(Kitco News) Trilogy Metals says recent U.S. policy developments and federal investment are helping restore momentum to development plans at its Arctic copper project in Alaska’s Ambler mining district, a high-grade polymetallic system the company believes could become an important domestic source of critical minerals.
Speaking with Kitco Mining at this year’s Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada convention, Chief Executive Officer Tony Giardini said the Arctic deposit stands out among development-stage projects because of its grade and metal mix. “Right now, on a copper equivalent basis, it’s 5.6% copper equivalent,” Giardini said.
The volcanic massive sulfide deposit contains copper, zinc, silver, gold, and lead and hosts about 50 million tonnes of mineralized material. Based on projected operations of about 10,000 tonnes per day, Giardini said the resource could support a mine life of roughly 13 to 14 years, while the broader Ambler district offers additional exploration potential.
Development of the district has long depended on the Ambler Access Road, a proposed 211-mile route intended to connect the remote region to Alaska’s transportation network. Permitting began in 2015 when the state of Alaska initiated the process under the Obama administration. A federal record of decision approving the road was issued in July 2020, but in April 2024, the Bureau of Land Management selected a “no action” alternative following additional environmental review tied to litigation over the permit.
Giardini said recent policy developments could materially change that outlook. The 2020 decision has effectively been reinstated through Alaska-specific legislation, while the Department of the Interior recently repealed Public Land Order 5150, which had restricted development on portions of federal land along the Dalton Highway.
“That is the only federal land involved in our road,” Giardini said, referring to roughly 25 miles of the proposed route. If those lands move to state jurisdiction, most of the project could fall outside the federal permitting framework, leaving a Clean Water Act Section 404 wetlands permit as the primary remaining federal approval.
The project has also attracted direct federal backing as policymakers seek to secure domestic supplies of copper and other critical minerals. In October 2025, the U.S. government announced a $35.6 million investment for a 10% stake in Trilogy, a transaction expected to close at the end of March. “We didn’t go knocking on the federal government door,” Giardini said. “They came to us, and they said they wanted to work with us to advance this project.”
Trilogy and South32 operate the Ambler mining district through Ambler Metals LLC, a 50-50 joint venture formed in December 2019 when South32 exercised its option to partner in the project. The joint venture is advancing the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects, which include the Arctic and Bornite deposits.
Giardini said Bornite hosts about 208 million tonnes grading roughly 1.5%, including a higher-grade zone of about 50 million tonnes approaching 3%. “We’ve got these two great deposits, Arctic and Bornite, which really set us apart from other development projects in the state of Alaska,” he said.
The company plans to begin the mine permitting process in the coming months while preparing a helicopter-supported field program scheduled from May through September 2026. The exploration season is expected to include about 5,000 to 8,000 meters of drilling across the district.
Trilogy also plans to advance a definitive feasibility study at the asset level and update resource estimates as additional drilling data are incorporated. Giardini said the company is targeting a potential investment decision around early 2028.
Beyond the known deposits, the Ambler mining district may host additional strategic metals, ith historical data indicating the presence of cobalt and germanium, and potentially rare earth elements, highlighting the district’s broader critical minerals potential, according to Giardini. “Many of those districts have had well over three million meters drilled, and we’ve a paltry 210,000 meters,” he said.
Trilogy announced on Feb. 23, 2026 that it expanded the management team at Ambler Metals as the joint venture prepares for upcoming exploration and development work across the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects.
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