Natural Resources State of Alaska

Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Division of Mining, Land & Water

• ADNR Reclamation Plan Approval (A20065562) – January 25, 2006
• Reclamation Plan Amendment #1 Approval (A20065562) – August 31, 2011
• Reclamation Plan Approval Administrative Extension letter – March 2, 2012
• Reclamation Plan Approval Administrative Extension letter – December 1, 2011
• Reclamation Plan Approval Administrative Extension letter – December 20, 2010

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Division of Water

• ADEC Waste Management Permit 2003-DB0055, Nixon Fork Mine – January 25, 2006
• Administrative Permit Continuance letter – December 10, 2010

Joint Public Notice of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation relating to proposed activities at Nixon Fork Mine – October 21, 2005

Documents submitted by Mystery Creek Resources, Inc. in support of project authorizations:

• Nixon Fork Mine Environmental Assessment (AK-040-04-EA-022) – October 2005
• Nixon Fork Mine Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan, Volume I – August 2005
• Nixon Fork Mine Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan, Volume II – August 2005
• Letter from Mystery Creek Resources regarding Reclamation Plan and Cost Estimate – October 20, 2005
• Reclamation Plan and Cost Estimate Nixon Fork Mine Project - September 2005 (Revised October 20, 2005)
• Mystery Creek Resources Nixon Fork Mine Monitoring Plan – September 7, 2005

INTRODUCTION & HISTORY

The Nixon Fork Mine is an existing underground lode gold mine located 32 miles northeast of McGrath, Alaska.  The area surrounding the present day Nixon Fork Mine was first staked in 1917 and limited underground mining occurred sporadically between 1917 and the early 1950’s.  The Nixon Fork Mine as it exists today was permitted and developed by Nevada Goldfields, Inc. in 1995 and operated until 1999. 

Nevada Goldfields constructed a 4,200-foot Hercules airstrip, expanded the road system, and constructed a new mill, shop, 50-person camp, tailings impoundment, and water supply system.  The mining rate was approximately 150 tons per day and a froth-flotation milling process was used to produce a gold and copper concentrate that was shipped off-site for final processing.  Mining and milling operations ceased when Nevada Goldfields parent corporation and its subsidiaries were voluntarily placed into bankruptcy.  The trustee of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court relinquished rights to the mining leases and legally abandoned ownership of the facilities and equipment at the site.  The facilities and equipment were transferred to the federal mining claimant Mespelt & Almasy Mining Company.  Mystery Creek Resources, Inc. leased the property, facilities and equipment from Almasy in 2003 and submitted a Plan of Operations to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management that envisioned a phased return to full production at the mine. Mystery Creek Resources was authorized by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to re-commission the surface and underground facilities and to conduct mineral exploration activities and general site clean-up.

CURRENT PROJECT

The project currently consists of two developed small ore bodies with currently defined resources of approximately 126,400 tonnes, containing 131,500 ounces of gold.  An additional 116,000 tonnes of existing mill tailings are reported to contain 30,200 ounces of gold. 

Mystery Creek Resources has submitted a Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and an application for a Solid Waste Management Permit to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and proposes to reinstitute mining and gold production from the facility beginning in the winter of 2005-2006.  New ore would be mined by underground methods and processed in a modified mill utilizing a gravity-flotation-cyanide leach recovery process capable of handling 150 tonnes per day of ore.  In addition, 350 tonnes per day of existing tailings (from prior operations) would be reprocessed by treatment in the cyanide leach portion of the mill during the spring to fall season.  Prior to the completion of the reprocessing of the existing tailings, all new tailings would be treated in a “cyanide-destruction” circuit and deposited in a newly constructed filtered tailings disposal site (dry stack).  After the completion of the reprocessing of the existing tailings, future tailings from new ore will be deposited back into the existing tailings facility after the inspection and any needed repairs to the existing liner system.

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