Mining News: Movie gives industry a big black eye  01/17/2010
I must join what appears to be a growing parade of voices criticizing some aspect of the mega-blockbuster sci-fi movie, Avatar, and add my two cents. Critics have complained about the movie’s story line, citing everything from its blatant allusions to the worst aspects of the recent war in Iraq (a...

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 president and CEO, told investors Jan. 12 that the junior is talking with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. and...

Mining News: New year, decade brings opportunities  01/17/2010
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 average prices in 2011 and beyond as supplies catch up to demand. Not surprisingly, the source of much...

Mining News: Alaska miners face hopeful New Year  01/17/2010
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 billions of dollars from the People’s Republic of China (for whatever wonderful reason), I assume that the...

Mining News: Junior scores ‘major’ coup in Far North  01/17/2010
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 recently in Nunavut Territory. Commander Resources Inc. is exploring the Baffin Island Gold Project, a dis...

Mining News: Geophysics reveal deep targets at Man  01/17/2010
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 compelling new targets to investigate in 2010. Tokyo-based Itochu and Toronto-based Pure Nickel original...

Mining News: Zazu orders Lik transportation study  01/17/2010
Zazu Metals Corp. has signed an agreement with the state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Agency to complete due diligence for transportation infrastructure needed to support a mine at its Lik zinc-lead-silver project located about 22 kilometers, or 14 miles, northeast of Red Dog Mine...

Mining News: Junior jumps in with both feet at Ambler  01/17/2010
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. The outright purchase overrides a 2004 joint venture agreement in which NovaGold would have earned...

Mining News: Prospector looks beyond White Gold find  01/17/2010
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-taught mineral hunter who has spent the past 12 years tramping the Klondike bush and adjacent areas,...

Mining News: Seasoned mine builder joins NovaGold  01/17/2010
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 the best mine builders in our industry,” Nieuwenhuyse said. “He has an unparalleled record of build...

Mining News: Wanted: Mineral prospectors with skills  01/17/2010
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 development, individual prospectors occupy a critical niche in the industry’s life cycle. In the vast and r...

Mining News: Junior finds REEs, niobium on gem claims  01/17/2010
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 confirmed the presence of significant REE and niobium mineralization at its True Blue gem aquamarine prope...

Mining News: Kinross signs JV pact to explore claims  12/20/2009
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 100 kilometers, east of Nome, Alaska. The area of interest covered under the agreement includes Mil...

Mining News: Selwyn teams with Chinese miner  12/20/2009
Selwyn Resources Ltd., owner of the zinc and lead deposit of the same name in the mountains of eastern Yukon Territory, has entered a binding framework agreement with a large Chinese corporate investor that is ready to pump C$100 million into developing the world-class property. Selwyn, in a stateme...

Mining News: Miners, like boats, rode tide in 2009  12/20/2009
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 says “All boats rise and fall with the tide.” Under this scenario, company fortunes fell as the gene...

Mining News: We’ve stepped through the looking glass  12/20/2009
As I age up, the world does appear to be, as Alice would say, curiouser and curiouser. I have long been bemused by the obvious observation that logic and reason have little to do with how humanity conducts itself. In Philosophy 101 we all learned that before the Age of Enlightenment, deductive log...

Mining News: Junior plans drilling program at Niblack  12/20/2009
Heatherdale Resources Ltd., the Hunter Dickinson subsidiary that joined forces with CBR Gold Corp. on the Niblack project, plans an aggressive exploration campaign at the copper-gold-silver-zinc project on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. “One of the hallmarks of a Hunter Dickinson progra...

Mining News: Yukon mining stays strong in recession  12/20/2009
WHITEHORSE – Since the Klondike Gold Rush when tens of thousands of fortune-seekers stampeded to this northern land looking for gold, the mining industry has been the backbone of Yukon Territory’s economy, Yukon government leaders said during their opening remarks at the 37th annual Yukon Geoscience...

Mining News: Livengood explorer could build mine  12/20/2009
International Tower Hill Mines Ltd.’s rapidly expanding Livengood gold project could prove to be the catalyst that transitions the Vancouver B.C.-based junior from explorer to producer. “The Livengood project has potential to form a strong foundation for a new emerging North American gold producer,...

Mining News: Explorer targets winter drilling at Livengood  12/20/2009
While International Tower Hill contemplates building a mine capable of producing more than 400,000 ounces of gold per year at Livengood, the exploration saga continues at the rapidly growing project. In less than two years, the explorer has increased the Livengood resource to 12.6 million ounces fr...

Mining News: Interior property shows huge potential  12/20/2009
Kiska Metals Corp. cut long intercepts of gold-rich mineralization in two of the five holes that it drilled during the newly formed company’s fall 2009 exploration program. These intercepts indicate that the 173-square-mile, or 448-square-kilometer, Whistler property encompasses multiple metal-rich...

Mining News: Pebble bobs to, fro on waves of opinion  12/20/2009
The Pebble Partnership, a 50-50 joint venture between Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. and Anglo American plc, can chalk up one win and one potential loss toward the development of a mine at its copper-gold-molybdenum deposit in Southwest Alaska. On the plus side, the Alaska Board of Fisheries rejecte...

Mining News: Junior lauded for innovative reclamation  12/20/2009
Western Copper Corp. won the coveted Robert E. Leckie Award for 2009 for outstanding reclamation of old abandoned workings on the Casino Property in west-central Yukon Territory. But the junior exploration company also went beyond the expected and developed a system for ongoing recycling and reclam...

Mining News: Diamond mines look north for new workers  12/20/2009
Two diamond mines in Northwest Territories are vowing to recruit new workers locally rather than continue a longstanding practice of seeking candidates in southern Canada. Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., operator of the Diavik Mine, and De Beers Canada, owner of the Snap Lake Mine, reported plans in late...

Mining News: Arsenic spill dusts worker at Giant site  12/20/2009
An accidental discharge of deadly arsenic trioxide at the old Giant gold mine in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories this fall has brought into focus the potential impact of an ongoing project to reclaim the mine site. The project includes the future disposition of the 237,000 metric tons of arsenic...

Mining News: Panel seeks staking ban for most of Peel  12/20/2009
A review panel has recommended that most of the Peel River watershed region in northeast Yukon Territory be withdrawn from industrial use, including mineral resource development. In long-awaited recommendations, the Peel Watershed Planning Commission is seeking to ban mining activity in 80 percent...

CBR Gold wants to spin out Canadian, Australian assets  02/04/2010
CBR Gold Corp. Feb. 4 said its board of directors has approved in principle, a spin out of its Canadian and Australian gold assets. CBR Gold Corp. intends to change its name to Niblack Mineral Devel...Comments

B.C. mining minister predicts strong 2010  02/04/2010
Rising commodity prices signal that 2010 will be a strong year for B.C.’s mineral industry, according to Randy Hawes, the province’s minister of state for mining. Hawes reported that mineral explora... Comments

Alaska News Nuggets  02/04/2010
GOLD - Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. Feb. 3 reported the discovery of a new high-grade vein system at its Kensington Gold Mine located 45 miles northwest of Juneau in Southeast Alaska. The new structure,... Comments

British Columbia  02/04/2010
Seabridge Gold Jan. 26 reported filing on SEDAR an NI 43-101 technical report for its KSM project in northern British Columbia that sets forth an increase in measured and indicated gold resources of... Comments

Northwest Territories  02/04/2010
DIAMONDS – North Arrow Minerals Inc. Feb. 1 reported an agreement with Dr. Chris Jennings to jointly explore its Lac de Gras diamond property. The Lac de Gras property is located within the prolific... Comments

Yukon Territory  02/04/2010
Capstone Mining Corp. Feb. 3 said exploration drilling is underway at its high-grade Minto copper-gold mine in west-central Yukon Territory. Capstone has approved a budget of about US$2.6 million to... Comments

Nunavut  02/04/2010
DIAMONDS – Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. Feb. 4 reported the discovery of kimberlite indicator mineral and precious metal anomalies at its Qilaq Project on Baffin Island in Nunavut. Seven of the samples co... Comments

Kiska plans drilling in March at Whistler  01/28/2010
Kiska Metals Corp. Jan 21 said it is making final preparations to begin its 2010 exploration program at the Whistler Project 92 miles, or 150 kilometers, northwest of Anchorage, Alaska. The drilling... Comments

Study: Road to Nome best along Yukon River  01/28/2010
Engineering firm Dowl HKM has chosen a preferred route for a road connecting Nome, Alaska to the state’s roads and the rest of North America’s contiguous road system. The proposed corridor would exte...Comments

Barclays Capital backs play for copper investments  01/28/2010
Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank Plc., Jan. 25 said its Barclays Natural Resource Investments team is backing one of the world’s premier copper mining management tea... Comments

Underworld discovers gold trend north of White Gold  01/28/2010
Underworld Resources Inc. Jan. 27 announced the discovery of a 40-kilometer-long trend of gold prospects and anomalous gold in soil geochemistry at the JP Ross and Maisy May Property. This trend exhi... Comments

Alaska News Nuggets  01/28/2010
GOLD – Freegold Ventures Ltd. and Western Standard Metals Ltd. Jan. 22 said they have signed an option agreement whereby Western Standard may earn a 50 percent interest in the Vinasale gold project lo... Comments

Nunavut  01/28/2010
DIAMONDS - Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. Jan. 28 reported results from a 49.6-metric-ton sample of surface material collected from the CH-1A phase of the CH-1 kimberlite on its 9,800-square- kilometer, or... Comments

Northwest Territories  01/28/2010
GOLD – Tyhee Development Corp. Jan 27 reported progress at its Yellowknife Gold Project in Northwest Territories, including installation of a 2010 winter road, the start of diamond drilling at the Or... Comments

Yukon Territory  01/28/2010
MARKETING – Seven mining companies with significant mines or mine projects in Yukon Territory Jan. 27 said they have formed a new marketing and promotion alliance designed to enhance investment inter... Comments

Villages, environmentalists appeal Red Dog water permit  01/21/2010
Two environmental law firms, Trustees for Alaska and Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment, joined local tribal and environmental organizations in filing a request for an adjudicatory hearing b... Comments

Underworld: 1.4-million-ounce resource at White Gold  01/21/2010
Underworld Resources Inc. Jan. 19 reported initial resource estimates for the Golden Saddle and Arc deposits at the White Gold Property south of Dawson City, Yukon Territory. At Golden Saddle, Under...Comments

Alaska  01/21/2010
POLYMETALLIC – Niblack joint venture partners CBR Gold Corp. and Heatherdale Resources Ltd. Jan. 18 reported assay results from three additional holes from the 7,620-meter underground drill program... Comments

British Columbia  01/21/2010
COPPER/GOLD – Habanero Resources Inc. Jan. 20 said it acquired 5,631 contiguous hectares, or 13,914 acres, located directly south of Red Chris copper-gold property in northwest British Columbia. Red... Comments

Nunavut  01/21/2010
GOLD – Commander Resources Ltd. Jan. 18 reported that recently received assays from channel samples collected from the Hébert Prospect on its district-scale Baffin Island Gold Property in Nunavut dem... Comments

Northwest Territories  01/21/2010
GOLD – Novus Gold Corp. Jan. 15 reported surface sampling results from its REN gold property located in the Point Lake area 90 kilometers, or 56 miles, southwest of the formerly producing Lupin gold... Comments

Yukon Territory  01/21/2010
POLYMETALLIC – Strategic Metals Ltd. Jan. 14 said it plans to fund diamond drill programs at nine of its most prospective projects during 2010. It also said it signed a farm-in agreement with Atac R... Comments

Hecla banks US$100 million on record metal production  01/14/2010
Hecla Mining Co. Jan. 14 reported record silver production in 2009 of 10.9 million ounces, up 26 percent from its output in 2008. The owner of the Greens Creek Mine in Southeast Alaska also scored pr... Comments

Atac plans extensive 2010 exploration program in Yukon  01/14/2010
Atac Resources Ltd. Jan. 14 reported plans for exploration in 2010 at its Rau Gold Project located in the Keno Hill district of central Yukon Territory. Atac said four diamond drills and a fifth sta...Comments

Alaska News Nuggets  01/14/2010
GOLD – International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. Jan. 12 said it appointed Carl Brechtel as chief operating officer for the company’s Livengood gold project in Interior Alaska. Brechtel, who has 30 years of... Comments

British Columbia  01/14/2010
POLYMETALLIC – Pinnacle Mines Ltd. Jan. 11 said it has received a commissioned NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment Report for its Silver Coin gold project located near Stewart, B.C., in Northwe... Comments

Northwest Territories  01/14/2010
POLYMETALLIC – Fortune Minerals Ltd. Jan. 14 reported details of a new mine plan and a 43 percent increase in mineral reserves at its Nico gold-cobalt-bismuth-copper project located 160 kilometers, o... Comments

Nunavut  01/14/2010
GOLD – Comaplex Minerals Corp. Jan. 12 reported updated resource estimates for the Tiriganiaq, F Zone, Discovery, Wolf, and Pump gold deposits on its Meliadine property, located about 25 kilometers,... Comments

Yukon Territory  01/14/2010
GOLD – Northern Freegold Resources Ltd. Jan. 14 reported final results of 2009 exploration at the Nucleus Zone on its district-scale Freegold Mountain Project located in central Yukon Territory. A t... Comments

Mining analysts pick top juniors in Northwest Canada for 2010  01/07/2010
Haywood Securities top metals and mining picks this year are Detour Gold (TSX: DGC), Alamos Gold (TSX: AGI), Capstone Mining (TSX: CS), Farallon Mining (TSX: FAN), B2Gold (TSX: BTO), and Bear Creek M... Comments

High-grade mineral potential at Selwyn continues to expand  01/07/2010
Selwyn Resources Ltd. Jan. 6 reported remaining drill results from its 2009 drilling activities from Selwyn Project, which straddles Yukon Territory’s southwestern border with Northwest Territories....Comments

News Nuggets  01/07/2010
GOLD – Toronto-based Mackenzie Financial Corp. Dec. 7 introduced the Mackenzie Universal Gold Bullion Class, which will invest from 80 percent to 100 percent of its assets in gold bullion and/or perm... Comments

Alaska  01/07/2010
GOLD - Teryl Resources Corp. Jan. 6 said it has not accepted the letter of intent proposal offer that it received from Kinross Gold Corp. subsidiary Fairbanks Gold Mining Inc. for acquisition of its... Comments

British Columbia  01/07/2010
GOLD – Canarc Resource Corp. Jan. 6 said an updated NI 43-101 preliminary economic assessment report by Moose Mountain Technical Services on the New Polaris gold mine project in northwestern British... Comments

Yukon Territory  01/07/2010
GOLD – Arcus Development Group Inc. Jan. 5 said it completed its analysis of results from 2009 work at the Dan Man property located 100 kilometers south of Dawson City, Yukon Territory. The Dan Man p... Comments

Nunavut  01/07/2010
FINANCE – Shear Minerals Ltd. Dec. 31 said it closed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of slightly more than C$1 million, subject to final TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. Shear so... Comments

Ocean Park raising funds to explore Chisna prospect  12/30/2009
Ocean Park Ventures Corp. Dec. 23 said it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to C$7 million. In connection with the financing, Ocean Park intends to issue u... Comments

Canadian Zinc grabs 11.1 percent stake in Zazu Metals  12/30/2009
Canadian Zinc Corp. Dec. 23 said it acquired 3.4 million shares of Zazu Metals Corp. representing about 11.1 percent of Zazu’s outstanding shares, for a consideration of C$650,000. Zazu Metals is lis...Comments

Alaska News Nuggets  12/30/2009
COPPER-GOLD – Liberty Star Uranium and Metals Corp. Dec. 29 said it has appointed Larry Liang to its board of directors and named him vice president of business development, China. The Tucson, Arizona... Comments

Canada  12/30/2009
TAXATION – The Canadian government is enacting new tax relief measures in 2010 aimed at helping businesses remain competitive globally. Some of the measures coming into effect in 2010 include a 1-perc... Comments

Yukon Territory  12/30/2009
FINANCE - Selwyn Resources Ltd. Dec, 30 said it closed a non-brokered offering of 3,636,364 flow-through shares for gross proceeds of C$1 million. Each flow-through share was priced at C27.5 cents p... Comments

Northwest Territories  12/30/2009
FINANCE – Darnley Bay Resources Ltd. Dec. 29 said it closed a private placement of 24,443,368 units of its capital at C15 cents per unit, and about 8.9 million flow-through shares at C15 cents per flo... Comments

More Native leaders protest anti-Pebble stance  12/23/2009
Elected leaders from Iliamna Natives Ltd., Kijik Corp. and Paug-Vik Ltd. have added their voices to the growing number of village corporations and shareholders criticizing Bristol Bay Native Corp. fo... Comments

Pebble opponents cite lack of due process in complaints  12/23/2009
Trustees for Alaska – representing Nunamta Aulukestai, an association of eight Bristol Bay Native village corporations, along with Nondalton resident Rick Delkittie and former Alaska First Lady Bella...Comments

CNSC: Uranium mining activities pose little safety risk  12/23/2009
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Dec. 15 issued a statement in which it sought to reassure Canadians that the nation’s uranium mining and milling industry is strictly regulated by the federal go... Comments

Alaska News Nuggets  12/23/2009
POLYMETALLIC – NovaGold Resources Inc. Dec. 22 said it has entered into an agreement to purchase 100 percent interest in the 36,670-hectare, or 90,614-acre, Ambler property in Northwest Alaska, which... Comments

British Columbia  12/23/2009
POLYMETALLIC – Canada Zinc Metals Corp. Dec. 21 reported summary of results from its 2009 exploration program at the Akie property and certain of the Kechika Regional properties in Northeast British... Comments

Nunavut  12/23/2009
GOLD – Commander Resources Ltd. Dec. 21 reported initial high-grade gold assay results from the Hébert Main Zone and additional results from channel samples on the Hébert South Prospect, part of its... Comments

Yukon Territory  12/23/2009
GOLD/COPPER – Midnight Sun Capital Corp. Dec. 17 said it entered an option agreement with Atac Resources Ltd. to acquire the Arn property located in the Whitehorse Mining District of Yukon Territory.... Comments

Anti-Pebble position angers Bristol Bay villages  12/17/2009
The Bristol Bay Regional Native Corp. remained neutral in the ongoing controversy over whether a mine should be built at the Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum deposit in Southwest Alaska. A Dec. 11 vote... Comments

Chinese investor agrees to co-develop Selwyn Project  12/17/2009
Selwyn Resources Ltd., owner of the zinc and lead deposit of the same name in the mountains of eastern Yukon Territory, has entered a binding framework agreement with a large Chinese corporate invest...Comments

Alaska News Nuggets  12/17/2009
GOLD – Millrock Resources Inc. Dec. 15 said it has secured an option to purchase a 100 percent interest in the Albion gold property about 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, northeast of Nome, Alaska. The cl... Comments

British Columbia  12/17/2009
GOLD – Bell Copper Corp. Dec. 16 said it has initiated a comprehensive 3,681-line-kilometer geophysical survey of its Granduc Mine property located near Stewart, B.C. The new airborne EM survey will... Comments

Nunavut  12/17/2009
FINANCE – Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. Dec. 16 said it completed a bought-deal private placement comprised of 5.75 million flow-through common shares at a price of C$1.27 per share for gross proceeds o... Comments

Yukon Territory  12/17/2009
SILVER – Alexco Resource Corp. Dec. 15 reported additional results from its 2009 exploration core drilling program at the Keno Hill Project, Yukon Territory. In addition to the largely successful 200... Comments