The Rock Creek mine would be the first open-pit "hardrock” mine on the Seward Peninsula, an area with significant historical production in excess of 10 million ounces from alluvial gold deposits. Rock Creek sits along the Bering Sea on the southern shore of the Seward Peninsula. Located only 12 Km (8 miles) from the town of Nome, Alaska, the project has brought significant benefits to Nome and surrounding communities through direct employment and training opportunities as well as service-related businesses. Nome has a relatively dry climate, easily accessible terrain and established infrastructure, with roads providing year-round access to the Rock Creek property.
The Rock Creek mine was designed as a 7,000 tonnes-per-day conventional open-pit year-round operation, expected to produce approximately 100,000 ounces of gold per year once in operation. Construction at Rock Creek commenced in the summer of 2006. Commissioning start-up and systems testing began in September 2008 but was subsequently suspended in November 2008 as a result of mechanical and electrical start-up issues coupled with the global financial crisis.
NovaGold placed the project on care and maintenance to protect the infrastructure and investment at the property and has worked diligently with engineers and regulators to remedy water management issues resulting from the suspension of operations. The Rock Creek team has made significant improvements to water management on site to ensure it continues to meet all permit requirements and environmental responsibilities. NovaGold is working with a team of industry experts to assess the development options at Rock Creek to determine the best way to bring value from this project, with a decision expected in Q4-2010