Save Tangle Lakes - Mineral Exploration

Mineral Exploration

Just what is mineral exploration?

To put it simply, mineral exploration is looking for something that can be mined at a profit. In the case of the Tangle Lakes region, various surveys over the years indicate the presence of nickel, copper, and platinum group minerals—all valuable but non-renewable resources.

Riddle Ridge Nickel Mine, Oregon
© Sandy Lonsdale

At present, the Tangles area is being explored by Pure Nickel, Inc.; exploration activities include drilling sample holes and using airborne and ground geophysical surveys.

Pure Nickel expresses optimism that its exploration program will locate a large enough and rich enough deposit of these metals to warrant mining. At this point, no one knows whether the area can be profitably mined.

But what we do know—and we know this for certain—is that the region is rich in high-value, sustainable, renewable resources, used and enjoyed by many Alaskans. We know that these renewable resources and the human activities associated with them would be significantly damaged by actual mine development and the extraction of non-renewable resources, largely for the benefit of foreign corporations.

Who Are the Players?

Pure Nickel, Inc. is a junior mineral exploration company based in Toronto, Ontario. In 2007 it was incorporated and acquired a large block of Alaska claims through a merger agreement with Nevada Star Resources, another Canadian corporation.
ITOCHU is a huge multinational conglomerate, based in Tokyo. Pure Nickel's project captured ITOCHU's interest. ITOCHU has agreed to provide $40 million in funding for Pure Nickel's 2009-2014 exploration.
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) administers most of Pure Nickel's mining claims, because most of the claims are on state lands.

Fish Lake on claims north of proposed refuge
Photo courtesy NAEC

Where Are the Claims?

INSERT MAP

Pure Nickel holds a vast irregular block of mining claims, stretching from the Denali Highway northward into Broxson Gulch and from Summit Lake westward almost to the Maclaren River. They are within view of the Denali Highway from about mile 3 to 27, and total over 240 square miles (730 square km). Pure Nickel calls its claims the MAN Alaska Project.

The great majority of Pure Nickel's claims are on state land, which DNR calls the Denali Block. Some claims are on federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

Broken Point from TLAD

To further complicate the picture, some of the claims fall within the Tangle Lakes Archeological District (TLAD). The TLAD has high archeological significance, both for local Ahtna Natives and for archeologists. It contains one of the densest concentrations of Native American sub-arctic artifacts in North America. This is because people have been hunting the same ridges for 10,000 years!

Wild and Scenic River System
© Brad Snow

Cutting North-South through the claims area is the Delta Wild and Scenic River System. The Tangle Lakes are the Delta River's headwaters, and are part of this federally protected system. However, the Wild and Scenic River corridor extends for only about one-half mile on each side of the water, and nothing prevents Pure Nickel's support helicopters from overflying this corridor to bring personnel, supplies, and equipment to exploration sites, as they have done during their field seasons. If a mine is developed, it also could be within sight and sound of these popular paddling and fishing waters.