Pebble releases project description

Pebble Partnership Ltd. led its permit applications which included its project description, and the application has been deemed “complete” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With that, the rst details are available of how Pebble would develop the large copper, gold and molybdenum deposit. At rst glance the description seems like a project pretty similar, although larger, to other surface truck-and-shovel mining operations in the state, like the Fort Knox, Red Dog and Usibelli mines. The proposal is to mine 90 million tons a year of ore and process 58 million tons in an on-site mill, and produce 600,000 tons of copper/ gold concentrate and 15,000 tons of molybdenum concentrate per year.

The project would have a mine pit and on-site ore process, water treatment and gas- red power plants, all not unusual for mines. What is atypical is the remote location and road/ferry connection to a Cook Inlet port site 60 miles east. A gas pipeline built from the Kenai Peninsula would supply 50 million cubic feet/day of gas to the mine. No construction cost estimate is available yet.

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U.S.-Canada talks on border mines

The U.S. State Department has agreed to take up the issue of mines on the British Columbia-Alaska border at the International Joint Commission meeting planned in April. Alaska’s congressional delegation and Gov. Bill Walker have been pressing for better communication on mines near the border than could affect watersheds in Alaska.

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Trilogy Metals will have an updated Preliminary Feasibility Study for its high-grade Arctic copper prospect during first quarter 2018, the company said. Arctic is in the Ambler Mining District.