Mines in Argentina.

Amparo Ezcurra and Manuela Romero Victorica

Mega mining

"Mega mining" refers to large-scale mining operations that involve the extraction of big quantities
of minerals or other natural resources. These operations normally require significant investments
in infrastructure, technology, and equipment, and often involve the use of open-pit or
underground mining techniques.

Mega mining can either have advantages or disadvantages.

Their benefits would be economic, including the creation of jobs and the generation of revenue
for governments and mining companies. And their disadvantages are the environmental and
social impacts, just as habitat destruction, water pollution and displacement of local communities.
As a result of this, some environmental groups and social activists have urged governments and
mining companies to consider alternative, more sustainable ways to resource extraction.

Barrick gold

Barrick Gold Corporation is a multinational mining company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It

is the largest gold mining company in the world, with operations in Africa, the Americas, and Asia
Pacific. The company's primary focus is on gold, but it also produces copper, silver, and other
metals.The company has a strong commitment to sustainability and responsible mining practices,
and has been recognized for its efforts in these areas by a number of organizations.
In recent years, Barrick Gold has faced challenges related to environmental and social issues at
some of its mines, and has worked to address these concerns through improved sustainability
practices and stakeholder engagement. The company has also faced fluctuations in the price of
gold and other metals, which can impact its profitability.
September 2021, the CEO of Barrick Gold was Mark Bristow.
Barrick Gold had estimated mineral reserves of approximately 68 million ounces of gold and 13
billion pounds of copper.

Veladero

a)The history of the Veladero mine in Argentina dated back to the early 1990 when exploratory
drilling began in the area. The site was identified as a potential gold and silver deposit, and
further exploration was carried out in the following years.

b) Is a mining site located in the province of San Juan, Argentina.

c) The veladero mine primarily produces gold and silver , with smaller amounts of other minerals
also present in the ore.
Gold is the main mineral produced there, with an average annual production of around 550,000
ounces in recent years.And around 3.5 million ounces of silver.
d) Is an open-pit mine,also known as surface mining.In its financial statements for 2020, Barrick
Gold reported that the Veladero Mine had total production costs of $800 per ounce of gold sold,
and $14.82 per ounce of silver sold. The mine generated revenues of $1.2 billion in 2020, with a
net income of $406 million.Hopwever, the profitability of the Veladero Mine can vary significantly
from year to year.
In 2015, the mine experienced a significant environmental incident when a leak of cyanide
solution occurred at the mine. These raised concerns about the potential for environmental
damage and the government of Argentina ordered suspension of operations at the mine.This led
to protests and public outcry from local communities and environmental groups.The mine is
located in an area with limited water resources and concerns have been raised about the impact
of the mines operations on the local water supply. And also the impact of the mine on their
traditional land and livelihoods caused trouble.
The company has implemented water recycling systems, established community development
programs, and adopted strict tailings management practices. Additionally, the company has
worked to engage with local communities and address their concerns about the mine's impact on
their traditional lands and resources.

Pascua Lama

a) Pascua Lama was a project in charge of the company Barrick Gold in 1994. It involves
Argentina and Chile and consists of exploiting an open-pit mine that extracts gold, silver
and copper. The company began early development activities for the project, including the
construction of access roads and drilling platforms. Then they received environmental
permits from the Argentine government in 2006 and from the Chilean government in 2009,
which allowed for the construction and operation of the mine. The construction started in
2009, expecting starting production in 2013. However, Chile suspended the project and
next year, in 2014, Argentina did too.
b) Its argentine part is located on the Cordillera de los Andes, 300 km far from the city of San
Juan, in Departamento de Iglesia, Provincia de San Juan and only 10 km north to the
Veladero.
c) In Pascua Lama, you can find minerals like gold, silver, copper and by processing them,
you can get golden metal and copper concentrate.
d) This mine uses open-pit mining,where tons of soil and rocks are removed to uncover the
mineral deposits. In this method, big machines are used to crush the ore to extract
valuable minerand, which are separated from the overburden
e) It is estimated that the Pascua Lama contained approximately 17.9 million ounces of gold
and 676 million ounces of silver. However, as this project faced environmental and social
challenges and their operations had to be suspended in 2013, the amount of minerals that
 could be extracted today is uncertain. It is really difficult to know the companies profit from
this mine because it was suspended approximately 10 years ago. But this type of projects
involve a lot of capital investments and long lead times before all the minerals are
extracted and sold. And as they had got lots of envirn¡onmental problems and social
impacts, I don't think they made such a profit.
f) The owner of this mine is Barrick Gold Corporation. This is one of the world's largest
mining companies. Its was originated in Toronto, Canada but they
have a variety of mines all around the world. They involve North and South America, Africa
and Australia. Nowadays, they owe a debt of approximately US$4.8 billion dollars. This
might have more than one reason:
● The mining industry requires a big amount of investments, developments and
operations, they probably used more capital than they gained.
● Commodity prices are not always high, Barrick Gold may have taken on debt to
maintain their operations and investments to their mining assets.
● Environmental controversies related to their mining operations like water pollution,
deforestation, air pollution and land disturbance.
g) The Pascua Lama mine was the main culprit of various conflicts over the years. There
were lots of environmental concerns. The mine was located in an area of high altitude and
sensitive ecosystems. Local communities complained about polluted water, habitat
destruction and soil erosion. Besides, the area around the mine is home to several
indigenous communities, who also raised concern about the impact of the mine on their
land. To solve these conflicts, they implemented community development programs,
environmental management systems and they also had legal challenges because of their
impact because of the mine. Those regulations generated the suspension of the project.

La Alumbrera

History and location

The Alumbrera mine has a history that dates back to the 1950s when exploration activities began
in the region. The mine was discovered in the late 1980s by a joint venture between Rio
Tinto,BHP, and North Limited. The Alumbrera mine is located in the province of Catamarca, in the
northwestern part of Argentina. The mine is situated in the Andes Mountains, approximately 270
km northwest of the provincial capital city of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca.
It produces copper and gold concentrates,with smaller amounts of molybdenum and silver also
recovered as by-products. The primary minerals extracted are:
MINERALS
Copper : that are then shipped to smelters for further processing
Gold: shipped to refineries
Molybdenum : small amount, concentrate as a by-product of copper production.
Silver : by-production of gold production.
TYPE OF MINING
The Alumbrera uses open-pit mining methods to extract copper and gold ore from
the ground. Steps:
Drilling and blasting: to loosen the ore from the surrounding rock.
Hauling: the ore is then hauled to a processing plant using trucks and loaders.
Crushing and Grinding: then is crushed and ground into a fine powder to facilitate
the extraction of copper and gold.
Flotation: treated with a series of chemicals and water in a flotation process to
separate the materials from the remaining rock.
Concentrate Production: the materials are then further processed to produce
copper and gold concentrated, these are shipped to smelters and refineries for
further processing.
PROFIT AND MINERALS
The alumbrera has been a significant contributor to Argentina's economy
The Alumbrera mine extracted approximately 1.5 million tons of copper, 4.6 million ounces of
gold, and 148 million ounces of silver. The total value of the minerals extracted was estimated to
be around $30 billion USD.
In terms of profits, the owners of the mine reported significant earnings during its operation.
According to a report by Mining Technology, Glencore reported an operated profit of $503 million
USD from the mine in 2012, while Goldcorp reported earnings of $376 million USD from the mine
in 2013.
The Alumbrera mine ceased operations in 2017, so it's no longer producing minerals or
generating profits. The closure of the mine was due to the depletion of its economically
recoverable reserves.
OWNER-COMPANIES
It was jointly owned by three mining companies during its operation : Glencore,Goldcorp, and
Yamana Gold.
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Environmental Impacts:
Water Use: The mine requires a significant amount of water for its operations, which can lead to
water scarcity and quality issues in the surrounding area. The mine has been accused of diverting
water from local rivers, which has had negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and local
agriculture.
Waste Generation: The mine generates significant amounts of waste rock and tailings, which can
contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals that can pollute the surrounding environment if not
properly managed.
Land Use: The mine has resulted in significant changes to the local landscape, including the
removal of vegetation and the creation of large open pits.

Social Impacts:
Land Rights: The mine has been accused of displacing local communities and violating their land
rights. Some community members have reported being forcibly relocated to make way for the
mine, and there have been complaints of inadequate compensation for land taken.
Health Impacts: There have been concerns about the health impacts of the mine on local
residents, including respiratory problems caused by dust from the mine and potential exposure to
toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
Economic Impacts: While the mine has brought jobs and economic benefits to the surrounding
area, there have also been concerns about the long-term sustainability of these benefits and the
potential for the mine to create economic dependency.

Environmental and Social Management Programs: The mine has implemented a range of
environmental and social management programs. These programs include water management
initiatives, land reclamation projects, and community development programs. For example, the
mine has implemented a water management program aimed at reducing its water use and
improving water quality in the surrounding area. The mine has also established a community
development program aimed at supporting local communities through initiatives such as
education and health programs, infrastructure development, and economic development.

CONSEQUENCES
There have been both positive and negative consequences of the Alumbrera mine's operations.
Some of these consequences include:

Positive Consequences:
Economic Benefits: The Alumbrera mine has provided significant economic benefits to the region,
including employment opportunities and tax revenue for the local and national government. This
has helped to support local economic development and improve living standards in the region.
Infrastructure Development: The mine's operations have also contributed to the development of
infrastructure in the region, including the construction of roads and other essential infrastructure.

Negative Consequences:
Environmental Impacts: The Alumbrera mine has had significant environmental impacts,
including the depletion of water resources, the potential for water pollution, and the impact on
local biodiversity. These impacts have led to concerns about the long-term sustainability of the
mine's operations and the potential for damage to the local environment.
Social Impacts: The mine's operations have also had social impacts, including the displacement
of indigenous communities and concerns about worker safety and labor rights. These impacts
have led to criticism of the mine's operations and calls for greater accountability and
transparency from the mining industry.

conclusion:
We found this topic really interesting. We believe that mines are not simple projects and a lot of
time and different factors are essential to carry them out. Something we agreed we didn't like is
the environmental impact they bring along with them. As we were carrying out research, we
realized that all the articles talked about different leaks that these mines produced and how bad
for the environment they are. Something we really enjoyed learning about was the process each
mine has to extract the minerals, and how difficult it actually is, it's not just digging and taking out
minerals from the ground.