San Juan's city government in Argentina suspended the addition of cyanide to Veladero's gold processing facility after the latest spill. Government gave also the mine an ultimatum to overhaul safety and environmental operations.
Barrick Gold Corp failed to complete improvements to the Veladero mine in Argentina that could have prevented the third spill of cyanide solution in 18 months, leading to eventual sanctions for the world’s biggest gold miner, a judge said to Reuters.
In 2016, Barrick Gold produced 5.52 million ounces of gold at a cost of sales of 798 US dollar per ounce, and all-in sustaining costs of 730 US dollar per ounce. More than 75 percent of company´s gold production comes from the Americas region, including Argentina, Canada, Dominican Republic, Peru and the United States.
The Company also has mining operations and projects in Australia, Chile, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, and Zambia. At the end of 2016, Barrick had proven and probable gold reserves of 85.9 million ounces (2.0 billion tonnes, grading 1.33 grams per tonne).
