‘Gold Rush’ Parker Schnabel Strikes New Claim Deal In Alaska

Parker Schnabel on Gold Rush / YouTube

Gold Rush star Parker Schnabel has struck a new claim for another piece of land in Alaska. This is a new deal that allows Parker to build his gold mining business up even more, proving to be one of the most successful miners from the Discovery reality series.

Here is a look at what Parker has closed on and what this means for his future.

Gold Rush Parker Schnabel gets a new claim

Metallic Minerals has signed a new production royalty agreement on 5 ½ miles of alluvial gold claims at its Australia Creek property in the Klondike Gold District of Canada’s Yukon Territory with Parker Schnabel’s Little Flake mining.

Parker Schnabel on Gold Rush / YouTube

This agreement means that Parker will have exclusive rights to extract gold from the Australia Creek property. In exchange, Metallic Minerals receive a percentage of the production as a royalty. Metallic Minerals is a company that has expertise in mineral exploration while Parker has expertise in gold mining. This should help both companies maximize profitability.

This also is a good deal for Metallic Minerals, as Parker Schnabel recently won the Robert E. Leckie Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship by the Yukon Government for his reclamation work in the Klondike.

Under the terms of the Australia Creek property agreement, Little Flake and Parker have to complete a $1 million minimum annual work commitment. They also have to pay Metallic Minerals an annual advance royalty plus a variable royalty on all gold production. While this is something Parker never liked before, since this is virgin ground, he likely made the exception.

Parker Schnabel on Gold Rush / YouTube

There is no word on whether this new land will play into Gold Rush. There have been rumors that his most recent new claim would get its own spin-off series, but with a new one, there could be enough for Parker to get more on his own spin-off series on Discovery.

Fans worry Parker Schnabel is working his way out of Gold Rush

However, there is also the thought that Parker Schnabel could be working his way out of Gold Rush for one ironic reason. The best episodes of the show are when the miners struggle and have to find a way to make something work when everything is going wrong. When it comes to Parker Schnabel and Tony Beets, the two are both extremely successful.

It is often boring to watch Parker’s claims since he has everything down to a science. He is no longer playing it by the hips and he knows what works and what doesn’t. When something goes wrong, he is often there with the answer without having to figure things out. With the new claim, Parker is becoming the preeminent gold miner in Canada right now, and his success does not make for compelling reality television.

Are you surprised that Parker Schnabel has been so successful since he got his start on Gold Rush? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Shawn Lealos
Follow me

6 Comments

  1. Discovery would be stupid to not keep Parker on, as they would lose a lot of viewership, because people watch the show just to see how good Parker will do next. Even the best made plans and operations run into trouble, and that slows down production, and if Parker makes a bet with Tony Beets who will do best this year, that would make it even more interesting to watch. Me, I’d just like the opportunity to work on Parker’s Alaska claim.

  2. I’ve always rooted for Parker, especially against Tony. But, yes, I am surprised he has done so well. It’s too bad water rights are nearly impossible now in Canada. I’m sure there are tons of gold still to be mined there. With that said, I am glad to see Parker back in his home state of Alaska.

    BTW, it was curious that Rick never showed up last season but he was in almost all of the show’s lead-in photos. What was up with that? Was he still under contract with Discovery and they had to show him?

  3. Parker bit off a lot buying the Dominion mine,but I think him and his crew will be able to make a fortune if the drill logs are accurate.
    GOOD LUCK TO YOU, PARKER.

  4. BORING? He could eat a turkey sandwhich for the entire our for all WE care..WE ONLY WATCH IT TO SEE THE GOLD WEIGHS!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *