ustralia-based Northern Star Resources Limited staked its claim in Alaska’s mining industry last year, paying $260 million to purchase the Pogo Mine from joint partners Sumitomo Metal Mining Company and Sumitomo Corporation. Located roughly 90 air miles (137 land miles) southeast of Fairbanks in Delta Junction, Pogo sits on the Tintina Gold Province and controls some 42,206 acres of mining and exploration leases. The acquisition joined the gold producer’s two other Tier-1 projects, Jundee and Kalgoorlie.

Now two-thirds of the way through an eighteen-month transition plan focused on modernization and increased production, CEO Stuart Tonkin says that the Pogo investment has exceeded expectations.

ive years ago, students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) College of Engineering and Mines performed a controlled blast at the University-owned Silver Fox Mine. It was the first blast conducted in more than twenty years, and the first since completion of a four-year, student-led rehabilitation project on a 300-foot portion of the mine.

“It was the first time the blasting was supposed to happen after the rehabilitation had taken place, and there was lots of anxiety about how the mine would react,” says Dr. Tathagata Ghosh, chair of the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering.

arlier this year, WorleyParsons acquired Jacobs’ Energy, Chemicals, and Resources division to become a new company: Worley. The amalgamation of the complementary global providers of professional project and asset services in the energy, chemicals and resources sectors created an exciting new brand in the market. Today, Worley’s world encompasses almost 60,000 people across more than 50 countries.

In Alaska, Worley has 1,000 employees delivering services in Anchorage and on the North Slope— where it has operated for 50 years—as well as 300 employees for the NANA WorleyParsons joint-venture. Worley has an industry-leading position as a service provider in hydrocarbons and chemicals as well as a leader in mining, minerals and metals. “But it’s not about the number of our people; it’s about our capabilities,” says Jim Lenton, President Integrated Solutions – Upstream/ Midstream/LNG.

Worley’s customers now have access to a broader spectrum of highly capable people around the globe to help them meet the world’s evolving energy, chemicals and resources needs. Worley has tremendous resources, skills and equipment to supplement what is already available in Alaska. “We have the capabilities to deliver end-to-end services to our customers,” Lenton says.

For example, Worley can provide full turnkey solutions to help customers install and support a drill rig on the North Slope, including engineering procurement, fabrication, construction, operations, and maintenance, as well fluid hauling and camp services. “We do true end-to-end right into decommissioning and return to tundra,” says Jeff Doyle, Vice President of Operations, Arctic. “We have a pretty unique position in this space in Alaska.”

Worley also distinguishes itself by maintaining a customer-centric approach designed to make the best use of resources for its clients. This entails focusing on execution processes and planning, along with accurately forecasting materials, people, equipment and other resources. “We integrate technology so that we are able to track our equipment locations and record non-productive time to drive in further efficiency,” Doyle says.

Worley’s long-standing success is closely connected to its ability to constantly reinvent itself and remain relevant as the industry changes. Hence, the company makes extensive investments in people, facilities, equipment and technology to deliver more services for lower costs. “You have to provide services that customers are looking to acquire,” Lenton says. “We equip our people with the right tools, equipment and processes that are relevant.”

Over the years, Worley has worked with major and independent oil and gas companies, and it prides itself on providing high-caliber, sustainable and safe projects. For example, Worley recently achieved 14 million barrels of fluids hauled on the North Slope without a human error spill. As such, the company has also earned impressive safety awards, including the 2017 Alaska Trucking Association Fleet Safety Award and the 2017 Modular Building Institute Award of Distinction (for its Arctic Oilfield Hotel).

Worley is excited about the future digital transformation and expansion of the oil and gas industry. “It’s a great time to be an Alaska company now with what’s coming along,” Doyle says. “We will continue to transform with the industry to create value for our customers and local communities.”

he Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum features an impressive array of vintage automobiles and other rare objects at Fairbanks’ Wedge- wood Resort. It also has the distinction of being a “living museum” with operable cars, most of which cruise around the 105-acre resort during summer months. “Our goal is to create an immersive experience for visitors who come to Fairbanks,” says Tim Cerny, the museum’s owner and car/fashion curator.

Attracting 30,000 visitors annually, the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is the only place visitors can see a Compound, an Argonne, an Argo Limousine, a Columbia Mark XIX or a McFarlan Type 125—all of which are the last of their kind in the world. The museum’s collection of 100 pristine vehicles range from horseless carriages to roadsters and racers, and some have won best in their class at premier shows around the country. There’s also a detailed write-up on each of the cars and the technology behind their construction and design.

The museum is, however, much more than a place that showcases old cars. It also displays an assortment of antique bicycles and vintage clothing dating back to the 1740s. Boasting 1,000 clothing items, it houses the largest collection of vintage apparel in the Northwest and provides a stunning illustration of fashion design stories. Like the cars, the elegant outfits are rotated periodically through- out the building. “It’s part of keeping the museum fresh and interesting,” says Museum Manager Willy Vinton.

The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is also a repository for Alaska’s unique motoring history. Large scale photos accent the walls surrounding the cars and clothing, along with write- ups of the historical significance of the photo and locations around Alaska. The museum also offers a book about transportation in Alaska, informative videos running on TV screens, and an outdoor display of unrestored items that depict the story of Alaska. “It’s not justforcarlovers,”Cernysays.“Thisis a museum for everyone.”

Guests of Wedgewood Resort can enjoy convenient access to all the museum has to offer, plus the amenities of Fairbanks’ largest hotel. The expan- sive facility has much to see, fabulous food, and plenty of space for people to wander around or gather in groups. This makes the resort and museum a unique meeting venue. “We get rave reviews when people come for events,” Vinton says. “There’s nothing else in the state that compares to it at all.”

Currently, the museum is working on expanding its story on the horsepower wars of the 1930s. It’s also enhancing an outdoor display designed to give people a better feel of what it’s like to walk through an old mining site. “Every time you come into the museum, you will see something new and different,” Cerny says.

The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is a must-see attraction for anyone visiting Fairbanks. Cerny says: “We are a world-class museum in a relatively remote location. You have to come see it to believe it.”