Manh Choh’s First Pour

In 2008, the Tetlin Council reached out to Contango to begin mineral exploration. The first discovery hole in 2011 confirmed high-grade gold resources were at the site. In 2020 Contango ORE partnered with Kinross Alaska to begin the steps toward mining.

“Alaska is a world-class mining jurisdiction, and we are proud to partner with the Tetlin people,” says Rollinson. “This partnership benefits residents and cements our commitment to the people of the state of Alaska.”

Bridge to Production

Originally launched as the Peak project, Kinross Alaska asked the Tetlin Tribal Council if they would like to rename it. The Tetlin Tribal Council named the project “Manh Choh” which translates to “Big Lake” in the Upper Tanana Athabascan language and refers to nearby Tetlin Lake, which is culturally significant to the community.

“Our agreement is with the tribe, with whom we have always maintained a good relationship,” says Van Nieuwenhuyse.

Manh Choh underwent a rigorous, multi-year process to obtain the required federal and state permits to operate. Both the federal and state processes included a formal public notification process and public comment period.

Before starting operations, nearly eighty community meetings provided opportunity to discuss the Manh Choh permits, and the project team met with school districts and bus providers along the transportation route. The Manh Choh team continues to meet regularly with communities along the corridor and surrounding villages.

Mining started in the fall of 2023. The actual earthmoving is contracted to Kiewit, one of the largest engineering, construction, and mining companies in North America.

The process begins with a controlled blast to extract the ore. The ore is then staged for transport to the Fort Knox facility approximately 240 miles away. “By using the existing infrastructure at Fort Knox, we are able to minimize the environmental footprint for this project,” explains Meadow Riedel, Kinross Alaska external affairs manager. At full production, trucks make about sixty round trips per day.

For the Manh Choh project, Black Gold Transport delivers the ore to Fort Knox in state-of-the-art trucks. “The trucks being used for this project were specifically designed for Alaska roads,” says Riedel. “The vehicles are also equipped with Samsara technology to increase safety for the drivers,” referring to an internet-connected fleet management system.

After transport, the ore is stockpiled in a designated area at Fort Knox, Alaska’s largest open-pit gold mine, to be processed. The ore is delivered to the primary crusher and reduced in size before being fed into the grinding circuit. This process releases the gold particles from the surrounding rock. After grinding, the ore undergoes a process to dissolve gold from the ore. A carbon-in-pulp method is used to recover the gold from solution before it is further concentrated in the refinery into a high-grade powder. Ultimately, the powder is melted and transformed into gold bars.

Community Impact

“Manh Choh is the second largest private employer and source of income in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area,” says Watungwa. “We’re continuing to build a world-class operation here, one constructed by Alaska companies and Alaska workers—with goods and services purchased from other Alaska companies. And we’re doing it safely, prudently, and responsibly.”

The Manh Choh mine is viewed as a legacy project because it will bring economic development and employment opportunities to the local community. The mine is expected to create approximately 400 jobs with a 62 percent Alaska hire rate.

Riedel says, “The project provides financial advantages, employment opportunities, and a large focus on job training for local peoples. Employees receive cross-functional training including heavy equipment skills, mechanics, mining techniques, and safety. These are skills and experiences that they can transfer to other opportunities in the future.”

The impact extends to the project campus in Tok. “We purchased a shuttered-down dilapidated hotel and restored it for use as a corporate office base. It also includes facilities and lodging for our employees,” says Riedel.

Initially, locals were concerned about the influx of people and how that might affect current infrastructure. “We had robust conversations with local representatives to ensure they understood how our campus would impact the community,” explains Riedel. “As a result, we enacted strict guidelines for our employees who utilize the campus. For example, it is a dry campus, and no alcohol consumption is allowed on site. Employees are also not permitted to go out to a bar in the community. We wanted to be certain the campus wasn’t going to have adverse effects.”

The campus serves as a place for employees to eat, sleep, and work. “We also focused on utilizing as much locally sourced goods as possible at the campus,” shares Riedel. “If we can, we buy eggs, flour, fresh meat, and vegetables from local vendors.”

The project also touches the local economies of communities along the haul route, which includes Fairbanks and North Pole. “We are a part of those communities and work with Contango ORE and other business partners to support them,” says Riedel.

That support by Kinross Alaska and its business partners includes culture camps, sustainability projects, new playgrounds, and funding local emergency services.

2,000 Pours Later

“We recognize that economic opportunities must be balanced with environmental protection and the preservation of traditional ways of life,” says Riedel.

Kinross has operated in Alaska for almost thirty years. The company has approximately 750 employees at the Fort Knox mine, and 95 percent of these are local hires.

Designed as an open pit mine, Manh Choh is expected to operate for four to five years, extracting at least 1.2 million ounces of recoverable gold.

“We’ve always talked about this project as being a four- to five-year mine life, and we want everyone to recognize that,” says Riedel.

Those 1.2 million ounces could be poured into one bar each day like the one first formed on July 8, every day of the year. That’s roughly 2,000 bars over the mine’s lifespan; probably more, given that typical gold bricks are 400 ounces, unlike the 600-ounce first pour.

After the mining is complete, everything will be removed, trees will be planted, and vegetation will return, restoring the land to its natural state. “For any mining projects in Alaska, a $650 million bond must be filed with the state to ensure the reclamation happens,” explains Riedel.

“Kinross values people and the environment as its first priorities,” says Riedel. “As we develop projects, we consult with experts and adjust project plans based on suggestions from community members and industry professionals. We are committed to responsible development and respect for culture and the land. This includes navigating through controversial topics with civility. We take great pride in being good neighbors, contributing community members, and an exceptional workplace.”