Pogo mine
The Pogo mine is a gold mine in the state of Alaska.[5] By 31 December 2017 Pogo had produced 3.6 million ounces of gold at a grade of 13.6 g/t. Annual production for 2019 was 159,344 ounces.[1][2][3][4] At 31 December 2019 the mine had Proven and Probable Reserves of 1.5 million ounces of gold at a grade of 7.5 g/t (JORC).[6] It is located 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Delta Junction and 135 miles (217 km) east of Fairbanks.[7]
Location | |
---|---|
Pogo Gold Mine | |
Location | Delta Junction |
Alaska | |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 64°27′0″N 144°54′44″W |
Production | |
Products | Gold |
Production | 159,344 troy ounces[1][2][3][4] |
Financial year | 2019 |
History | |
Discovered | 1995 |
Opened | 2006 |
Owner | |
Company | Northern Star Resources |
Website | www.nsrltd.com |
Year of acquisition | 2018 |
Orebody and mining method
The orebody consists of numerous highly irregular quartz veins, ranging in thickness from 2 to 40 ft (0.61 to 12.19 m) with 8 to 20 ft (2.4 to 6.1 m) being typical, and ranging in dip from horizontal to vertical with 30-45 degrees being normal. A complex system of faulting offsets the veins both parallel and perpendicular to the strike, resulting in a "chopped-up" orebody. Until 2019 the mine utilized drift-and-fill and overhand cut-and-fill mining methods when, under new owner Northern Star Resources, the mining method was changed to longhole stoping. Access to the orebody is via decline and spiral ramp. After blasting, ore is trucked to the central underground "ore bin", where it is then fed to a conveyor that takes it out of the mine directly to the mill. Typical daily production is about 2,500 tons of ore yielding approximately 1,000 troy ounces of gold.[4]
Pogo is notable for its paste backfill system, where 20% of the mine's tailings from which gold has been extracted are mixed with cement and then pumped back underground to support subsequent further excavation. This has the additional environmental benefit of reducing the amount of tailings that need to be stored on surface, minimizing the footprint of the mine's dry-stack tailings storage facility.[8]
References
- "Quarterly Activities Report – December 2019" (PDF). Subiaco, WA: Northern Star Resources Limited. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- "Quarterly Activities Report – September 2019" (PDF). Subiaco, WA: Northern Star Resources Limited. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- "Quarterly Activities Report – June 2019" (PDF). Subiaco, WA: Northern Star Resources Limited. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- "Quarterly Activities Report – March 2019" (PDF). Subiaco, Western Australia: Northern Star Resources Limited. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- "New Ore Deposit Identified in Pogo Gold Mine, Alaska, USA" (PDF). sumitomocorp.co.jp. 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
- "Northern Star set for further production growth as Reserves and Resources jump +30%" (PDF). Subiaco, WA: Northern Star Resources Limited. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- "Northern Star acquires the Tier-1 Pogo Gold Mine in Alaska for US$260M" (PDF). Northern Star Resources Limited. Subiaco, WA. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- "Northern Star Pogo Operations Fact Sheet" (PDF). Northern Star Resources Limited. Subiaco, WA. December 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2019.