Alaska exports copper through Skagway: Yukon Territory Minto Mine booms with new finds.

AuthorLavrakas, Dimitra
PositionMINING

When the mighty Yukon River freezes up this winter, the trucks will roll again. They will rumble down the Klondike Highway that connects the Yukon with its historic seaport in Skagway in Southeast Alaska.

Called the "Gateway to the Klondike" since the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, Skagway's deep-water port still sees ore from the Yukon shipped Outside, much like the gold of over a century ago.

Vancouver-based Capstone Mining Corporation's Minto Mine, just south of Carmacks and across the Yukon River in Canada's Yukon Territory, has its concentrates trucked to Skagway and on to smelters in Asia for treatment and sale.

The company projects the Minto Mine will operate until 2022.

"Minto operates year-round; however, the shipping schedule is seasonal and does vary," says Cindy Burnett, vice president of investor relations and communications for Capstone Mining Corporation. "We cross the Yukon River in summer using a barge and in winter using an ice bridge, but during the shoulder freeze and thaw we cannot ship for about six weeks in the spring and six weeks in fall. During these periods we stockpile material on-site for shipping once we can get trucks in and out again."

The huge trucks are a familiar in Skagway, rolling down State Street to the city's Ore Dock.

"During trucking season we average about five trucks a day through Skagway," Burnett says.

The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad once transported ore from Yukon mines to the port but had to suspended operations in 1982 when worldwide mineral prices took a dive and Yukon mines closed. Reopened in 1988 as a seasonal tourism operation, it has never returned to transporting ore, although in the last few years there has been some discussion on it but to no conclusion.

In 1978, the South Klondike Highway opened. A spur off the Alaska Highway, it was only opened seasonally until 1986 to accommodate trucking of ore from the Yukon's Faro Mine.

But all roads still lead to Skagway's deepwater port.

No Lack of Demand, or Supply

It's a goodly amount of product that comes though Skagway, says Burnett

"In 2012, we shipped just over 43,000 dry metric tonnes [dmt] of copper concentrate through Skagway," she says. "In 2013, we have only reported through the first three quarters. As of September 30, we have shipped just under 30,000 dmt."

The Minto Mine began commercial production in October 2007. It is spread over a series of high-grade areas, interspersed with large deposits of low-grade material. The...

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