UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
CIK # 1164771
As at April 21, 2008
NORTHERN
DYNASTY MINERALS LTD.
800 West
Pender Street, Suite 1020
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6C 2V6
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F...X.... Form 40-F.........
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper
as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ____
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of
a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security
holders.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper
as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ____
Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in
this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.
Yes ..... No .....
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized.
By: /s/ Jeffrey R. Mason
Director and Chief Financial Officer
Date: April 21, 2008
Print the name and title of the signing officer under his signature.
800 West Pender Street, Suite 1020
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6C 2V6
PEBBLE PROJECT UPDATE
Pebble Partnership appoints CEO and sets $140 million budget for 2008
April 21, 2008, Vancouver, BC - Northern Dynasty
Minerals Ltd. ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") (TSX:
NDM; AMEX: NAK) reports on progress made toward 2008 technical and corporate
objectives to advance the Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum project, located in
southwestern Alaska, USA.
In mid 2007, Northern Dynasty and Anglo American plc ("Anglo American")
established an Alaska-based partnership (Pebble Limited Partnership) to engineer,
permit, construct and operate a modern, long-life mine at the Pebble Project.
Northern Dynasty holds a 50% interest in the Pebble Limited Partnership through
a wholly owned subsidiary, and the other 50% is held by a wholly-owned U.S.
subsidiary of Anglo American. To maintain its 50% interest in the Pebble Partnership,
Anglo American must make staged cash investments, totalling $1.425 billion,
to advance the Pebble Project.
In early April 2008, the Pebble Partnership announced the appointment of John
Shively as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Shively is a former Commissioner
of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, a former Chief of Staff to
Alaska Governor Bill Sheffield and sitting President of the Resource Development
Council for Alaska, Inc. He played a key role with NANA Regional Corporation
in its efforts to acquire and develop Alaska's Red Dog zinc mine in partnership
with Teck Cominco, and was awarded the prestigious Denali Award by the Alaska
Federation of Natives in 1992 for his contributions to the Native community.
His initial objectives as CEO will be to recruit the Pebble Partnership's
senior management team and oversee the 2008 program and budget.
The Pebble Partnership Board has approved a $140.1 million
budget to advance the Pebble Project in 2008. Planned activities include:
• a $61.6 million drilling
program to upgrade a portion of the mineral resources in the Pebble East deposit
to an indicated category to support the completion of a pre-feasibility study
and also to test for the full extent of the deposit;
• a $30.2 million engineering
program to support the completion of a pre-feasibility study, including detailed
metallurgical testwork and infrastructure studies;
• a $24.9 million environmental
study program to complete the Environmental Baseline Document for the Pebble
Project, to support the completion of a pre-feasibility study and undertake
ongoing monitoring; and
• a $14.8 million community
engagement and public affairs program to advance stakeholder relationships,
public education and project support.
The 2008 site program began in February. Some 157,000 feet of resource drilling
is planned, focused on the Pebble East deposit. Six rigs are currently deployed,
with over 22,500 feet drilled to date this year.
About $220 million has been invested in the development of the Pebble Project
since 2002, including $87 million on environmental and socio-economic studies.
The environmental baseline document is expected to be finalized in the first
quarter of 2009, and will be used to evaluate various mine design alternatives
prior to the submission of a proposed development plan for permitting.
Once begun, permitting for the Pebble Project will proceed under a rigorous
and transparent process set out under the National Environmental Policy Act,
including the completion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Please visit our website at www.northerndynastyminerals.com or contact Investor
Services at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114. There
is also a link for additional information on the Pebble Partnership.
ON BEHALF OF THE NORTHERN DYNASTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ronald W. Thiessen
President and CEO
Sole Responsibility
Neither the TSX nor any other regulatory authority accepts responsibility
for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Northern Dynasty is solely and entirely responsible for the contents of this
news release. No other party, including any parties which have an interest
in the project, are in any way responsible for the contents hereof.
Comments on Forward Looking Information, Estimates and other Cautionary
Factors
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking
statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of
historical facts, especially those that address estimated resource quantities,
grades and contained metals, are forward-looking statements because they are
generally made on the basis of estimation and extrapolation from a limited
number of drill holes and metallurgical studies. Although diamond drill hole
core provides valuable information about the size, shape and geology of an
exploration project, there will always remain a significant degree of uncertainty
in connection with these valuation factors until a deposit has been extensively
drilled on closely spaced centres, which has occurred only in specific areas
on the Pebble Project. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed
in its forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such
statements should not be in any way construed as guarantees of the ultimate
size, quality or commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project or of the Company's
future performance. The likelihood of future mining at the Pebble Project is
subject to a large number of risks and will require achievement of a number
of technical, economic and legal objectives, including obtaining
necessary mining and construction permits, completion of pre-feasibility
and final feasibility studies, preparation of all necessary engineering for
underground workings and processing facilities as well as receipt of significant
additional financing to fund these objectives as well as funding mine construction.
Such funding may not be available to the Company on acceptable terms or on
any terms at all. There is no known ore at the Pebble Project and there
is no assurance that the mineralization at the Pebble Project will ever be
classified as ore. The need for compliance with extensive environmental and
socio-economic rules and practices and the requirement for the Company to
obtain government permitting can cause a delay or even abandonment of a mineral
project. The Company is also subject to the specific risks inherent in the
mining business as well as general economic and business conditions. For more
information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's annual
Form 40-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.