<![CDATA[Columbus Circle Corporate - Mining Blog 2023]]>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 23:38:40 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Journey to the Center of the Earth with Idris Elba]]>Mon, 11 Dec 2023 16:43:02 GMThttps://www.colcirc.com/mining-blog-2023/journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth-with-idris-elba
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Gold: A Journey with Idris Elba is a stunning  new documentary that is part history  lesson, part global travelog which examines  the evolution of the gold industry from its  rudimentary beginnings to the leading  mining sector innovator it has become  today.  Commissioned by the World Gold Council, the 65-minute film is hosted by acclaimed actor Idris Elba whose involvement stems from his family roots in Ghana, a country which has played a key role in the development of the gold sector over more than two centuries.  The journey takes us from the mountain peaks of the Andes to 3.6 kilometers underground in South Africa as Elba traverses the globe while exploring the many aspects of life that are touched by the yellow metal.  These range from an Indian wedding to an audience with the Ghanaian King, a history of the California Gold Rush and a tour of the vast vaults of the Bank of England.  Along the way Gold: A Journey examines modern drilling methods from ground level of the deepest underground mining deposits, eradication of malaria, the environmental restoration of abandoned mines and the use of solar power energy generation for remote mine sites and communities.  The documentary premiered in London in October and has since screened in Australia, Europe, South Africa before debuting in New York and Canada last week.  Here is a link to the film; Gold:A Journey with Idris Elba. It is well worth a look.

]]><![CDATA[STAYING THE COURSE]]>Fri, 06 Oct 2023 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.colcirc.com/mining-blog-2023/staying-the-course
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northerndynastyminerals.com/news/news-releases/2023/northern-dynasty-timeline-updates-for-u.s-army-corps-to-comment-on-future-plans-and-u.s-supreme-court-review-of-alaska-case/Northern Dynasty: Timeline Updates for U.S. Army Corps to Comment on Future Plans and U.S. Supreme Court Review of Alaska Case
Read the Press Release
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After more false starts than the fabled horse race the Palio of Siena it appears that the
vaunted Pebble copper/gold project of Alaska may be about to reenter the fray. First run in 1644, the Palio has endured recurring political turmoil to survive and prosper.
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​Each edition is marked by the delay at the start caused by the number of attempts it takes to get the horses to break in an even line. Perhaps the long-suffering shareholders of Pebble owner Northern Dynasty Minerals can take heart from the Palio’s history and tradition.

After a decade of administrative and legal hurdles, a Supreme Court action by the Alaskan Government may provide the company with a roadmap for relief and a reversal of the project’s latest stumbling block, an Environmental Protection Agency veto.

The EPA issued a determination against development of the Pebble mine in January, 2023 effectively usurping Alaska’s ability to protect and develop responsibly its own natural resources. This despite the EPA being a federal agency while the Pebble deposit sits on state-owned land designated for mineral exploration and development.

According to Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy; “Our constitution is clear. Alaska is responsible for utilizing, developing and conserving all of the State’s natural resources for the maximum benefit of its people. “Bureaucrats in Washington DC are exercising unbridled and unlawful power to choke off any further discussion on this important decision affecting so many Alaskans.”

The action appears particularly pertinent given the Biden Administration pledge to reduce U.S.reliance on fossil fuels and encourage the move to electrification for which copper is a crucial element. Currently, most of the world’s top copper projects are domiciled outside the U.S. while 5 major local deposits have been stalled because of domestic permitting and legal restrictions.

The largest of those is Pebble with 6.5 billion tonnes of measured and indicated and 4.5 billion tonnes of inferred resources which would qualify it as a Tier 1 resource in any other global mining jurisdiction. The State of Alaska is taking its case to the Supreme Court on matters of constitutional significance. The court is expected to rule later this quarter on whether it will hear its case.

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