Alaska: Still a Major Player in the U.S. Mining Industry

With President Obama's recent visit to the Yukon and Arctic in the beginning of September, all eyes turned north--including ours. If Alaska's raw power and sweeping beauty are not enough to pique your interest, perhaps knowing that Alaska has long been an important player in the U.S. mining industry might give you an added reason to add the state as an item of interest.

Since President Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to visit Arctic Alaska, we thought we would use his trip as an opportunity to highlight some of the regions mining distinctives, perhaps overlooked by those of us in the "Lower 48."

Production

According to the Alaska Miners Association, Alaska has six major producing mines and eight more advanced exploration projects. Together, they're quite productive.

The AMA provides the following production statistics:

• $3 billion in gross mineral production value from Red Dog, Greens Creek, Fort Knox, Pogo, Kensington, Nixon Fork and Usibelli Coal mines, placer mines, and rock, sand, and gravel operations
• More than 300 placer mines produced 85,000 ounces of gold
• $80 million in production value from more than 120 active rock quarries, and sand and gravel operations
• Export value of $2 billion, or 38% of Alaska’s total exports (2011)

Future

The Alaskan mines have not only proven productive in the past, but they also seem to face a bright future. In one of its latest editions, North of 60 Mining News announced that although commodities prices have been in somewhat of a slump, the recent rise in gold prices has already had a positive impact on mines where gold is a primary or secondary commodity, such as Fort Knox, Pogo, Kensington, and Greens Creek mines.

Many states carry a proud mining tradition, and Alaska is no exception. We look forward to seeing more positive developments in the days to come.

Remember that we carry a full stock of OTR tires, and that we routinely ship to mines all over North America--and beyond. Feel free to contact us to ask about our current deals.

Image credit: "Flag of Alaska". Licensed under CC0 via Commons

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