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LAtIn AMeRIcA

Latin miners prepare

for post-COVID restart

ay has traditionally seen Australia’s were ongoing with government in Peru Argentine President Alberto Fernandez,
MLatin American-focused miners and and Mexico. who imposed a country-wide lockdown in
explorers gather for the annual Latin Musselwhite in northern Ontario, mid-March, has moved to put mining on a
America Down Under conference. In 2020, Eléonore in Quebec as well as Cerro Ne- list of essential sectors, although the virus
however, the forum has succumbed to the gro in Argentina have been impacted by has snarled transport and miners’ logis-
ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Con- COVID-19 shutdowns in their respective tics.
ference organiser Paydirt has postponed jurisdictions, while Newmont has also Canada’s Quebec province announced
the 2020 event, with new dates to be an- scaled back operations at Penasquito in it would redesignate mining an essential
nounced in coming weeks. Mexico. service, while in northern Ontario mining
To fill the gap in the schedule, Paydirt However, as the coronavirus shows is already seen as essential.
is committed to covering the very best sto- signs of peaking, and authorities in Bue- At the time of print, a national state of
ries from the region, including a special nos Aires and Quebec City lift restrictions emergency remained in place in Peru and
eight-page Latin America feature in this around mining, which they have deemed Yanacocha, which comprises an estimat-
edition. as an “essential service”, Newmont is look- ed 3% of Newmont’s 2020 gold produc-
While Australian juniors have found their ing to a phased restart, Palmer said. tion, was limited to gold production from
progress hampered by lockdowns and un- “I would expect we would be able to leach pads as managing critical safety and
responsive markets, there is hope on the bring operations that have been on care- environmental activities took priority.
horizon, with the region’s majors preparing and-maintenance back into some level of Meanwhile, operations at the Antamina
themselves for a restart. production,” Palmer told Reuters by phone copper-zinc mine run by the consortium
As Newmont Corp prepares for po- from Perth in mid-April. of BHP Ltd (33.75%), Glencore (33.75%),
tential restarts to operations in Canada, “In those countries where restrictions Teck Resources and Mitsubishi Corp
chief executive Tom Palmer told Reuters have been lifted... it is days or weeks,” he (10%) remained temporarily suspended.
discussions relating to the importance of said, without specifying how long other Under an exemption from the Peruvian
mining to the economy and communities mines may take to restart. Government, most of the 2,400-strong

Paydirt has postponed the 2020
LADU event, with new dates to
be announced in coming weeks

Page 36 MaY 2020 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT