Comparison of NG and IVN: Platreef Half the Cost per Oz According to the most recent NG presentation their AISC (all in sustaining cost) per oz is $532 for the first five years, and $735 for LOM (life of mine average). Compare that with Platreef at $351 oz for LOM. It will cost NG more than twice as much to produce each oz. This despite Donlin being a high grade, 2 g/t + open pit. Throughput at an open pit should be an order of magnitude higher than an underground mine.
Where is all their money going? While it's true that Alaska is relatively politically stable, perhaps there is a steep price to pay for all that stability. It's not free. Is it worth double the cost per ounce? And the resource at 40 million ounces is about half that of Platreef. Donlin does look really great. It's just that Platreef is three to four times better. And as Tops has pointed out, that doesn't include the main showpiece, Kamoa-Kakula or Kipushi. What does that tell us? IVN has a lot of upside going forward.