Alaska’s Mineral Industry, an Overview

By

R.C. Swainbank (Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development)

For the mineral industry, as for the oil industry, Alaska is ‘elephant country’. Unfortunately, both industries share other similarities. There are too few ‘breeding bulls’, a lot of the ‘grazing habitat’ is off-limits, many of the ‘unweaned calves’ are in danger of starvation, and ‘stillbirths’ are becoming increasingly common.

Where we came from. A brief review of Alaska’s mining history, with an emphasis on some of the innovations introduced in Alaska. Where we are. In the year 2000, the total value of Alaska’s mineral industry was $1.3 billion, including $35 million for exploration,$147 million for mine developments, and $1,100 million in the value of the products. Just three mines account for over 97% of the value of metal produced. The Red Dog Mine near Kotzebue is the largest zinc mine and zinc reserve in the world. The Greens Creek Mine near Juneau is the largest producer of silver in North America, and the Fort Knox Mine near Fairbanks is one of the lowest-grade hardrock gold mines in the world.

Where are we going. If an ounce of mystery is worth a ton of history, this review of the possible contenders for the next generation of mines is the heart of the overview. Gold deposits such as Kensington-Jualin, Pogo and Donlin Creek, other metal deposits such as Bornite and Arctic in the Brooks Range, and the vast high-rank coalfields of the Arctic northwest are summarized in the context of existing and necessary infrastructure.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90008©2002 AAPG Pacific Section/SPE Western Region Joint Conference of Geoscientists and Petroleum Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska, May 18–23, 2002.