Venezuelan officials have confirmed the deaths of 12 mine workers and 112 survivors after a gold mine collapse 31 May in El Callao, Bolivar. Per reports in the Daily Mail and Reuters, the mine flooded due to heavy rains, but also that those rains kept rescuers from being able to enter the workings until 3 June. Victims’ bodies were returned…
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Fortuna reports fatality at underground mine in Peru
Fortuna Silver Mines said an accident that resulted in the death of a worker employed by an undisclosed mine contractor occurred on June 2 at its Caylloma mine in Arequipa, Peru. The Canadian-based miner said the incident happened during underground mining operations and no other personnel were injured. The appropriate government and local authorities were properly notified and an investigation…
Read MoreBHP embraces digital tech at Escondida
BHP and Microsoft have teamed up to improve the performance of the concentrator at the Escondida operation in Chile using advanced digital technology. The companies hope to boost copper recovery at the world’s largest copper mine. BHP Chief Technical Officer Laura Tyler said by augmenting digital technology capabilities with new ways of working, the team at Escondida is well-positioned to…
Read MoreOre deliveries begin at Eastern Borosi
Calibre Mining’s Eastern Borosi gold mine, which officially came online in early April, has now kicked off ore deliveries from the operation to its Libertad mill. Deliveries began this month, president and CEO Darren Hall said, noting that it helped to transition the complex from an exploration district to an exploration centre. “I am very pleased with the progress made,”…
Read MoreBomb attack at Colombian gold mine leaves two dead
A bombing by illegal miners on May 17 at Zijin Mining’s Buriticá gold mine in Colombia killed two people and injured 14. Underground operations at the mine, which is located in the Antioquia province, were suspended following the incident. “Zijin Mining is deeply shocked and outraged by the attack. We strongly condemn the heinous actions of the criminals and express…
Read MoreChilean government approves mining tax reform
Lawmakers in Chile’s lower house of Congress approved a mining tax reform bill, which will require large copper and lithium miners that operate in the mineral-rich country to pay more taxes and royalties to the government, reported Reuters. Under the reform, the top tax rate will reach up to nearly 47% for companies that produce over 80,000 tonnes of fine…
Read MorePeru gives American Lithium go-ahead on drilling
American Lithium has received the first of three permits from Peruvian authorities for discovery and exploration drilling near Quelcaya, a few kilometers west of the miner’s Falchani hard rock lithium deposit. The company said drilling would commence immediately on priority targets. “This is a very significant development for the company which validates recent supportive comments from the new government in…
Read MoreAlbemarle to expand Atacama operations with DLE tech
Albemarle said it aims to expand its lithium operations in Chile’s Atacama salt flat as early as 2028 with direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology under a current government contract, reported Reuters. “Depending on environmental and other permits needed in Chile, as well as scaling technologies, we believe [DLE] should be implemented, if everything goes well, towards 2028 or 2029,” Chilean…
Read MorePeru mine fire kills 27
A fire at a gold mine in southern Peru has taken 27 lives, and an investigation has commenced into the cause. According to the Associated Press, Peruvian authorities reported the workers were underground at the Yanaquihua operation early morning on 6 May when the incident occurred. The mining company told the news service that 175 workers had been safely evacuated,…
Read MoreFLSmidth milling way to Chile
FLSmidth has received a US$39.7 million (DKK 270 million) order for several grinding mills to be implemented at a northern Chile copper mine. While the customer was not identified, the company said the order will expand the mine’s grinding capacity alongside its already successful line-up of FLSmidth technology. The order, booked in Q2 2023, will be delivered during 2024. It…
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