Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals has suspended commercial production at its flagship Cobre Panama copper mine in Panama after the country’s Supreme Court ruled its contract as unconstitutional, reported Reuters. President Laurentino Cortizo said in a televised address that “the orderly and safe closure of the mine” would begin as soon as the ruling was formerly published in the official…
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BacTech gets government greenlight for bioleach facility
BacTech Environmental has been granted a final environmental license permit approval by the Ministry of the Government for Ecuador, giving it approval to move forward with its plans to develop a bioleach processing facility in Tenguel. The Toronto company, which has been working to commercialize its proprietary technology to remediate highly toxic tailing areas resulting from abandoned mining operations, confirmed…
Read MoreProtests impact First Quantum Cobre Panama
Ore processing operations at the Cobre Panama copper complex have been reduced as a result of an illegal blockade of the mine’s port. Officials said small boats at the Punta Rincón port are being held up, causing it to ramp down one ore processing train, leaving just two operational, and also impacting supply deliveries for the site’s power generation plant,…
Read MoreRio Tinto to explore Chile through Codelco JV
Rio Tinto has entered a joint venture with Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) to explore and potentially develop the company’s assets in Chile’s prospective Atacama region. The companies will start their joint exploration project at Agua de la Falda. Rio Tinto recently completed the acquisition of PanAmerican Silver’s 57.74% stake in the asset for $45 million and the…
Read MorePanama halts new mining projects
Panama President Laurentino Cortizo declared a total ban on all new mining projects, effective October 27, reported Reuters. Cortizo said the new restriction will apply to both future mining projects as well as those currently seeking permits. The abrupt halt comes as the government defends a controversial extension of First Quantum’s Cobre Panama contract. The deal guarantees the country an…
Read MorePronto partners with SA company for autonomous mining
California-based autonomous haulage system (AHS) developer Pronto has teamed with South American mining and forestry equipment sales group Raico SA to scale autonomy for both sectors in Chile. Under the agreement, Raico will exclusively provide sales, distribution, installation and aftermarket support services for the Pronto AHS and Pollen Mobile private LTE/5G network technologies in Chile. The partnership will initially be…
Read MoreBuenaventura will focus on San Gabriel in 2024
Polymetallic producer Buenaventura, owner of the San Gabriel underground gold mine in Peru, said in its earnings report this week the mine will be a heavy focus for it in the coming year in terms of capital spending. In the company’s third-quarter and nine-month 2023 report, Buenaventura said its 9M23 consolidated copper production increased 35% year-on-year; zinc production decreased by…
Read MorePanama to hold referendum on First Quantum mine
After days of protests, Panama President Laurentino Cortizo said the country would hold a referendum to decide whether to scrap a contract with First Quantum’s local subsidiary Minera Panama, reported Reuters. The vote will take place December 17 and its result will be binding. The news agency said Panama’s government and Minera Panama agreed on a contract which would guarantee…
Read MoreChilean regulators charge Teck for Chile permit breaches
Teck Chile is staring down an $8 million fine for two series permit breach charges from The Superintendence of the Environment (SMA) in Chile, the agency confirmed last week. SMA in the Coquimbo region said the producer, specifically Teck Carmen de Andacollo, which is owner of the Andacollo Cobre project, has not complied with the commitments established in its Environmental…
Read MoreEro’s Tucumã on track for 2H24 start
Canadian-based Ero Copper has released the newest update of progress at its Tucumã project in Brazil, confirming that it is over 70% complete and on track for first copper production later next year. Reporting “excellent progress” at the site in Para state, officials said the planned mine’s capex is in line with its current guidance of approximately $305 million. Crews…
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