FreeFun1, check this out!

[Said1]

This is about the Barrack Group, based here in Ontario.

Canadian firm's mining plan draws protests in Chile
Last Updated Fri, 15 Apr 2005 13:34:42 EDT
CBC News
SANTIAGO, CHILE - Environmentalists are lobbying against a Canadian mining company's plan to move three glaciers to gain access to a huge reserve of gold in Chile.

Barrick Gold estimates there are 17.5 million ounces of gold at its Pascua Lama site, tucked in the valleys of the Andes Mountains in northern Chile.

The gold is buried under glaciers whose ice is a source of water for fertile valleys nearby.

For five years, Barrick has been working on a plan to use big dump trucks and hydraulic shovels to haul away the ice and tack it onto a bigger glacier two kilometres away.


FROM JULY 27, 2004: Barrick to build major S. American mine

The plan has led to demonstrations outside the company's Santiago office, complete with a pile of melting ice as a prop to draw attention to how the plan might affect the area's desert ecosystem.

"Water yes, gold no!" about 30 environmentalists chanted during a protest this week.

"A glacier isn't a chunk of ice you can just pick up and move," said Lucio Cuenca. "It's part of a water basin, and if you move it, you'll disrupt that ecosystem."

Barrick says its plan won't change the flow of area rivers or otherwise harm the environment.

The company will submit a glacier management plan to the Chilean government later this month, and hopes to have all the approvals it needs by the end of the year.

Production on the $1.5 billion US Pascua Lama project could begin in 2008.

Link

 

[Said1]

Here's another really detailed report, covering most aspects of the project, including environmental concerns,and methods for removing glacier.

Pascua-Lama

 

[freeandfun1]

Gold mining is one of the most destructive mining practices there is. It amazes me that the "environmentally concerned" Canadians are some of the worst offenders considering how they are always preaching to America.....

 

[Said1]

Gold mining is one of the most destructive mining practices there is. It amazes me that the "environmentally concerned" Canadians are some of the worst offenders considering how they are always preaching to America.....

That's why I wanted to stick with the Canadian mining industry. Technically, they are abiding by national standards, in "other" countries, but it doesn't justify their actions. Removing sections of a glacier with a bulldozer???

 

[freeandfun1]

That's why I wanted to stick with the Canadian mining industry. Technically, they are abiding by national standards, in "other" countries, but it doesn't justify their actions. Removing sections of a glacier with a bulldozer???

If an American company wanted to do that..... we would NEVER hear the end of it!

 

[Said1]

If an American company wanted to do that..... we would NEVER hear the end of it!

Very true.

The estimate operation time of the mine is only 20 yrs. I'm for sustainable development, but this isn't it, Canadians should be outraged. How one goes about repairing the damage is beyond me, and Barrick acknowledes the technology doesn't exsist. The only thing slowing this project down at first was finances, now there are some environmenat assesments that have yet to be completed. This will determine the outcome of the project. How much to want to bet they'll get the go ahead?

 

[freeandfun1]

Very true.

The estimate operation time of the mine is only 20 yrs. I'm for sustainable development, but this isn't it, Canadians should be outraged. How one goes about repairing the damage is beyond me, and Barrick acknowledes the technology doesn't exsist. The only thing slowing this project down at first was finances, now there are some environmenat assesments that have yet to be completed. This will determine the outcome of the project. How much to want to bet they'll get the go ahead?

I mean, so many are complaining about the glaciers being destroyed by "global warming" yet here is an example of a company PURPOSELY destroying a glacier.... can you imagine the environmental impact this would have? I am amazed that this is not a bigger story!

 

[Said1]

I mean, so many are complaining about the glaciers being destroyed by "global warming" yet here is an example of a company PURPOSELY destroying a glacier.... can you imagine the environmental impact this would have? I am amazed that this is not a bigger story!

I've found almost zero protest coming from Canada, or any other environmental groups with respect to the project, which seems rather odd when you think about it. I saw a break down of investors, may be worth looking at again.

 

[freeandfun1]

I've found almost zero protest coming from Canada, or any other environmental groups with respect to the project, which seems rather odd when you think about it. I saw a break down of investors, may be worth looking at again.

Yes it might be.... and if they are interesting enough, it might be just the kind of 1000 word question you want to get turned into a news story.....

c'ood be bewry bewry intewesting.....

 

[Said1]

Yes it might be.... and if they are interesting enough, it might be just the kind of 1000 word question you want to get turned into a news story.....

c'ood be bewry bewry intewesting.....

Well, my tree hugging zen prof claims to have close ties with several environmental organizations, now would be a good time to prove he's not all meditation and no action.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

If an American company wanted to do that..... we would NEVER hear the end of it!

Exactly. "Global warming not happening fast enough for greedy Neocon corporations." "Film at 11"

 

[Said1]

Barrick's has employed former prime minister Brian Mulroney, George Bush Sr, and Vernon Jordan, Bill Clinton's lawyer and buddy. Barrick's founder is Adnan Khashogi, (hey, the guy who owns the corner store near here has the same name...coincidence?) a Saudi billionaire arms trafficker, sold illegal weapons to Iran during the Reagan era. Bery, in-teh-wes-ting......mmmwwwaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

 

[freeandfun1]

Barrick's has employed former prime minister Brian Mulroney, George Bush Sr, and Vernon Jordan, Bill Clinton's lawyer and buddy. Barrick's founder is Adnan Khashogi, (hey, the guy who owns the corner store near here has the same name...coincidence?) a Saudi billionaire arms trafficker, sold illegal weapons to Iran during the Reagan era. Bery, in-teh-wes-ting......mmmwwwaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

WOW! This is huge. It will never make the mainstream media. Too many involved from all sides of the isles in both the US and Canada.....

 

[Said1]

WOW! This is huge. It will never make the mainstream media. Too many involved from all sides of the isles in both the US and Canada.....

In searching for stuff about Pascua Lama, I came across reports of a big explosion in one of their mines located in Tanzania. Barrick's threatened newspapers with libel after quoting Amnesty International's claims of 50 being burried alive(it probably read 50 "may" be .....). They also demanded others remove the story from their web sites. I don't know off hand if they proceeded with law suites, but pretty harsh behavior nonetheless. There's also something about purchasing rights to a gold mine in Nevada, but you can look that up.

 

[freeandfun1]

In searching for stuff about Pascua Lama, I came across reports of a big explosion in one of their mines located in Tanzania. Barrick's threatened newspapers with libel after quoting Amnesty International's claims of 50 being burried alive(it probably read 50 "may" be .....). They also demanded others remove the story from their web sites. I don't know off hand if they proceeded with law suites, but pretty harsh behavior nonetheless. There's also something about purchasing rights to a gold mine in Nevada, but you can look that up.

They "purchased" a gold mine in Nevada for $9,000! Damn!

Now we know why Clinton and Bush Sr. are getting along so well.... Vernon Jordan must be Clinton's "front-man" in Barrick.

This is very interesting. Great subject for your test, but could EASILY go over 1,000 words!

 

[Said1]

They "purchased" a gold mine in Nevada for $9,000! Damn!

Now we know why Clinton and Bush Sr. are getting along so well.... Vernon Jordan must be Clinton's "front-man" in Barrick.

This is very interesting. Great subject for your test, but could EASILY go over 1,000 words!

$9000! What were the estimate deposits worth?

I'm sticking with the pascaua lama project, but I can't find a full copies of the environmental assessment or the pascau lama teaty either, not a huge deal, for my own curiosity more than anything. It would make a good story if someone was brave enough to report it main stream.

 

[freeandfun1]

$9000! What were the estimate deposits worth?

I'm sticking with the pascaua lama project, but I can't find a full copies of the environmental assessment or the pascau lama teaty either, not a huge deal, for my own curiosity more than anything. It would make a good story if someone was brave enough to report it main stream.

They used an old law to pay $5 per acre for "prospecting".

 

[Said1]

They used an old law to pay $5 per acre for "prospecting".

Wow, sweet. How much are they expecting to extract out of the mine,in dollars that is.

 

[freeandfun1]

Wow, sweet. How much are they expecting to extract out of the mine,in dollars that is.

A LOT!

From BARRICK's website:

Goldstrike Open Pit
The Goldstrike Open Pit mine is a truck-and-shovel operation using advanced mining equipment. Since the mine began production it has produced about 20 million ounces.

In 2004, the open pit produced 1,381,315 ounces of gold at an average total cash cost of $247 per ounce, and is expected to produce between 1,425,000 and 1,435,000 ounces in 2005 at an average total cash cost of between $250 and $260 per ounce. Based on existing reserves of 16 million ounces and current production capacity, it has an expected minimum remaining mine life of approximately 16 years.

They bought the mine in 1992....

at $250 per ounce and 20 million ounces, that is $5,000,000,000 worth of gold!

Let's assume they spend 5% on development of the mine (equipment, etc.) that is still a gross profit of $4,750,000,000 or a 527,777.77 x what they paid for the land (actually, they didn't "buy" the land, they paid $9,000 total for the mining rights. The land belongs to the US Government - Bureau of Land Management.

 

[freeandfun1]

OOPS! The first post was on their open pit mine. They also have an underground mine on the same site!

Goldstrike Underground

The Meikle and Rodeo orebodies currently make up Goldstrike Underground. This mine is located one mile (1.6 kilometers) north of the Goldstrike Open Pit mine on Barrick’s Goldstrike property, and is a high-grade orebody that was discovered in 1989 and entered production in September 1996. It is a trackless operation, using two different underground mining methods: long-hole open stoping and drift-and-fill.

Goldstrike Underground produced 561,345 ounces of gold in 2004, and is expected to produce between 540,000 and 555,000 ounces in 2005 at an average total cash cost of between $265 and $275 per ounce. Based on existing reserves of almost 3 million ounces and current production capacity, it has an expected minimum remaining mine life of approximately 5 years.