The US Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) and the BLM issued a single Record of Decision (ROD) for the Donlin Gold project in Alaska, four months after the publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

Located in Western Alaska, in the Yukon Kuskokwim region, Donlin Gold is one of the largest known, undeveloped gold deposits in the world, with probable reserves estimated at 33.8 Moz of gold.

Based on exploration results, the Donlin Gold project will be an environmentally sound, open-pit gold mine. Located about 16 km from Crooked Creek Village, the project would process some 59,000 t/d (short) of ore.

The Donlin Gold project would provide thousands of jobs during construction, which is estimated to take three to four years. The operational phase  is estimated to be in excess of 27 years. Infrastructure plans call for a power-generation plant, water-treatment plant, access roads, housing, two ports, a natural-gas pipeline and an airstrip.

Donlin Gold estimates that the proposed mine could produce an average of 1.3 Moz/y of gold annually during operation. This production level would make it one of the world’s largest gold mines.

Donlin Gold LLC is an Alaska company that is owned by NOVAGOLD Resources Alaska Inc, a subsidiary of NOVAGOLD RESOURCES Inc, and Barrick Gold US Inc, a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corp.

The picture shows Donlin Gold General Manager Andy Cole, a former Executive Director of Barrick.