Donlin Gold project adds fresh new momentum
Lindskoog leads Donlin Gold external affairs
Donlin Gold LLC has hired Wendy Lindskoog as external affairs manag - er to support its long-term development goals and strengthen stakeholder part-
Her previous roles include regional vice president of government relations
to the Donlin Gold team. With deep experience in Alaska and strategic leadership across industries, Wendy further strengthens our commitment to meaningful engagement as we advance the project with care and integrity,” said Todd Dahlman, Donlin Gold’s general manager. “My career has been focused on empowering connections and inspiring growth,” Lindskoog said. “In this rela- tionship-focused role, I am honored to contribute to a project with such sig- nificance for Alaska and look forward to working closely with stakeholders to build momentum and create oppor - tunities for shared success.”
at Royal Caribbean Group, vice president of communi - cations and external affairs at BP Exploration Alaska, chief administrative officer and corporate board secretary at Alaska Railroad Corporation, and director of communi - cations at the Alaska State Legislature. Throughout her career, she has advanced
nerships, joining an expe- rienced and long-standing team specializing in external affairs and community en - gagement. A veteran in public policy and stakeholder engage- ment, Lindskoog brings over
New structure of ownership touts push for drilling The big Donlin Gold project has fresh momentum with its new own- ership structure and new management in place. Todd Dahlman, new General Manager at Donlin Gold, provided an update in early September on the de- posit on the Kuskokwim River 275 miles west of Anchorage on Donlin Creek near the community of Crooked Creek. Work is continuing this year on resource eval- uation and geotechnical drilling, and an updated feasibility study for the project is underway, Dahlman said. The new ownership structure in- volves NovaGold Resources, which previously owned 50% of the project — increasing its share to 60% — and Paulson Advisors, a major investor in NovaGold, acquiring a 40% share. Barrick Gold, previously 50% owner, exited the project last summer to fo - cus on other priorities, Dahlman said. Calista Corporation — the re- gional Alaska Native corporation for southwest Alaska — is the subsur- face resource owner, with surface lands owned by the Kuskokwim Cor- poration, a consortium of small vil- lage corporations in the area. Dahlman said Paulson is an ex- perienced investor and has a deep knowledge of Donlin Gold through its involvement with NovaGold. A bet- ter alignment of interests among the owners has given the project fresh momentum, he said. This is evidenced in the current pace of activity. Four drill rigs are at work this year with 15,000 meters of drilling and 50 test holes planned to
three decades of experience working at the intersection of industry, govern - ment and enhancing relationships with Alaska communities.
industry goals while building strong relationships with communities and policymakers. “We are excited to welcome Wendy
fields via the Matanuska-Susitna Bor - ough. Dahlman noted the concerns over pending declines in gas production from the Inlet region, but said the area has po- tential for new gas discoveries. Donlin Gold would be a large new cus- tomer for explorers and gas producers in the Inlet with a steady, year-round de- mand. This will provide major incentives for explorers to find new gas, he said. There is a long history to the Donlin Gold project. The deposit was originally discovered more than 40 years ago by geol- ogists working with Calista Corporation to help guide Calista in selecting lands under its land entitlement from the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Calista worked for several years to in- terest a major mining company in explo - ration and in the 1980s was able to bring in Placer Dome, which did substantial drilling over several years. For corporate reasons, Placer scaled back its work and NovaGold, a “junior” exploration company, stepped in to invest in further exploration. NovaGold found more gold, earning a 50% share of the project. Barrick then acquired Placer Dome and its 50% share and became the project operator under the Donlin Gold Joint Venture.
Photo Courtesy Donlin Gold
now is on bringing the known deposit into production, Dahlman said. Typ- ically, once a mine gets into produc- tion, additional resources are found and the mine life is extended. This has happened at other mines, such as at the Fort Knox gold mine near Fairbanks, where Dahlman previously served as general manager. If it moves into construction, Donlin Gold will be a considerable project and management of logistics will be critical to success. The main supply corridor will be up the Kuskokwim River from Bethel. An existing airstrip at the site that supports exploration will have to be expanded, and facilities to support operations and 600 to 800 personnel will be needed, Dahlman noted. A 315-mile pipeline is planned to bring natural gas from Cook Inlet gas
gather more information for resource modeling as well as geotechnical information for designing the “pit walls” of the mine. Drilling is also planned to locate pits for gravel resources, Dahlman said. This is significant because it signaled that the project is moving into construc - tion planning. The company has about 70 employees at the site this summer, many of them hired locally from 19 communities in the Yukon-Kuskok- wim region of Southwest Alaska. Donlin Gold is one of the world’s largest undeveloped known gold de- posits with about 39 million ounces of resources, which is sufficient to support 1.1 million ounces of gold production for 22 years of mine life now estimated. There is additional gold potential in the area, but the company’s focus
I am a geologist. I am a gardener. I am mining. I wasn’t born here, I chose Alaska. After hearing stories from one of my professors about working in Alaska, I decided to enroll at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to pursue a master’s degree in economic geology. I met my future wife that first year and took a seasonal job on a mining exploration crew. Two decades later, I’m still here doing what I love – identifying new deposits as Kinross Alaska’s Exploration Manager, tending to the family garden and enjoying the great quality of life that Alaska has to offer.
— Tim Bradner
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