North of 60 Mining News - The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North

In late August, I was forced to send an email to Curt Freeman, owner of the Fairbanks-based Avalon Development, with the subject line, "Smoke hinders travel." Throughout the prior week, I could not fly from my remote home 60 miles east to... — Updated 9/12/2004

Global diamond mining giant De Beers has optioned properties in northern Canada to two junior explorers. Vancouver-based Pure Gold Minerals has negotiated an agreement covering 6,300 square miles north of Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories,... — Updated 9/12/2004

Healthy bullion prices are driving a resurgence of exploration spending in Canada, with budgets at their highest level in seven years. In a note to clients, National Bank Financial said that "after a prolonged drought," second quarter spending was... — Updated 9/12/2004

Rich Hughes, a former project manager at the Nolan Creek mine in northern Alaska, has been selected by the state of Alaska to serve as the development specialist for mining in Fairbanks. Hughes started the job July 1, working in the Office of... — Updated 9/12/2004

Late summer rains and cooler temperatures, usually the norm for Interior Alaska, did not materialize this year, allowing wildlands fires to continue burning and spreading throughout the region in August. According to state and federal fire reports... — Updated 9/12/2004

Vancouver, British Columbia-based War Eagle Mining Co. Inc. has partnered with Strategic Metals Ltd. to drill for the first time the Antimony Mountain copper-silver-gold porphyry prospect, 65 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Dawson City, Yukon Te... — Updated 9/12/2004

Seattle-based Nevada Star Resource Corp. in mid-August began a 2,000 meter (6,561-foot) reverse circulation drilling program on the northern portion of the MAN nickel, copper and PGE property in central Alaska. It's the latest development in an act... — Updated 9/12/2004

This summer's exploration, engineering and environmental baseline data work at the Pebble prospect in southwest Alaska is progressing "exceptionally well," according to a spokesman for the deposit's developer, Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.... — Updated 9/12/2004

An experienced geologist in Alaska himself, Charles Caldwell "Chuck" Hawley has compiled a well-documented and compelling story about one of Alaska's pioneer prospectors and mining engineers, Wesley Earl Dunkle. An economic geologist who prospected... — Updated 9/12/2004

One of six new 190-ton Caterpillar haul trucks hit the dirt at the open pit Fort Knox gold mine near Fairbanks, Alaska, on Sept. 1, part of a $15 million-plus capital investment in the mine's dirt-moving fleet this year. Fairbanks Gold Mining Inc.,... — Updated 9/12/2004

NovaGold Resources appears to have hit another prospecting grand slam one year after optioning the Galore Creek project in a remote section of northwestern British Columbia. The Vancouver, British Columbia-based junior in August released... — Updated 9/12/2004

For Inco, it is the road to becoming the world's largest nickel producer. For the residents of isolated, depressed Labrador, it holds the rare promise of steady jobs and solid economic gains. For the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, it will... — Updated 9/12/2004

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Silverado Gold Mines Ltd. has been auctioning gold nuggets mined from its northern Alaska gold mine on eBay, an on-line auction site. So far, the company has auctioned five nuggets and it began the sixth on-line... — Updated 9/12/2004