Alaska, for example, was ranked as the top jurisdiction on Earth when it comes to mineral potential in the 2024 Fraser Survey, but dropped to 10th in the latest edition. Likewise, B.C. dropped from 4th to 12th, Yukon dropped from 8th to 11th, while Nunavut rose from 32nd to 17th, and NWT rose from 27th to 19th.
North’s golden geology tarnished by policy – North of 60 Mining News
Shane Lasley, March 13, 2026
Policy perceptions weigh on mining investment across Alaska and Canada’s North.
While Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories all rank in the top 20 when it comes to mineral potential, less favorable mining policy perceptions continue to weigh on the investment attractiveness of these northern mining jurisdictions in the Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies.
The Fraser Institute pointed to Canada’s northern and western jurisdictions to underscore an underlying principle of its annual mining surveys – mineral deposits alone are not enough to attract capital.
“Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, despite ranking 17th and 19th in terms of mineral potential, fall to 43rd and 54th, respectively, when ranked on policy factors, making them – along with Yukon – the worst-performing Canadian jurisdictions on policy factors,” the Fraser Institute stated in announcing the release of the survey.
The Canadian policy think tank also pointed to British Columbia as an example of how policy concerns can erode investment attractiveness.
“In addition, British Columbia continues to perform poorly on the policy front, largely due to investor concerns over disputed land claims and protected areas,” the institute noted.
In contrast, Nevada stands out as a model jurisdiction.
“On policies alone, Nevada ranks first, while China ranked last,” the institute wrote.
With strong mining policies and a fifth-place ranking for mineral potential, Nevada captured the top position on the survey’s Investment Attractiveness Index, the primary metric of the survey.
“A sound, predictable regulatory regime coupled with competitive fiscal policies make a jurisdiction attractive to investors,” said Elmira Aliakbari, director of the Fraser Institute’s Centre for Natural Resource Studies and co-author of the report.
Forte also plans to undertake new technical studies on the Umiat oil field located within the broader project area. The field was originally discovered in the 1940s and has been subject to multiple commercialization studies by previous operators.
Forte Energy Completes Acquisition of Large Oil Lease Position in Alaska
Trading View, March 12, 2026
Forte Energy FFEL has completed the acquisition of a substantial oil lease position on Alaska’s North Slope, securing 143,368 acres across 13 leases within the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A).
The acquisition was finalized through the purchase of Peritas LLC, the registered holder of the leases, following completion of the lease assignment process.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has confirmed that the leases will remain in suspension for the remainder of 2026 at Peritas’ request.
During this suspension period, the annual lease fees of US$3 per acre will be waived, allowing Forte Energy to avoid approximately US$430,000 in fees for the year.
The company said the savings provide additional discretionary funding that can be directed toward farmout discussions and the potential acquisition of further assets.
Harrier Prospect Technical Work
Forte Energy has begun desktop technical studies on the Harrier oil prospect located within the newly acquired leases.
The prospect has previously been assessed as having potential for more than one billion barrels of prospective recoverable resources across multiple horizons based on independent analysis conducted for previous operator 88 Energy.
The company said the work will focus on updating the prospective resource estimate, advancing the prospect toward drill-ready status and supporting a planned farmout campaign later in 2026.
The Harrier structure has been compared to the nearby Pika Field, located approximately 70 kilometres to the north-east and currently under development, which is expected to ramp up to production of around 80,000 barrels of oil per day once fully operational.
Burgum said that he and others would seek potential Alaska LNG investment deals and gas buyers during his trip to the energy conference, the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum on March 14-15
In brief Anchorage stop, Interior secretary discusses efforts to support Alaska LNG – Anchorage Daily News
Alex DeMarban, March 12, 2026
On a pit stop through Anchorage on his way to an energy conference in Tokyo, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said he and others would be working to sign deals with Asian entities to advance the Alaska LNG megaproject.
In a brief meeting with reporters at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Thursday, Burgum also said the U.S. is considering taking a stake in the controversial 211-mile Ambler Road to a mineral-rich area in Northwest Alaska.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, standing alongside the secretary, said he’d soon be following up on plans to introduce a bill to support the Alaska LNG project. He said the bill will involve Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or a PILT. Such a plan had been proposed for an earlier version of the project, in which the project would have made payments as a substitute for property taxes that are important to municipalities and the state