El Alto mining project

El Alto is a gold mining project in the Andes of Alto del Carmen, Atacama Region, Chile.[1] The project is being carried out by Barrick Gold. It has been described as a replacement for Pascua Lama, a mine which the Chilean courts ordered to be closed in 2018.[2][3] On March 12, 2025 the project was submitted to the Environmental Assessment Service (Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental).[2] Diario UChile has called the project "Pascua Lama 2.0", and noted that it has caused concern in the indigenous Diaguita community of Huasco Valley.[4]

In March 2025 it was estimated that if the project was approved by the Environmental Assessment Service ground work could start in July 2026.[1] In January 2026 the project was approved to carry out 62 drillings for mineral exploration from 43 different sites.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Barrick seeks more gold in Chile and Argentina amid record prices". BNamericas. 2025-03-14. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
  2. ^ a b Durante, Nicolás (2025-04-12). "El Alto, el proyecto minero que Barrick quiere desarrollar en reemplazo de Pascua Lama". Diario Financiero (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  3. ^ "Chile environmental court orders Barrick to close Pascua-Lama gold mine". Reuters. 2018-10-12.
  4. ^ Araneda, Fernanda (2025-03-22). "Pascua Lama 2.0: habitantes del Valle del Huasco movilizados contra el nuevo proyecto de Barrick Gold". Diario UChile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  5. ^ de Vicente, Agustín (2026-01-19). "Prospección Minera El Alto de Barrick recibe aprobación ambiental en Atacama y avanza hacia su RCA". Reporte Minero & Energético (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-16.

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