What is "red dog mine"

The Red Dog mine is a zinc and lead mine located in a remote region of the Arctic, within the boundaries of the Red Dog Mine census-designated place in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska.

The mine is the world's largest producer of zinc and has the world's largest zinc reserves. Red Dog accounts for 10% of the world's zinc production. Red Dog accounted for 55% of the mineral value produced in Alaska in 2008. In 2008 the mine produced 515,200 metric tons (507,100 LT; 567,900 ST) of zinc, 122,600 metric tons (120,700 LT; 135,100 ST) of lead, and 283 metric tons (9,100,000 ozt) of silver, for a total metal value of over one billion dollars. At the end of 2008 the mine had reserves of 61,400,000 metric tons (60,400,000 LT; 67,700,000 ST) of zinc at a grade of 17.1% and 61,400,000 tonnes (60,400,000 LT; 67,700,000 ST) of lead at a grade of 4.5%, as well as significant additional zinc and lead in the less well-measured resource category.

Red Dog is located on land owned by the NANA Regional Corporation and is operated by the commercial mining company Teck Resources in partnership with NANA Development Corporation. Ore concentrate taken from the mine is trucked westward to a shipping facility on the Chukchi Sea and stored there until the shipping season.

The mine, which produces from an open pit, is currently mining the Aqqaluk orebody, immediately adjacent to the previous pit, Aqqaluk contains an additional 56 million metric tons (62 million short tons) of lead and zinc ore. The expansion is expected to keep the mine operating until 2031.