BUENOS AIRES/TORONTO, March 30 (Reuters) – Argentina’s San Juan province ordered Barrick Gold Corp to suspend some activities at its Veladero mine after a pipe carrying gold-bearing solution ruptured on the leach pad, state-run news agency Telam reported on Thursday.
Reuters could not immediately reach the provincial government to confirm the report. A spokesman for Barrick said the Toronto-based company was confirming its understanding of the order.
Barrick said on Wednesday that a monitoring system at the mine had detected a rupture on the pipe on Tuesday night. The issue was “quickly corrected,” it added, following procedures to contain and mitigate the situation. All solution was contained within the operating facility and there was no impact to people or the environment, Barrick said in the statement.
Barrack experienced similar issues in September 2016 and September 2015. Last September, mine operations were suspended after falling ice damaged a pipe and spilled some ore saturated with cyanide solution over a berm, or raised bank.
One year earlier, authorities suspended operations after a cyanide solution spill, which was caused by equipment failure.
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