Gold Fields begins construction of Chilean project

Gold Fields begins construction of Chilean project

Published by Cecilia Jamasmie in www.mining.com

The Salares Norte gold project is located in the Atacama region of northern Chile.

South African miner Gold Fields has formally begun construction of the mining infrastructure for its Salares Norte project, in northern Chile.

The company expects to complete the $860-million project in late 2022, with first gold production in early 2023.

About 15% of the construction has already completed, Gold Fields said. That includes a mining camp for 1,800 people, related infrastructure and access roads.

The company said nearly 2,700 will be created during the peak of construction, but only 900 employees and contractors will stay on once the mine begins operations.

Local authorities welcomed the news, saying the project would be crucial for the region, where dozens of jobs have been lost in the past year due to the pandemic.

Salares Norte will process two million tonnes of ore per year for the production of dorégold once commissioned, over a 10-year mine life.

The asset hosts 3.5 million ounces of gold, 39 million ounces of silver, and 695 million pounds of copper.

Max Combes, director of the project, says Salares Norte seeks to employ sustainable technologies that reduce its environmental footprint. These include solar PV power and filtered tailings to optimize water use.

The announcement comes just a day after Gold Fields announced the appointment of former Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) boss, Chris Griffith, as its new chief executive officer.

Griffith will take the helm in April after current CEO Nick Holland retires, having spent 13 years leading the company.

Holland paid tribute to the Chilean team for managing to remain on schedule despite the considerable challenges linked to keeping employees and contractors safe from the impact of the covid-19 virus.