No abstract

This summary of the status of Alaska's mineral industry for 2017 is the 37 th such annual report produced by the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys and partner agencies. Published for more than one-third of a century, the annual report endeavors to provide a consistent and factual snapshot of mineral industry activity in Alaska. It also serves as the authoritative, historical record of mining in the State. The reported value of Alaska's mineral industry in 2017 totaled $3.15 billion, an increase of almost 12 percent from 2016. The total value for 2017 is a composite of the year's expenditures on exploration and development, plus the revenue to the operators from the commodities produced. Exploration and development expenditures and production values, along with other major indicators of the health of Alaska's mining industry, rebounded in 2017 to values not seen for several years. Zinc was the top metal produced in 2017, accounting for more than half of Alaska's total metal production by value. Gold followed at 33 percent, along with lead at 8.8 percent and silver at 7.7 percent. However, quantities produced declined for all metals. Development expenditures in Alaska rose 38 percent in 2017, to $299.5 million. Development expenditures at Alaska's major metal mines accounted for 89 percent of total development expenditures. Mineral exploration expenditures rose dramatically in 2017 to $120.8 million, more than doubling expenditures from the 2016 level of $58.9 million. The major mines spent 29 percent of the State's exploration budget, down significantly from 49 percent in 2016, signaling increased activity on undeveloped prospects and deposits in the State. Teck Alaska Inc.'s drilling at Aktigiruq suggests they have discovered another worldclass, sediment-hosted zinc deposit in the Red Dog district. Mining claims and prospecting sites covered almost three million acres of Alaska in 2017, with 6,259 active Federal and 34,249 active State mining claims. While the total area of the State held by mining claims increased by 16 percent, the area of new claims staked in 2017 increased by more than 230 percent. Mineral industry employment in 2017 is estimated at 3,392 full-time-equivalent jobs, an overall increase of about 160 jobs (5 percent) from 2016. The number of exploration jobs increased by almost 59 percent to 254 jobs in 2017, and combined production and development jobs saw a 2 percent gain as 66 new jobs were reported. Estimated revenues to the State of Alaska and municipalities from mineral-industry-specific fees, rents, sales, royalties, and taxes amounted to more than $120.6 million in 2017, an increase of 73 percent from 2016.

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This publication released by the Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys was produced and printed in Fairbanks, Alaska at a cost of $23 per copy. Publication is required by Alaska Statute 41, "to determine the potential of Alaskan land for production of metals, minerals, fuels, and geothermal resources; the location and supplies of groundwater and construction materials; the potential geologic hazards to buildings, roads, bridges, and other installations and structures; and shall conduct such other surveys and investigations as will advance knowledge of the geology of Alaska.

Cover. DGGS Geologist Mandy Willingham on an outcrop of Fortymile River metasediments near the Lake George-Fortymile detachment (photograph taken 07/04/2018 by K. R. Sicard).