Alaska Energy Metals Partners with Universities to Study Carbon Sequestration at Nikolai Project
On September 18, Alaska Energy Metals announced a partnership with the Colorado School of Mines and Virginia Polytechnic Institute to investigate how much carbon dioxide a mine at its Nikolai project in Alaska could capture and store, while also supplying nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum group metals (PGMs) for the energy transition.
The study focuses on ultramafic rocks, found in the more than 8-billion-pound Eureka nickel deposit at Nikolai, which are rich in magnesium minerals known to react with atmospheric CO2. This reaction forms stable carbonate rocks, effectively locking away the greenhouse gas for geological timeframes. However, this natural sequestration process is typically limited by the depth at which these rocks are buried. Mining activities, which expose and process these rocks, could accelerate the carbon capture process.
The Colorado School of Mines, with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, is applying advanced scanning technology and machine learning algorithms to assess the CO2 absorption potential of ultramafic deposits. This technology is now being used in the study of Alaska Energy Metals' Nikolai project.
Professor Thomas Monecke of the Colorado School of Mines expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating, “This partnership could provide a secure domestic source of energy-related metals while sequestering carbon to mitigate global warming."
The Eureka deposit, which contains approximately 1.7 billion metric tons of ultramafic rock, holds an indicated resource of 813 million metric tons, with nickel, copper, cobalt, and PGMs, and an inferred resource of 896 million metric tons.
Alaska Energy Metals' President and CEO, Greg Beischer, emphasized the importance of U.S. domestic mining for energy expansion and national security, noting the early assessment of ultramafic mine tailings carbonation technology as a key part of the project.
The initial phase of the research will focus on identifying magnesium-rich minerals, such as brucite, which has been shown to be particularly effective in absorbing CO2. Other minerals, including olivine, pyroxene, and anorthite, will also be studied.
