https://www.miningweekly.com

Barrick’s Veladero ops suspended after heap-leach breach

15th September 2016

By: Henry Lazenby

Creamer Media Deputy Editor: North America

  

Font size: - +

VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Operations at one of Argentina’s largest mines have been suspended following a tailings breach.

Barrick reported Thursday that the government of San Juan province temporarily suspended operations at its Veladero mine pending further inspections of the mine's heap-leach area, after a chunk of ice rolling down the heap-leach valley slope last week damaged a pipe carrying process solution, causing a “small quantity” of solution to spill.

The company said that, starting Thursday, it would work with provincial authorities to confirm the integrity and safety of the heap leach facility as quickly as possible.

Barrick advised that no solution from the damaged pipe reached any water diversion channels or watercourses, adding that the impacted area in the leach valley has now been restored. The incident did not pose any threat to the health of employees, communities or the environment.

The company has intensified environmental monitoring of surface and sub-surface water and no anomalies have been detected.

At this time, Barrick does not expect any material impact to Veladero's 2016 operating guidance. The mine produced 602 000 oz of gold in 2015 and is expected to produce between 580 000 oz and 640 000 oz this year, at all-in sustaining costs of $790/oz to $860/oz.

The mine holds an estimated 7.54-million ounces in proven and probable gold reserves.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

Comments

Showroom

SABAT
SABAT

From batteries for boats and jet skis, to batteries for cars and quad bikes, SABAT Batteries has positioned itself as the lifestyle battery of...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (PTY) LTD
Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (PTY) LTD

For over 30 years, Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (PTY) LTD has been designing, manufacturing, supplying and maintaining specialist...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Resources Watch
Resources Watch
17th April 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.24 0.279s - 107pq - 2rq
1:
1: United States
Subscribe Now
2: United States
2: