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Red Dog Mine

The Red Dog mine is the largest zinc producer in the World. It is situated in an isolated region of the Arctic. The Red Dog mine produces 10 percent of the World's zinc production. The land that Red Dog is located is owned by NANA Regional Corporation and the Teck Resources in collaboration with the NANA jointly manages the Red Dog operation. The zinc production of the mine is transported to Chukchi Sea for storage till the shipping season begins.

The Red Dog currently operating mine is said to finish its permitted resources by 2012. Therefore, Teck has requested permission to mine in the adjacent pit named Aqqaluk Orebody, which is expected to have 56 m metric tones zinc and lead ore. This expansion is expected to keep the Red Dog running until year 2031.

The zinc rich area in arctic where now the Red Dog is located was first found by geologists and pilots who happened to have been in the region. Nevertheless, US Geological Survey carried out the sampling of the rocks and stream soil in the area after 18 years of this notification, in 1968. In 1970, some companies engaged in mining and NANA strengthened their exploration of zinc in the region. After ten years from this intensification, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act came into being and NANA officially selected the area of deposits.

The Cominico American, a mining company, which is now recognized as Teck Cominco, signed an agreement enhancing the zinc exploring activities in the region. The State of Alaska then came to assist Red Dog by owning a road and funding the project to expand it to the coast. In 1986, a formation of residents of Kotzebue as well as other people in the surrounding areas came to live there and it was recognized as Northwest Arctic Borough, which in turn taxed the Red Dog Mine. After one year, construction of the port site, road as well as the mine began and actual operation of the mine began at the end of 1989.

The Red Dog mine has 80 percent zinc ore in the USA. More than half of zinc produced in the Red Dog is used in the USA by galvanizing industries. Production of zinc-based alloys has used 21 percent of the total production while 16 percent is used to produce bronze and brass. Agriculture, chemicals, paint and rubber related production absorbs eight percent. The Red Dog produces more than 30 percent of the total lead used in the USA as well.

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