arctic offshore
The use of advanced technologies that reduce environmental impacts and improve business efficiency distinguishes Shell in the oil and gas industry, Michael Macrander, Shell's Alaska lead scientist, to...

Industry revival on Canada's horizon 01/03/2010
Firming of commodity prices points to resumption of oil sands growth; natural gas expected to remain weak; consolidation predicted
One of the strongest oil patch forecasts for 2010 has come from a leading Canadian law firm, which is counting on an industry revival as commodity prices strengthen, opening up the investment taps in...