HOME PAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS, Print Editions, News Bulletin PRODUCTS READ MINING NEWS ARCHIVE ADVERTISING EVENT READ THE PETROLEUM NEWS, EXTENSIVE ARCHIVES! SUBSCRIBE TO PETROLEUM NEWS -BAKKEN-

Providing coverage of Alaska and Northwest Canada's mineral industry
October 2007

Vol. 12, No. 43 Week of October 28, 2007

MINING NEWS: Production halted at Nixon Fork gold mine

New St. Andrew CEO seeks better definition of resource, additional exploration to expand known reserves

Shane Lasley

Mining News

St. Andrew Goldfield Ltd. announced Oct. 10 that it is temporarily suspending production at the Nixon Fork Gold Mine northeast of McGrath.

The news came on the heels of Jacques Perron, 46, joining the Ontario-based mining company as president and CEO. Perron, a 25-year Canadian mining veteran who has held key management positions at IAMGOLD Corp., Cambior Inc., Noranda Inc. and Placer Dome Inc., visited Nixon Fork shortly after taking the job at St. Andrew.

Steve Borell, executive director of the Alaska Miners Association, met Perron on his visit to Alaska. He said Perron is an experienced mining engineer and will steer Nixon Fork in the right direction.

St Andrew said it suspended production to further define the geometry of the gold mineralization of the upper portion of the Crystal deposit. The company said it has encountered production issues because the geometry of the mineralized zone is much different from what was anticipated.

Nixon Fork officials had estimated that the mine contained about 180,000 metric tons of proven and probable reserves, which amounted to about 130,000 ounces of gold. In the second quarter of 2007, Nixon Fork processed 7,433 metric tons of ore with a head grade of 16.0 grams per metric ton of gold.

St. Andrew stopped production at the mill to perform modifications to the mill circuit in mid-August. These modifications also will be suspended to give the company time to further define the reserves.

Exploration of other areas anticipated

St. Andrew plans to do surface and underground drilling at other areas of interest uncovered during previous drilling, in particular the Mystery, J5A, Southern Cross and Whalen zones, which have potential to expand the resources at Nixon Fork, company officials said.

St. Andrew is also looking at a “grassroots” exploration program for the summer of 2008. The company will focus on other areas on the Nixon Fork property where gold mineralization is known, and possible acquisition and exploration on neighboring properties.






Mining News North - Phone: 1-907 522-9469 - Fax: 1-907 522-9583
[email protected] --- http://www.miningnewsnorth.com ---
S U B S C R I B E

Copyright Petroleum Newspapers of Alaska, LLC (North of 60 Mining News)(Petroleum News Bakken)(Petroleum News)(PNA)©2013 All rights reserved. The content of this article and web site may not be copied, replaced, distributed, published, displayed or transferred in any form or by any means except with the prior written permission of Petroleum Newspapers of Alaska, LLC (Petroleum News)(PNA). Copyright infringement is a violation of federal law subject to criminal and civil penalties.