• Overview
• Mineral Resources
• Economic Geology
• Oil & Natural Gas
• Sand, Gravel and Quarry Rock
• Villages
• Development Projects
• Maps
• Reports

MINERAL RESOURCES

Calista Corporation's natural resource base includes subsurface estate that underlies 6.2 million acres of surface entitlement held by the Region's village corporations. In addition, Calista’s entitlement includes 238,000 acres of fee estate lands where Calista owns both surface and subsurface rights. About half of the fee estate entitlement was selected, and has been conveyed to Calista in areas with current mineral production, past mining history, or that are prospective for precious metals or other mineral resources. Calista selected these areas for their potential to foster Shareholder employment and regional economic development. Leaseholders working on Calista lands today develop these resources under regulatory scrutiny, using environmentally sound practices that preserve and enhance the inherent wildlife habitat and ecological values of the land.

Throughout much of the 20th century, mining had a positive effect on economic and social well-being in the Calista Region. More than a million ounces of placer gold, 600,000 ounces of platinum and 40,000 flasks of mercury were produced, and mining provided an economic base and hundreds of jobs. The platinum mine at Goodnews Bay and the Red Devil mercury mine were leading North American mineral producers at one time. Placer gold mining in several districts, including Iditarod, Marshall and Nyac, supported settlements that rivaled in size the typical Southwestern Alaska villages of the period.

Today, placer gold production continues on a small scale and is an important source of revenue for Calista. Construction material production, including sand, gravel and quarry rock, is of growing importance, and with improved transportation facilities, could grow even more.

The Donlin Creek project, where Placer Dome Exploration, Inc. and NovaGold Resources, Inc. delineated a world-class lode gold deposit, stands out among the known mineral resources in the Region. Now in the predevelopment stage and operated by Barrick Gold Corporation and NovaGold Resources Inc. – partners in the Donlin Creek LLC – the project provides a substantial employment and economic stimulus to the Region.