The company has already started a feasibility study on accessing the 2.1 million ounces of measured and indicated resources, and 300,000oz inferred, at the 287-hectare area known as Gilmore immediately west of Fort Knox. Further drilling and engineering are planned to upgrade the resources.

Kinross started drilling on Gilmore land back in 2014, having determined that the Fort Knox orebody continued to the west.

About 73,000m of core and reverse-circulation drilling enabled the company to add to Fort Knox reserves and put resource numbers on the Gilmore ground.

"Gilmore is a promising organic development opportunity that can potentially extend mine life at our Fort Knox mine in Alaska, one of our top producing and high performing operations," Kinross Gold president and CEO, Paul Rollinson said.

"With the Gilmore project, we continue to deliver on our strategy of pursuing low-risk, high-potential brownfield projects that can contribute to the long-term future growth of our company."