Interior mine operations expand reach of industry
Important economic effects flow into support industries For more than a century, mining has been woven into the identity and economy of the Interior. Today, that tradition is being reinforced by a combination of strong production from established mines, new deposits feeding existing infrastructure and a growing pipeline of projects that could extend the Fairbanks area’s role as Alaska’s most important mining center. The activity stretches from the Fort Knox complex north of Fairbanks to Pogo near Delta Junction, Manh Choh near Tok and Livengood farther north. Together, these opera - tions and projects represent different stages of the mining cycle — but collectively point toward a robust future for Interior Alaska mining. Fort Knox: A new production high Kinross Gold’s Fort Knox mine remains a centerpiece of the Fairbanks-area mining industry. The open-pit operation north of Fairbanks has been producing gold since 1996, and its importance has grown with the addition of ore from the Manh Choh mine. Kinross uses the Fort Knox mill and heap-leach facilities to pro - cess both Fort Knox material and the much higher-grade Manh Choh ore. The combination produced extraordinary results last year. Fort Knox produced more than 410,000 ounces of gold in 2025, a 9% increase over 2024 and a record for the long-running Interior mine. Production during the first nine months totaled more than 339,000 ounces, with more than half of that gold coming from high-grade Manh Choh ore. The Manh Choh material, which is substantially
higher grade than ore historically processed at Fort Knox, has significantly increased the output of Kinross’ Alaska operation. Fort Knox’s future also extends well beyond the current production surge: A 2026 analysis of the mine plan esti- mates approximately 255 million tons of ore remaining,
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For more than a century, mining has been woven into the identity and economy of the Interior. Today, that tradition is being reinforced by a combination of strong production from established mines, new deposits feeding existing infrastructure and a growing pipeline of projects that could extend the Fairbanks area’s role as Alaska’s most important mining center.
Photos Courtesy of Mines Alaska’s mines have a longstanding history of reclamation in and around their mining projects. Usibelli Coal Mine’s 2025 reclamation crew was composed entirely of multi-generational coal miners.
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THE LINK: The Official Magazine of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance | FALL 2026
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