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.