Arctic Copper-Zinc-Lead-Silver-Gold Project, Alaska, USA (mining-technology.com)Arctic Copper-Zinc-Lead-Silver-Gold Project, Alaska, US
The Arctic project, located in north-western Alaska, US, is expected to have a mine life of 13 years.
July 28 2023
excerptThe Arctic copper-zinc-lead-silver-gold project (Arctic project) is proposed to be developed as an open-pit mine in the Ambler Mining District of north-western Alaska, US.
Ambler Metals, a 50:50 joint venture company between Trilogy Metals and a wholly-owned subsidiary of South32, is the owner and developer of the project.
A pre-feasibility study for the project was completed in February 2018, followed by the feasibility study in August 2020. An updated feasibility study for the project was completed in February 2023.
The updated feasibility study highlighted a mine life of 13 years and an initial capital expenditure of approximately $1.17bn. The project is estimated to produce 149 million pounds (Mlb) of copper, 173Mlb of zinc, 26Mlb of lead, 32,538 ounces (oz) of gold and 2.8 million ounces (Moz) of silver a year.
Contractors involved
The updated feasibility study was prepared by Ausenco Engineering Canada (Ausenco), an engineering and consulting company, with contributions from Wood Canada (Wood), SRK Consulting (Canada) and Brown and Caldwell.
Ausenco’s contribution to the report included plant and infrastructure design, recovery methods, metallurgy, as well as consolidation of capital and operating costs and the overall financial model.
Wood was responsible for the mine design, geology, mineral resource and reserve estimates.
SRK prepared the tailings and waste design, pit slope design, hydrogeology, and water management.
Brown and Caldwell, an environmental engineering and construction firm, performed the water treatment studies.
GeoTech, a full-service airborne geophysical solutions provider based in Canada, was engaged in 2019 to complete Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) Plus and Z-Axis Tipper Electromagnetic (ZTEM) airborne helicopter geophysical surveys over the Cosmos Hills and the Ambler VMS belt.
Various metallurgical test work programmes were conducted at ALS Metallurgy, SGS Canada, and MetsoOutotec Group (Metso Group) between 2021 and 2022.
So it is doable up there guys just not for some.
cheers
