Photos courtesy Kinross Fort Knox
Groundbreaking at Gil Mine Kinross Fort Knox held the
to have a smaller footprint with the higher-grade project. “In the past, the concept was to build more infrastruc- ture here and construct another mill or heap leach,” said Jere- my Brans, Vice-President and General Manager, Kinross Alas- ka. “The big game-changer here was the new concept, and this is all part of Alaska innovation, and Fort Knox innovation.” “This groundbreaking is a long time coming and a huge milestone for us here at Kinross Alaska,” said Anna Atchison, Ex- ternal Affairs Manager, Kinross Alaska. “The Gil mine means continuing to be present in the community and employing Fair- banks and Alaskans, and as it is with any mining project, con- tinuing to bring taxes and rev- enues to the local borough and state.” Gil is expected to add 80-100 jobs.
official groundbreaking of the Gil Mine on Sept. 23. Current and former Kinross employees who helped bring this project to life over its three decades at- tended the groundbreaking cer- emony, along with Governor of Alaska Mike Dunleavy and oth- er key local and state officials and representatives. The event concluded with a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by the first blast in the pit. The mine has been more than 35 years in the making and was initially explored from 1982- 1993. In 2018, the project shift- ed from a stand-alone mine to focus on utilizing the existing Fort Knox infrastructure. The ore from the Gil deposit will be transported twelve miles east to the mill at Fort Knox for pro- cessing, using existing roads on Fort Knox property – giving Kinross Alaska the opportunity
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Fall 2021
The Alaska Miner
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