Alaska Mining Tour

2017 Mining History Association Tour

Tour of the Kinross Fort Knox Mine
Tour Hosts: Tom Bundtzen and the
Fort Knox Mine StaffJune 18, 2017

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From the mining face to their final destinations the trucks make a long up-hill climb out of the pit.	A belt conveyor takes crushed mine ore to the stockpile.
The Walter Creek valley fill heap leaching facility is completely lined to collect the gold containing leaching solutions. Upon mine closure the heap will be thoroughly rinsed to meet water quality standards.	A close-up of the heap leach shows the network of pipes that carry the leaching solutions throughout the facility.
	(Above) The mill flowsheet….. (Left) A mine haul truck prepares to dump its load into the gyratory crusher which breaks the rocks pieces to under 6 inches in size.
Mill tailings are pumped to the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) in the valley of Fish Creek. Fish Creek was an historic placer mining area. The company restored the watershed before it began mining. It now contains an active fishery. Upon mine closure the facility will become a large wetland area.	Eric Clements holds a 17 pound solid gold mini-brick. The actual gold bricks produced at the on-site refinery weigh considerably more.
Each MHAer got to hold the gold bar. Mark Huffington made sure no one dropped it. Sadly, there were no free samples!	So why is everyone smiling? The answer is that it was a great mine tour and a chance to see several other mining related sights that are unique to Alaska.