Donlin Gold Mine and Pipeline

Proposed to develop a large open pit, hard rock gold mine. Donlin estimates that the project will take between 3 to 4 years to construct, with a projected mine life of approximately 27 1/2 years, and is estimated to produce (on average) approximately one million ounces of gold per year. It is estimated that the proposed Donlin Gold mine would require an average load of 157 megawatts. To provide the amount of power required to operate the mine at peak capacity, a 14-inch, 312-mile-long buried pipeline to transport natural gas from the Cook Inlet region to the mine site is being considered. This would be an alternative to barging in diesel fuel from Bethel.