Ecuador Restarts Halted Mining Operations

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Ecuador’s National Emergency Operations Committee (COE) has given approval to the Biosecurity Prevention Protocol for the Mining Sector. This will ensure resumption of mining activities in the country. Reportedly, nearly 60% of the total mining activities in the country were halted due to Covid-19 pandemic spread.

In accordance with the media statement issued by the Ministry of Mines and Non-renewable Natural Resources, nearly 33,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs will be restored. The country will also resume mineral exports, which are projected to be in the range $642 million-$1.1 billion during the current year.

The approval of the guideline will lead to gradual resumption of operations at two of the country’s largest mines- Lundin Gold’s Fruta del Norte mine and CRCC-Tongguan’s Mirador mine-over the next few weeks. Incidentally, Lundin Gold announced that it has resumed the transportation of mining materials and supplies from and to Fruta del Norte, in strict adherence to the health and safety protocols laid out by the national and provincial authorities. Meantime, smaller mines too have resumed transportation of ore and concentrates to ports.

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The mining activity in Ecuador had reached temporary halt by end-March this year, following government’s order suspend all mining activities.