UNIVERSITY, DGGS LEAD ON MINERALS RESEARCH
UAF's Alaska Critical Minerals Collaborative vital to future of mining BY TIM BRADNER THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS’ ALASKA CRITICAL MINERALS COLLABORATIVE HAS BEEN INVITED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR $160 MILLION IN ITS “REGIONAL INNOVATION ENGINES.” THE UNIVERSITY IS WORKING WITH A COALITION OF INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT AND UNI- VERSITY PARTNERS AS PART OF THE INITIATIVE. The new proposal builds on work done earlier, and continuing, by the universi- ty under its CORE-CM critical minerals initiative. The U.S. Department of Ener- gy provided $1.5 million for phase one. A $9.3 million U.S. DOE grant for phase two of CORE-CM is pending. CORE-CM is being led by the universi- ty’s Institute of Northern Engineering and the state Division of Geological and Geo- physical Surveys (DGGS). The goal of both is to help build the state’s minerals industry from exploration to mine closure, includ- ing aiding companies in production of crit- ical minerals in existing mines. “The quest to understand and harness Alaska's potential to contribute to the do- mestic critical mineral markets is a mon- umental task,” the university said in its re- port on the CORE-CM phase one. “Alaska's vast and remote landscapes, coupled with its rich geological diversity, and lack of infrastructure present both op- portunities and obstacles in the pursuit of critical minerals such as rare earth elements and critical minerals, even those found in carbon ore, or coal, basins,” the university said. Some of the outcomes of the CORE-CM phase one are in improved remote sensing technology to detect minerals, refining of ores with biological processes, recovery of
Photo Courtesy Red Dog Mine There are now three operating mines with potential for critical minerals and rare earths including Red Dog (above), Greens Creek and Usibelli, the CORE-CM final report indicated.
search facilities. There is intense competition nationally for the grant. So far, the Alaska group has made it through several rounds of screen- ings, which have narrowed the list of com- petitors. Zinc and gold are often found in com- bination with other elements. For exam- ple, germanium is extracted from zinc ore mined at the Red Dog Mine north of Kot- zebue (extraction is done at the smelter, not the mine). Similarly, bismuth and tellurium are found with gold ore mined at the Pogo Mine east of Fairbanks. These metals are vi- tal in advanced technology industries. Rare earth elements have also been
rare earths from coal, and other work. One result was the use of hand-held X-ray fluo- rescence devices to detect the presence of rare earth elements in samples. A key objective is to improve the ex- traction and processing of critical minerals, many found in association with other met- als being mined in Alaska, for example, in gold and zinc production. If awarded, the “NSF Engine” funds could total $160 million over 10 years, with an initial two-year ramp-up period funded at $15 million. UAF has secured letters of support from the mining industry, Alaska Native corporations, national laboratories, venture capitalists and other university re-
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ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW SPRING 2025
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