Columbus Headed for " the Island of Gold,Jipang " Seeking Deposits:Exploration Technologies Past and Present Hishikari,a Gold Rush in Japan Modernized Underground Factory changed the Image of Mines Gold Find in Alaska

Gold Find in Alaska

	"I was very scared," recalls Takaoka,a chief geologist of Mineral Resources Division,was involved in an exploration project in Alaska. He tells about a young geologist who was working with him,encountered a brown bear while he was collecting soil samples and escaped scarcely climbing a tree. He also tells a story about an American geologist who was attacked by a brown bear and lost her arms. Unless you return to the specified point at a given time to catch a helicopter you have to sleep in the open air. It is really a risky job. This project is located in Pogo of the Stone Boy project area,200 kilometers southeast of Fairbanks. It is a frozen land,where the temperature goes down to -40°C to -50°C in winter. Field works can be done during three month summer season only. Even in summer,the temperature occasionally goes down to below zero both in the morning and evening. The project started in 1991. Sumitomo Metal Mining set up a joint venture with four companies from Canada and Ireland and began exploration for gold,lead and zinc. Two years later,two partners left the joint venture. However, prior to their withdrawal,a zone of abnormality high gold content had been discovered in surface soil. Then the project focused on gold. In 1994,four years after exploration began,the first drill hole struck gold. Persistent fieldwork to narrow down the target had finally succeeded.
	By that time,all joint venture pertners except for Sumitomo Metal Mining had abandoned their interests to the project. Takaoka says,"I can 't describe it as only good fortune. I believe the experience and technology developed at Hishikari played an important role in decision making of this project." At the moment feasibility study for Liese vein is being carried out and the production is expected to start not earlier than year 2003. This means as long as 13 years is required to open new mine. Estimated ore reserve is 162 tonnes of gold and the average grade is 17.8 grams per tonne. This is expected to be an excellent world-class gold mine in the near future. When the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867 they called this deal "the world 's most expensive shopping."However,it experienced the gold rush toward the end of 19th century and crude oil production and timber resource developments followed and the above deal may become "the world 's best bargain." Also by the discovery of gold in Pogo,,Alaska will be appreciated.	The technology and know how accumulated by Sumitomo Metal Mining throughout its long history is also utiized overseas.This is a photograph of exploratory borings at Stone Boy,Alaska

300 Years of the Besshi Copper Mine and Its Beginnings at the Kanki Shaft The curtains closed on the 282-year history of the Besshi Copper Mine in 1973. Located in Niihama,Ehime Prefecture,it was the seed that grew into the Sumitomo Group and its many businesses today. A rarity among copper mines,Besshi played a singular role in making Japan into one of the world 's greatest copper exporters, as well as supporting the country 's modernization. During its lifetime,some 30 million tonnes of ore were mined at Besshi,yielding a good 720,000 tonnes of copper. When the mine was running at its peak,over 15,000 people formed a lively community in the mining town that grew up around it. According to legend,its beginnings can be traced to news brought by a prospector some 300 years ago. In 1690,a "mountain master " is said to have noticed "promising colors emanating from the mountains of Iyo (the name of the local area)." To verify the story,several senior members of the House of Sumitomo trekked into the mountains,working even at night,torches in hand,in search of a copper deposit. After much arduous climbing and hunting,they finally found their way to a huge outcrop with an exposed vein of copper ore. Soon discovering a rich deposit nearby,the party broke out into spontaneous cheers of joy. This gave the mine 's entrance its name,Kanki ("cheers of joy ")Shaft. Mining is commonly perceived as ruining the affected mountains and their forests. But at Besshi,even today—20 years after the mine completed its mission —the mountains are alive with lush green forests. This is not a happenstance;an underlying philosophy is at work. Masatomo Sumitomo (1585–1652),the founder of the House of Sumitomo,believed in showing gratitude for blessings by reciprocating in kind (a concept called ho-on).In the case of the Besshi Copper Mine,the second general manager of the house of Sumitomo,Teigo Iba (1847–1926),reflected this in work to "return the mountains and forests to nature in a lush,green state." But resurrecting mountain forests and meadows,once desolated, is no easy task. The first saplings planted in the reforestation efforts rarely took root,and tree planting work had to be repeated again and again. The mine operators took a particularly active approach to reforestation during the first 20 years of the 20th century,and the area under afforestation reached 5,636 hectares. During this period,about 32 million trees were planted;when the number is set to cover saplings raised,it explodes to 164 million. Though the mine has completed its life,the forest trees are healthy and growing,and the mountains are now vividly alive amid their verdure. Active afforestation work launched at the beginning of the 20th century has given the mountains of the Besshi Copper Mine an even more abun- dant natural environ ment than they previ ously had (top photo courtesy of Sumitomo Shi-ryo-kan,below photo courtesy of Sumitomo Forestry)

(Data collected July 1999)