Donlin Creek Gold, Alaska - A Monster of a Gold Deposit

Alaskan gold nuggets

According to the Northern Miner (v. 98, no 52, Feb 11-17, 2013), two monster gold deposits continue to be developed and surprisingly, both were discovered in 1988. One, the Pebble deposit, contains gold along with base metals. The second Monster of a Deposit is Donlin Creek in the Kuskokwim Mountains of Alaska.

Just to get some idea of how big the Donlin Creek gold deposit is, the Homestake gold mine in South Dakota has always been the measuring stick for gold mines. The Homestake mine was discovered in 1876. Mining began in 1878 and ceased in 2001 after the mine produced an unprecidented 39.8 million ounces of gold over a 123 year mining history. The Homestake was one of the longest listed stocks on the NYSE in history!

The Northern Miner (2013) now reports that the Donlin Creek property is a Monster Gold deposit that was discovered in Alaska in 1988. The property is classified as the largest undeveloped gold deposit in the world - with 43 million ounces identified to date.

Modern exploration geologists now have a new measuring stick!

GOLD RUSH ALASKA

University of Wyoming & University of Utah Alumni Receive International Mineral Discovery Award

 

December 17, 2012 — UW alumnus Mark A. Bronston (BS , 1979), alumnus Paul J. Graff (PhD, 1978), and former Wyoming State Geologist and U of U alumnus W. Dan Hausel (BS 1972, MS 1974) recount how they were members of the mineral (gold) exploration team that was awarded the Thayer Lindsley Award for an International Mineral Discovery by the Prospector’s and Developer’s Association of Canada in 2009. They discovered the Donlin Creek gold deposit in central Alaska in the late 1980’s working for WestGold, a subsidiary of Anglo-American and DeBeers.

The Donlin Creek deposit is currently the largest unexploited gold deposit in the world (37 million ounces proved and probable reserves). The Donlin Creek gold deposit is comparable in size to the Great Homestake mine and is considered to be one of the great gold discoveries of the 20th century.

The mine is currently in the final stages of permitting