Canada's Calibre Mining bought from B2Gold Nicaragua, the El Limón and La Libertad gold mines, as well as the Pavon project and other concessions, in a transaction that totaled $100 million.
The El Limón and La Libertad mines have produced more than 1.4 million ounces of gold since 2010, and their combined production of gold in 2019 is projected to be between 150,000 and 160,000 ounces, the company said in a statement.
Mining activities have grown at an annual average of 9% in the last ten years, mainly due to growing foreign investment, an increase in production and favorable international prices.
A report presented by the Nicaraguan Mining Chamber states that between 2006 and 2016, foreign direct investment totaled $793 million, having an annual average of $79 million.
The mining company Cóndor Gold is trying to put an end to the blockades that the local population have held in place for ten days at the La India mine in Nicaragua.
Exhausting all possible resources, the company Cóndor Gold is proposing a dialogue to the leaders of the group of local inhabitants who are protesting against the mining project in the municipality of Santa Rosa del Peñón.
Artisanal miners from the municipality of Santa Rosa del Peñón are preventing the entry of machinery into La India mine, where Condor Gold is carrying out exploration activities.
The Chamber of Ministers of Nicaragua (Caminic) issued a statement expressing concern about "the situation in La India mine, where some members of the community are preventing the right to work of the inhabitants who are collaborators of Condor Gold, a company that generates employment and carries out exploration work there."
Metallic and non-metallic mining projects granted in concession cover 8.4% of the country's land area, but less than 1% are in operation.
From a report by the Chamber of Mining:
Of each dollar generated from metallic mining,0.66 cents remain in Nicaraguain the form of payments for taxes, remuneration and acquisition of local goods and services. This is one of the main conclusions of the study entitled 'Analysis of mining activity in Nicaragua 2006-2016',prepared by the economist Néstor Avendaño, president of Consultores para el Desarrollo Empresarial S.A. (COPADES).
The arrival of foreign investment to the west of the country is being promoted, in places where there are already companies interested in developing the potential for metal mining in the area.
The Mining Chamber of Nicaragua projects growth of 5% in exports this year compared to 2015, driven by a rebound in gold prices internationally and investments in the sector.Sergio Rios, director of the union, also attributed the positive growth projection to the approximate 5% achieved in production.
From November 23 to 25 Latin American mining companies will be meeting in Panama City to explore business opportunities for the mining industry in Central America.
The Mining Chamber of Panama is organizing, in conjunction with the Latin American Mining Organization (Olami) a Second International Mining Congress, which will focus on challenges and opportunities for mining activities in Central America.
In the first four months of the year foreign sales fell by 5.5% year-on-year, affected by lower volume and lower average international prices.
The Foreign Trade report by the Central Bank of Nicaragua said that exports in the mining sector contracted by 5.5% in the period from January to April compared with the same period in 2015, reaching $107.4 million.
On August 16 and 17 industry representatives from around the globe will be taking part in business conferences and lectures on the role of mineral resources and the impact of the activity on the economy.
The II International Mining Congress is being organized by the Mining Chamber of Nicaragua and will be held on August 16 and 17 in Managua.
The conference will include business conferences, panels and lectures on the economic and social impact of mining on communities; the role of metallic and non-metallic mineral resources in developing countries and environmental challenges in modern mining.
Government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo relayed the presidential decision to declare mining in Rancho Grande unviable, and cancel exploration in the area.
The mining concession was obtained by the Canadian company Nueva Esperanza in 2005 and two years ago another Canadian company B2Gold took over the project, which still was in the exploration stage, but without any earthworks having been carried out.
In the nineties a village in Costa Rica was populated by dreams of a promising future driven by the exploitation of a gold mine. Today there are only 27 inhabitants, left without hope.
EDITORIAL
An article on Nacion.com reports on the ups and downs of the gold mine project in Crucitas, in Costa Rica, which eventually fell through because environmental forces prevailed over sustainable development, leaving a long series of damages to the country in terms of confidence in the security of investments, tax losses, and mainly in the hopes of human beings who believed in and supported the mine being a catalyst for progress in the area. As usually happens, the only winners were the lawyers who litigated and continue litigating for both sides.
In the remainder of the year B2Gold plans to invest $23 million in mining work, expansion of tailings dam and other works in the La Libertad gold mine in Chontales.
In addition, the concessionaire plans to invest $5 million in exploration in areas close to the mine and within the concession area. Representatives from the B2Gold predict closing 2015 with a total production of between 135,000 and 145,000 ounces of gold from the La Libertad and Santo Domingo mines.
Low gold prices and weaker external demand account for 14% of the annual fall in the export of metal products for March.
In the first quarter of 20,700 ounces of gold were exported, down from the 73,800 ounces sold in the same period in the previous year. The main reason behind this decrease is the fall is the international price of gold, which has remained low over the past year and part of this year.
The mining company HEMCO has announced it will gradually be reactivating its activities in the Bonanza gold mine, after they were stopped due to disturbances caused by artisanal miners.
Mining operations will resume completely in approximately five days, relying on the support and confidence shown by the Nicaraguan government.
The Colombian company HEMCO has suspended its activities due to violence shown by a group of artisanal miners who blocked the exit of materials and destroyed company property.
Aiming to ensure the safety of its employees and raw materials which are highly toxic, the Colombian mining company has suspended operations until the violent environment that they faced, which is affecting business and the economic climate of the municipality, has been stablalized.