Technical Report for the Fort Knox Mine - Kinross Gold

Fort Knox Mine Technical Report5.0 ACCESSIBILITY, CLIMATE, LOCAL RESOURCES,INFRASTRUCTURE AND PHYSIOGRAPHYThe Company’s mineral prospects and mining operations are situated in close proximityto the City of Fairbanks, which is a major center for the Interior region of Alaska.Fairbanks is the second largest city in Alaska, and has an estimated population of morethan 35,000. The surrounding areas of the Fairbanks North Star Borough have a further40,000 to 50,000 residents. Fairbanks is served by major airlines and the AlaskaRailroad, and is connected to Anchorage and Canada by a series of well-maintainedpaved highways. Services, supplies, and energy (fuel and electricity) are available inFairbanks in ample quantities to support the local and regional needs, along with themining and processing operations of FGMI.The Fairbanks mining district is an arcuate belt of placer and lode gold deposits that ismore than 64 kilometres (40 miles) long and about 13 kilometres (8 miles) wide. Thedistrict is situated within the northern foothills of the Tanana Valley of central Alaska. Thesouth-western part of the mining district is located about 18 kilometres (11 miles) west ofthe city of Fairbanks and the north-eastern extremity of the district is approximately 48kilometres (30 miles) to the northeast. The area has generally good access, withnumerous all-weather paved highways and gravel roads maintained by the FairbanksNorth Star Borough and the State of Alaska.The mining district is a region of low hills and broad valleys occupied by meanderingstreams. The hills are generally rounded with gentle slopes and irregular ridge patterns.The meandering ridgelines are the result of numerous gulches and streams that cut theflanks of hills. The most prominent topographic features include Ester Dome, located inthe western part of the district at 720 meters (2,364 feet) above sea level, and PedroDome, situated in the north-eastern part of the area at 609 meters (2,000 feet) abovesea level.The Fairbanks area has a sub-arctic climate, with long cold winters and short summers.Winter low temperatures drop to the range of –40 F to –55 F, while in the summer, highs20