Mulatos gold mine

28°39′02″N 108°44′33″W / 28.65058°N 108.74250°W / 28.65058; -108.74250ProductionProductsGoldTypeOpen-pitHistoryActive2005-presentOwnerCompanyAlamos GoldWebsitewww.alamosgold.com/operations/producing-mines/mulatos-mexico/default.aspxYear of acquisition2003
Gold mine in Mexico

Mulatos is a gold mine located in the town of Sahuaripa in Sonora, Mexico.

Alamos Gold bought the mine in 2003 and commercial production started in 2006.

A fatal landslide occurred at the mine in 2018, following a 2014 warning about the potential risk. An armed robbery of gold and silver alloy bars took place on the mine's runway in 2020.

Description

The Mulatos mine is an open-pit[1][2] gold mine, located in Sahuaripa, Sonora, Mexico.[3] The state of Sonora produced 33% Mexico's total gold production in 2019.[4] It is one of two mines owned by Alamos Gold in the state of Sonora, the other being El Chanate.[5]

The mine is operated by the company's local subsidiary Minas de Oro Nacional.[6]

History

Alamos Gold bought the mine in 2003 for US$10 million and poured the first bar of gold on 2005. Commercial production started in April 2006.[2]

A landslide at the mine in 2018 killed mine workers. The landslide was predicted in 2014 and the subject of a complaint to the Mexican National Commission on Human Rights.[3]

Production increased during 2019.[4] The mine was the target of five[6] armed robbers who took security staff hostage[7] and seized bars of doré (gold-silver alloy) bars from the mine's runway[8] on April 8, 2020,[7] before making off in their own small airplane.[8] The National Bank of Canada reported that 2,600 ounces of the alloy were stolen.[8]

In 2022, the mine's owners extended extraction to a satellite mine in the municipality of Puerto del Aire, where 428,000 ounces of gold are estimated to exist within 2.9 million tonnes of ore.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Copeland, Cody (2020-04-09). "Robbers steal gold, silver in air-land assault on Sonora mine". Mexico News Daily. Archived from the original on 2022-08-16. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  2. ^ a b "Alamos Gold - Mulatos Mine Mexico". Alamos Gold. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  3. ^ a b Martinez-Alier, Joan (30 Aug 2019). "Canadian corporate cruelty in Mexico and Turkey". The Ecologist. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  4. ^ a b Gold To Keep its Shine Despite Fumble Archived 2023-02-25 at the Wayback Machine, Mexico Mining Review (2019), Mexico Business Publishing, p34
  5. ^ Leader in Low-Cost Production Ramps Up Activities Archived 2023-02-25 at the Wayback Machine, Mexico Mining Review (2019), Mexico Business Publishing, p46.
  6. ^ a b "Robbers escape by air after stealing gold bars from Canadian mine in Mexico". CityNews. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  7. ^ a b Jones, Katie (2020-10-28). "Worth Its Weight In Gold: New Unit Combats Mine Heists In Mexico". InSight Crime. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  8. ^ a b c "Robbers escape by air after stealing gold bars from Canadian mine in Mexico". Toronto Star. 2020-04-09. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  9. ^ Lazenby, Henry (2022-11-15). "Alamos extends high-grade gold zone at Mulatos satellite deposit". Canadian Mining Journal. Archived from the original on 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
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