Planned repairs slowed Pogo gold output

Wed Oct 21 2026

The big blue tube was out of commission during a major rehabilitation of the underground ore bin. Northern Star Resources Ltd. Oct. 21 reported that planned shutdowns of the mill, underground infrastructure rehabilitation work, and lower ore grades contributed to lower gold production at its Pogo mine in Alaska.

The 49,316 ounces of gold produced at Pogo during the third quarter is a roughly 41% drop from the 84,059 oz produced during the previous three-month period, and 24% lower than the 65,208 oz recovered during the third quarter of 2025.

During the three months ending Sept. 30, the Pogo mill recovered 49,316 ounces of gold. This is a roughly 41% drop from the 84,059 oz of gold produced during the previous quarter and 24% lower than the 65,208 oz recovered during the third quarter of 2025. Decreased mill throughput and lower ore grades both contributed to the drop in gold output.

During the third quarter, the Pogo mill processed 294,700 metric tons of ore averaging 5.9 grams per metric ton gold, compared to 381,693 metric tons averaging 7.8 g/t gold during the previous three-month period.

The nearly 23% drop in mill throughput reflects a major processing plant shutdown and the rehabilitation of the underground ore bin and ore haulage infrastructure. Mining and processing rates were lower while the ore bin was offline.

With the ore bin out of commission, mined ore had to be transported by truck to a surface crusher and then transported to the mill, instead of being fed to the mill via the ore bin and conveyor inside the iconic blue tube at the mine. Northern Star said the ore bin was extremely worn from roughly 20 years of continuous use. While the refurbishment was a major undertaking that took most of the quarter, the thorough repairs are expected to provide another 20 to 30 years of life to this critical piece of the Pogo mine infrastructure.

The ore bin and main ore haulage infrastructure are scheduled to return to service later this month, and mining rates are expected to normalize during the fourth quarter. "It will be easier for us going forward as we're back on to business as usual for winter," said Northern Star COO Simon Jessop.

Ore grades, however, are expected to remain lower than average during the final three months of 2026, but are expected to rebound due to access to higher-grade stopes after the first of the year. Over the first nine months of 2026, the Pogo mine produced 199,037 oz of gold, putting the Alaska operation on track to produce around 250,000 oz of gold this year.

##Author Bio: Shane Lasley, Publisher

Shane Lasley is publisher of North of 60 Mining News and a veteran journalist with nearly two decades of experience covering mineral exploration, mine development, and the mining industry across Alaska and Canada’s North.

His reporting follows the companies, projects, discoveries, policies and people shaping mineral development across Alaska, northern British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Over the course of his career, he has developed a particular focus on the geology, economics and strategic importance of the mineral resources found across the North.

As publisher and a longtime mining journalist, Lasley works to provide readers with accurate, in-depth reporting that goes beyond individual drill results and project milestones to explain the broader significance of mineral discoveries, development decisions and industry trends. His work also explores the growing importance of Alaska and northern Canada to North American supplies of critical minerals and the metals essential to energy, technology, infrastructure, and national security.

Source: https://www.miningnewsnorth.com/