Alaska Resource Overview Kennicott Mine JOGMEC Presentation Tokyo, Japan November 7, 2006 Tom Crafford, Mining Coordinator tom_crafford@dnr.state.ak.us Alaska Department of Natural Resources Office of Project Management and Permitting
Alaska has a long mining history HISTORICAL DATES 1880 - Joe Juneau and Richard Harris discover gold at Juneau 1886 - Treadwell Mines in Juneau are the largest underground gold mines in the world 1896 - Klondike Gold Rush begins in Yukon Territory 1898 Gold discovered at Nome 1900 Copper discovered at Kennicott 1911 1938 Kennicott copper mine in operation 1902 Gold discovered on Pedro Creek near Fairbanks
Alaska Mining Industry Defined by Three Major Periods 1. From late 1800s until 1940s - mining was the largest industry in Alaska and provided the most jobs. 2. From 1940s until 1989 - effectively no hardrock mining in Alaska. 3. From 1989 to Present Red Dog & Greens Creek began operation in 1989 and there s been continued growth of minerals development ever since.
Historically, Gold has been focus of most mining in Alaska Much of recent gold emphasis has been on the Tintina Gold Belt But, as following map and placer districts show, gold occurs in many other areas in Alaska
Rock Creek Big Hurrah Nixon Fork Fort Knox & True North Pogo TINTINA GOLD BELT Donlin Creek Lucky Shot Kensington AJ/Treadwell Nyac Producing Mine In Development Major Prospect
But, There is more than just Gold in Alaska
TINTINA GOLD BELT MAN Chip-Loy Goodnews Bay/ Red Mountain Red Mountain Brady Glacier Salt Chuck Union Bay Duke Island Ni + Cu + Cr + PGE
Brooks Range Lead- Zinc Belt Red Dog Arctic Ambler VMS Belt TINTINA GOLD BELT Denali Kennicott Prince William Sound VMS deposits Greens Creek MAJOR STRATIFORM BASE METAL + Au, Ag OCCURRENCES Niblack
TINTINA GOLD BELT Pebble Pyramid Quartz Hill Porphyry Cu + Mo + Au
And then, there is coal (a lot!)
Coal Resources and Reserves Nulato Rampart Eagle-Circle Matanuska
Alaska Coal Resources and Reserves (all tonnes x 1,000,000) Location Hypothetical Resources Identified Resources Measured Reserves Northern Alaska Basin 3,630,000 136,000 73 Nenana Province 13,320 7,800 227 Cook Inlet-Susitna Basin 64,230 10,550 1,400 All Other Areas 8,660 520 0 Totals 3,716,210 154,870 1,700
Subbituminous C Approximately 40% of Alaska s s coal resources Nenana and Cook Inlet Basins Clean Low Rank Coal 7,800 Btu/lb Sulfur 0.17% Moisture 26% Volatile Matter 36% Fixed C 29% Ash 9%
Bituminous High Rank Coal Approximately 55% of Total Resource Location Btu/lb Sulfur Moisture Volatile Matter Fixed C Ash Cape Beaufort 9,100 to 12,700 0.2-0.4% 2.5-7% 22-33% 35-56% 8 27% Deadfall Syncline 10,900 to 13,200 0.2-0.3% 2.5-8% 22-36% 35 56% 5.5 23% Matanuska 10,400 to 13,200 0.2-0.6% 2.5-9% 32-45% 38-51% 4 24%
WESTERN ARCTIC COAL USIBELLI HEALY MINE Jarvis Alaska Coal Projects and Infrastructure
Coal Mining Activities in Alaska Usibelli Coal Mining Operations is the only active coal mining operation 1,300,000 tons per year production Majority of production is for Alaska markets Ships 400,000 tons per year to South Korea through Port of Seward
Usibelli Coal Mine (www.usibelli.com) Continued Alaskan & Korean coal contracts Trial shipments of coal to power plants in Chile 1.41 million tons production in 2005 95 Employees No Lost-Time Accidents since 1/27/04 Korean contract renewed for 3 yrs
WESTERN ARCTIC COAL USIBELLI HEALY MINE Jarvis Alaska Coal Projects and Infrastructure
Chuitna Coal Project (PacRim Coal)
Chuitna Coal Project A surface coal mining and export development located in the Beluga Coal Field, approximately 45 miles west of Anchorage. Ultra low sulfur, subbituminous coal resource, approximately 12 miles from the coast of Cook Inlet. Minimum 25-year mine life at approximately 12 million tonnes/year based on proven reserves in one (LMU-1) of three mining areas in 20,571 acre coal lease area. The proposed Project includes: a surface coal mine and support facilities. mine access road, coal transport conveyor, personnel housing; air strip; a logistic center, and coal export terminal (Ladd Landing Development). The coal export terminal would include a 10,000- foot trestle constructed into Cook Inlet for the purpose of loading ocean-going coal transport ships.
Chuitna Coal Project Project is currently in permitting Supplemental EIS is in preparation Permitting expected to be completed in 2008 Production anticipated in 2010
Western Arctic Coal Project Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and bhpbilliton billiton ASRC recently (Aug 06) announced 5 yr. exploration agreement with BHP-Billiton Underground test mine; circa 1994; coal tested in local villages
Western Arctic Coal Project Located in the Western Arctic Coalfield of northwestern Alaska, approximately 40 miles south of Point Lay. At Deadfall Syncline the Cretaceous-age age Nanushuk Group Contains four coal seams ranging from 5-125 feet in thickness that dip at 14 to 30 degrees. The bituminous grade coal has a measured resource of 45 million tons and identified resource of 390 million tons that averages 12,900 BTUs.
Location 650 miles northwest of Anchorage 500 miles northwest of Fairbanks 40 miles south of Pt. Lay 120 miles NNW of Pt. Hope 90 miles north Red Dog Mine 155 miles north of Red Dog Port Illustration courtesy of ASRC
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development Minerals information at: www.dced.state.ak.us/oed/minerals/ mining.htm
State and Federal Interagency Minerals and Geology Information at: AKGeology.info
DOMO