Video Description
German industry has increased its stake in the mining industry in South America. Peru is currently in the limelight.
The nation is one of the largest producers worldwide for copper, silver, gold and zinc. Germany hopes to replace the US as the main supplier of machinery. The German embassy in Peru organises
visits to mines for German businessmen
and has set up a technological
association of German companies.
It is shortly after sunrise and time to head for the
Andes.
Dieter Lamle is the business attaché at the German embassy
in Lima. He has 25 members of staff from German companies
with him. Most of them are Peruvians representing BASF,
Mercedes as well as a large number of middle sized
companies.
They have come together to size up their business
opportunities in the mining industry and have travelled to
the remote mountain region of Alto Chicama in Northern
Peru.
Dieter Lamle: "The mines are very focused on the US. They
want US products, they buy US products - they're up there at
an altitude of 4000 metres, looking into the distance and
seeing only the US...and they don't realise we exist.
That is why we are going to the mine to make them aware of
German technology and break into this US monopoly that is
shared a bit by South Africa, Canada and Switzerland but not
Germany."
No easy undertaking when you are headed for 4200 metres
above sea level.
The scenery is pretty spectacular, but no one really notices
at this altitude - where there's very little oxygen in the
atmosphere. Exhaustion is getting to most of the members of
the expedition.
After five hours negotiating pot holes, they arrive at the
Lagunas Norte Mine.
It is run by the Canadian company Barrick, one of the
leading names in the mining industry and especially
interesting for the German suppliers.
But before they can start their sales pitch they need to
undergo a health check.
Dieter Lamle and many others need an added supply of oxygen.
This helps relieve the typical symptoms of altitude
sickness, headaches and dizzyness.
Now the diplomat can finally start the ball rolling....in
fluent Spanish. He explains to the Barrick managers that
they have come to open doors and make personal contacts. The
Canadians are positively surprised by the Germans' direct
approach:
Hugo Roman Venero, Barrick Mine Manager:
"So many companies in one go...that's something new to us
but I think it's a good idea. I am also surprised by the
technology the German companies have on offer. We'll be
taking a close look and comparing it to the competitors."
The company reps carry on the sales talk while Lamle
explores the mine. This is where gold is mined.
A sudden change in the weather. Time to sound the red alert.
Dieter Lamle explains the situation:
"We have a strong storm and that means we have red
alert...nobody is allowed to leave their car or the building
they are in...there were three fatalaties in Caja Marca
recently and that is why the security measures must be
followed exactly."
The storm passes and we can carry on filming. The Lagunas
Norte Mine is just one of many new finds in Peru. The mining
industry is booming throughout the country.
Most of them are run by US or Canadian companies who buy
their machinery and the other equipment back
home...although, says Lamle, German technology is more
environmentally friendly and more efficient.
Time for lunch - fillet of beef at 4200 metres above sea
level.
A relaxed atmosphere as brochures and calling cards are
exchanged across the table. But so far no contracts have
been signed.
Dieter Lamle:
"The work is just beginning for the companies. For my part
this job ends this evening and I can plan the next trip. But
they have to write emails, make phone calls and make
appointments to come back next week. They need to meet up
with Barrick's representative in Lima and strike while the
iron is hot."
The delegation rounds off their visit for a song written
especially in praise of the mine workers.
So they have managed to outdo their US competitors...if only
in song.
Source:
Deutsche Welle.com
Lagunas Norte
In addition to being one of the largest greenfields gold discoveries in the last decade, Lagunas Norte is also one of the few gold mines in the world to produce over one million ounces a year. The mine is located on the Alto Chicama property in north-central Peru, 140 kilometres east of the coastal city of Trujillo, and 175 kilometres north of Barrick’s Pierina mine. The property lies on the western flank of the Peruvian Andes and is at an elevation of 4,000 to 4,260 metres above sea level. The Lagunas Norte mine is an open-pit, crush, valley-fill heap leach operation.
Lagunas Norte is Barrick’s lowest cost operation and in 2008, the mine produced
1.2 million ounces of gold at total cash
costs of $125 per ounce1, exceeding
expectations. Proven and probable
mineral reserves as of December 31, 2008
are estimated at 8.9 million ounces of
gold2.
Source:
Barrick.com
Pierina mine
The Pierina mine is located in the Andean Cordillera in the Department of Ancash in north-central Peru, approximately 10
kilometers northwest of the city of Huaraz, at an altitude of approximately 4,100 metres.
The ore body is being mined as an open-pit, truck-and-loader operation. Ore is crushed and then transported via an overland conveyor to the leach pad area. Run-of-mine ore is trucked directly to a classic valley-fill type of leach pad.
In 2008, Pierina produced 400,000 ounces of gold at total cash costs of $284 per
ounce1. Proven and probable mineral reserves as of December 31, 2008 are
estimated at 683,000 ounces of gold2..
Source:
Barrick.com
Barrick Gold Corporation
Barrick Gold is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America. Barrick is currently undertaking mining and exploration projects in Papua New Guinea, the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Australia, Peru, Chile, Russia, South Africa, Pakistan, Colombia, Argentina and Tanzania. For 2008, it produced 7.7 million ounces of gold at a cash cost of US $443/ounce. As of December 31, 2008 its proven and probable gold mineral reserves stand at 138.5 million ounces.
Source:
Wikipedia, Barrick Gold.
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