Pebble facts.

• Author: Liles, Patricia

* Pebble location: 200 miles southwest of Anchorage, about 200 river miles from Bristol Bay. Nearest communities are Iliamna, Nondalton and Newhalen. Located on state mining claims, inside the Lake and Peninsula Borough.

* Pebble surface exposures originally discovered in 1987 by geologist Phil St. George, who staked the property for Cominco American. Although the company didn't initially authorize drilling at the site, St. George moved a rig to Pebble in 1988 and hit high-grade gold veins peripheral to the copper deposit. With company approval, further drilling in 1989 hit copper mineralization.

* Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., part of the Hunter Dickinson mine development group, optioned Pebble prospect from Teck Cominco in 2002.

* Northern Dynasty's drilling spending from 2002 through 2006, $50 million. Engineering spending from 2002 through 2006, $25 million. Environmental and socioeconomic study spending from 2002 through 2006, $55 million

* Northern Dynasty's drilling spending in 2007, $53 million. Engineering spending in 2007, $12 million. Environmental and socioeconomic spending in 2007, $30 million.

* Drill crews use helicopters to move personnel and equipment on daily basis, rather than surface transportation to lessen impact on land. Time required to demobilize, move and reassemble drill rigs using helicopters-two to five days. If using surface transportation, up to four hours.

* Seven helicopters working on-site in 2007.

* Eight drill rigs working on site in 2007, including three built specifically for Pebble, allowing drill samples to be taken as deep as 6,500 feet.

* Drilling footage completed in 2006, 77,000 feet. Planned footage for 2007, 180,000 feet. Drilling began in early February and will continue into mid-December.

* Drill rigs are surrounded by wood "patios" keeping equipment, drill steel and workers off the tundra. Drill sites are typically reclaimed after completion during the same year, through surface reconturing and reseeding specified by state regulators.

* Northern Dynasty announced in late July a new 50/50 partnership for Pebble with Anglo American, a global mining company. Anglo must spend $1.4 billion to earn its half of Pebble. A new senior management team for Pebble will be selected and relocated to Alaska in late 2007 and early 2008.

* Paul Henry, Anglo American's representative who is relocating to Alaska, recently served as the company's senior vice president of safety and sustainable development.

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