Alaska Resource Overview Kennicott Mine July 21, 2010 JOGMEC Tokyo, Japan By Tom Irwin, Commissioner Alaska Department of Natural Resources Larry Hartig, Commissioner Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Ed Fogels, Director Office of Project Management and Permitting, ADNR
Alaska has a long mining history 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 ever since continued growth of minerals development.
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 Fort Knox Big Hurrah Livengood Nixon Fork Pogo TINTINA GOLD BELT Donlin Creek Lucky Shot Kensington AJ/Treadwell Nyac Producing Gold 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
Rare Earth Elements Alaska is under explored Bokan Mountain is one of the largest combined heavy & light rare earth deposits in North America Variable concentrations of light and heavy rare earth elements (REE) Zirconium, Beryllium, Tantalum, and Niobium are associated with uranium mineralization.
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
Sub-bituminous C Approximately 40% of Alaska 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 Mine, Inc. operations constitute the only active coal mining operation in Alaska. Last year, Usibelli increased production to 1.7 million tonnes and expects to exceed 1.8 million tonnes in 2010. The majority of production is for Alaska markets UCM currently ships over 816,000 tonnes per year to Japan, South Korea and Chile through Port of Seward
Usibelli Coal Mine (www.usibelli.com) Continued Alaska coal contracts to Korea & Japan Trial shipments of coal to power plants in Chile 1.7 million tonnes production in 2009 95 Employees No Lost-Time Accidents since 1/27/04
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 72 kilometers west of Anchorage. Ultra low sulfur, subbituminous coal resource, approximately 20 kilometers from the coast of Cook Inlet. 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 (8,325 hectares) coal lease area.
Chuitna Coal Project The proposed project includes: a surface coal mine and support facilities. mine access road, coal transport conveyor, personnel housing; air strip; a logistics center, and coal export terminal (Ladd Landing Development). The coal export terminal would include a 3,000-meter trestle constructed into Cook Inlet for the purpose of loading oceangoing coal transport vessels.
Chuitna Coal Project Project is currently in permitting stage Supplemental EIS is in preparation Permitting expected to be completed in 2011 Production anticipated in 2014
Western Arctic Coal Project Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (http://www.asrc.com/lands/lands.asp?page=coal) Underground test mine; circa 1994; coal tested in local villages
Western Arctic Coal Project Located in the Western Arctic Coalfield of northwestern Alaska, approximately 64 kilometers south of Point Lay. At Deadfall Syncline, the Cretaceous-age Nanushuk Formation Contains four coal seams range from 1.5-3.5 meters in thickness that dip at 14 to 30 degrees. The bituminous grade coal has a measured resource of 40 million tonnes and identified resource of 350 million tonnes that averages 12,900 BTUs. Recent studies have increased the reserves of coking quality coal within the deposit.
Western Arctic Coal Project Location Illustration courtesy of ASRC 1,050 kilometers northwest of Anchorage 800 kilometers northwest of Fairbanks 64 kilometers south of Pt. Lay 190 kilometers NNW of Pt. Hope 145 kilometers north of Red Dog Mine 250 kilometers north of Red Dog Port
Wishbone Hill
Wishbone Hill Wishbone Hill is a historic mining area located approximately 64 kilometers northeast of Anchorage. Surface mineable reserves at Wishbone are estimated at 13 million tonnes of clean bituminous coal. Usibelli Coal Mine, Inc. has not yet initiated mining activity at the Wishbone Hill location.
How to get more information
Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Large Mine Permitting Mine information at: www.dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/mining/large mine/index.htm
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 Arigato!