Barrick Gold Corp. is moving to consolidate mineral plays in northwest British Columbia and Alaska with a $1.5 billion (1.7 billion Canadian dollars) bid for NovaGold Resources Inc. and a $57.1 million (65 million Canadian dollars) offer for Pioneer Metals Corp.

The all-cash acquisitions would add the Galore Creek copper-gold-silver development in the Stikine region of British Columbia to the project portfolio of the world's largest gold miner, and would also give Barrick sole ownership of the Donlin Creek gold project in southwest Alaska.

Barrick said Monday it is offering $14.50 US per share for NovaGold in a transaction that would increase Barrick's measured and indicated gold resources in North America by half.

NovaGold owns the Galore Creek development, 47 miles northwest of Barrick's Eskay Creek mine. Galore Creek has measured and indicated resources of six million ounces of gold, 75.4 million ounces of silver and 6.8 billion pounds of copper.

NovaGold also owns 70 percent of Donlin Creek, while Barrick acquired the right to earn up to a 70 percent interest as part of its takeover of Placer Dome Inc. in January. Donlin Creek has 14.8 million ounces of measured and indicated gold.

Barrick's friendly offer to pay 1 Canadian dollar (88 cents US) per share for Pioneer Metals negates a hostile bid by NovaGold for Pioneer, which is in litigation with NovaGold over the Grace project, adjacent to Galore Creek. NovaGold has been offering 57 cents (50 cents US) per share in a bid which expires Tuesday.

"The consolidation of the land position around the Galore Creek project will facilitate its development," stated Greg Wilkins, president and CEO.

"Having successfully acquired and integrated the Placer Dome mines into our portfolio, the acquisition of NovaGold's assets will consolidate our interest in the Donlin Creek project and add another quality project to our unrivaled pipeline."

NovaGold's other assets in Alaska include the Rock Creek, Big Hurrah and Nome gold projects, along with an option to acquire an interest in the Ambler project from Rio Tinto PLC.

NovaGold also has 200 million Canadian dollars ($175.8 million US) in cash.

Barrick said the acquisition would expand its measured and indicated gold resources in North America by 54 percent to 34.7 million ounces, and its inferred resources would grow 89 percent to 28.2 million ounces.

In the Pioneer deal, Barrick has a lockup agreement with shareholders owning 45.9 percent of the company's stock, and has the right to match any offer made by another bidder.

There would be a break fee worth four percent of Pioneer's market capitalization if a competing offer prevailed.

NovaGold stock gained $3.81, or 32.7 percent to $15.48 on the American Stock Exchange after Monday morning's news.