Developing Gold Fields

La Cima Cerro Corona

project in Peru

old Fields ac- Concentrates from the Cerro Corona flotation circuit will be loaded and trucked to the
quired an option port of Salaverry for shipment to Korea, Japan and Germany for smelting.
to purchase the
Cerro Corona project,
located in Hualgayoc,
Cajamarca Department,
Peru, in December 2003.
In January 2006, the option was taken up and
the transaction closed.
During the intervening months, project development occurred
against the backdrop of
a presidential election,
increasing national social
activism and environmental regulation, rapidly escalating operating
and capital costs, as well
as an unprecedented
demand for engineering
and technical skills. Project Lessons Learned
are discussed in the context of an evolving strategy.
The Cerro Corona
project forms part of a
porphyry copper-gold
deposit situated within
S.A. (SMC). The agreement called for a reorganization
the Hualgayoc Mining District in northern Peru. It is loin which the assets of the Cerro Corona project were
cated in the highest part of the Western Cordillera of the
transferred to a Peruvian company named La Cima S.A.
Andes, close to the headwaters of the Atlantic Continental
in July 2004. The environmental impact assessment for the
Basin. It lies approximately 90 km (56 miles) by road north
project was submitted to the Peruvian Ministry of Energy
of the Department of Cajamarcas capital city and near the
and Mines (MEM) in May 2005. Following public consulvillage of Hualgayoc. Access to the Cerro Corona project
tation and comment, MEM approved the environmental
from Cajamarca is by two
impact study in December 2005.
roads, one from Cajamarca
Gold Fields subsequently completed the purchase
to the Yanacocha Mine 45
of a 92-percent voting interest (80.7 percent economic
km (28 miles), and then
interest) in the Cerro Corona Mine in January 2006, for
from Yanacocha to the vila total consideration of $40 million and established Gold
lage of Hualgayoc and the
Richard W. Graeme, member town of Bambamarca 45
Fields La Cima (GFLC). GFLC acquired all requisite
additional permits to construct the mine. Construction
km
(28
miles).
SME, is Vice President Government and
began in May 2006.
In
December
2003,
Community Relations, Gold Fields La
Following seating of a new Peruvian national governGold Fields, through a
Cima, Lima, Per, e-mail rgraeme@ subsidiary, signed a definiment in July 2006 and regional/local elections in November 2006, communities in the Cajamarca Department have
goldfieldsghana.com. James J. tive agreement to purchase
pressed existing operations, as well as GFLC, for greater
an
80.7-percent
economic
Komadina, member SME, is senior
involvement in the economic benefits of natural resource
and 92 percent voting inVice President, Development Projects terest in the Cerro Corona
development. GFLC has accommodated these wishes
with Gold Fields Exploration, Denver, CO, project from a Peruvian through skills training, employment commitments, as well
jkom@aol.com. family-owned company, as the use of local contractors and equipment. Although
community issues may arise from time to time, GFLC reSociedad Minera Corona

Richard W. Graeme and

James J. Komadina

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October 2007

39

ing the orogen-parallel Maran thrust and fold belt. Other

ore deposits hosted in similar
tectonic settings in northern
Peru include the world-class,
high-sulfidation and related
porphyry deposits of the Yanacocha District and the worldclass Antamina copper-zinc
skarn deposit. The location of
these deposits apparently coincides with deflections in the
strike of the Maran thrust
and fold belt.
The Cerro Corona goldcopper deposit is hosted by
a 600- to 700-m- (1,900- to
2,300-ft-) diameter, subvertical,
cylindrical-shaped quartz diorite porphyry stock emplaced
into northwest-striking, southwest-dipping medium-bedded
limestone and marls of the
mid-Cretaceous Yumagual Formation. Within the porphyry,
gold-copper mineralization is
primarily hosted by extensive
zones of sheeted and stockworked quartz pyrite marcasite chalcopyrite bornite hematite magnetite
veining.
Based on cross-cutting relationships from field observations, the veinlets have been classified into three
types:

The Cerro Corona Mine in Peru is in an area that is believed to have been mined for
silver since Inca times.

mains committed to these programs to successfully build

and operate the Cerro Corona Mine.
The current schedule anticipates the completion of the
flotation mill and the commencement of commercial production in early 2008 at a capital cost of US$337 million.
Annual life of mine production will average approximately
10.2 t (330,000 oz) gold equivalent. Early year production
will exceed 12.4 t (400,000 oz) gold equivalent due to
higher than reserve copper grades being mined.

Geology

The Cerro Corona gold-copper porphyry deposit is

centrally located within the Hualgayoc mining district of
northwestern Peru. This well known district is reported
to have been an important silver producing area since
Inca times. More than 1.5 kt (50 million oz) of silver and
significant amounts of lead, zinc and copper have been
produced from vein and manto deposits following the
Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
Mineralization within the district is present in the form
of gold-copper porphyry systems and temporally and spatially related gold-bearing, high-sulfidation deposits (the
Tantahuatuay project, 8 km or 5 miles east of the Corona
project) and base metal lode and replacement deposits
with a possible link with concealed porphyry system in
the Corona environments. These deposits formed in response to mid-Miocene magmatic-hydrothermal activity
associated with the emplacement of a series of quartz
diorite to granodioritic intrusives and the coeval Calipuy
Supergroup volcanic units.
The Cerro Corona porphyry and related epithermal
vein and base metal lode and replacement deposits are
hosted by an early to mid-Cretaceous, carbonate-predominant sedimentary sequence that was folded, faulted and
thickened during the late Eocene Incaic orogeny, produc40

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Mining Engineering

A Type: early veinlets, from millimeters to centimeters thickness, filled with quartz.

B Type: intermediate age, from millimeters to centimeters wide crustified veinlets, filled with quartzmagnetite.

D Type: late veins, from centimetres to decimetres

wide, with quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite.

Early mineralization was accompanied by moderate to strong potassic alteration. It has been commonly
overprinted by late, semi-pervasive argillic alteration
and locally, by structurally controlled phyllic alteration
assemblages (quartz-sericite-pyrite).
Supergene oxidation and leaching at Cerro Corona
have led to the development of a weak-to-moderate copper enrichment blanket, allowing for the subdivision of
the deposit from the surface down into:

The oxide zone.

The mixed oxide-sulfide zone.
The supergene enriched zone.
The hypogene zone.

The oxide zone is characterized by the lack of sulfide

minerals and the almost complete removal of copper by
supergene acid leaching and extends from the surface to
depths of 10 to 40 m (33 to 131 ft).

The mixed oxide-sulfide zone is up to 30 m (98 ft) thick.

It contains iron oxide and sulfide minerals and erratic copper grades ranging from background levels to ore grades.
Copper oxide, sulfate and silicate minerals are present
locally within the mixed oxide-sulfide zone.
The supergene zone is weakly to moderately developed, ranging from a few meters to approximately 50 m
(164 ft) in thickness. It is characterized by the partial to
complete replacement of chalcopyrite, bornite and locally
pyrite, by digenite, chalcocite and covellite. The lower
limit of the supergene enrichment zone is marked by the
disappearance of secondary copper sulfides.
Hypogene mineralization extends from the base of
supergene to depth. It is characterized by the presence
of primary sulfide species such as chalcopyrite, pyrite,
pyrrhotite, marcasite and bornite with trace amounts of
molybdenite, sphalerite and galena present locally. Remnant anhydrite is also present in trace amounts.
Limestone wall rocks are marblized or, more locally
calc-silicated, for distances up to 10 m (33 ft) from the contact with the stock. Sulfide mineralization in the limestones
is weak and decreases rapidly away from the contact.
Skarn-type mineralization has been only locally identified
in the wall rock limestone and in local rafts of limestone
engulfed by the intrusive. The contact between the limestone and the intrusive is sharp, linear and uniform. Sills
of the quartz diorite porphyry extend into the limestone
wall rocks. Large limestone xenoliths up to 50 m (164 ft)
in diameter occur near the outer limits of the stock.
Two faulting systems, developed from defined structures cut the Cerro Corona deposit. The first system has a
northeast-southwest direction with a north 65 east average azimuth and 86 southeast dipping; the second system
has a northwest-southeast direction with a north 304 east
average azimuth and 82 northeast dipping. A significant
portion of the area is covered with fill material. So it was
necessary to use the road-cuttings and drill platforms to
identify these faults. The fracturing frequency average is
approximately 10 to 25 fractures per linear meter. Fault
behavior is different depending on the host rock composition. In sedimentary rocks, covering approximately 10
percent of the area, faults form tectonic breccias and are
relatively thinner; while in the remaining intrusive area,
the faults are thicker and are gouge filled.

Mining

The deposit will be mined by conventional surface mining methods generating a final surface mine areal extent
of 900 x 500 m (2,952 x 1,640 ft). The mining operation
will extend from the crest of the original hill at around
3945 RL to a final depth at around 3600 RL, relative to
the general surface elevation in the area of between 3900
RL and 3770 RL.
Bulk mining will use 10-m (33-ft) benches. Loading will
be by a combination of a 230-t (253-st) diesel hydraulic
face shovel and a 190-t (209-st) rubber-tired front-end
loader loading six 150-t (165-st) and four 100-t (110-st)
haul trucks. At this stage, it is assumed that all of the material requires drilling and blasting, though with varying
powder factors, use 165 mm (6.6 in.) holes for 10 m (33 ft)
benches. Smaller sized dedicated equipment is planned in
the initial construction period for completing haul road,
process plant and run-of-mine (ROM) pad earthworks.
Ore will be trucked from the surface mine to the ROM

stockpile requiring a 2-km (1.2-mile) haul at a maximum

gradient of 1 in 10. Crusher feed will be 100 percent rehandled by front-end loaders to allow for material blending for grade and material type. It has been estimated that
potentially 30 percent of the ore could be tipped directly
by haul trucks.
Overburden material has been categorized (four types)
based on its degree of weathering and its acid forming or
neutralizing potential. While suitable material will be used
to meet infrastructure requirements, the remaining material will require disposal in accordance with a structured
overburden storage management plan.

Geotechnical parameters

Surface mine slope parameters are based on a review

of the geotechnical work by Piteau during the earlier Barrick feasibility study and later by Coffey Geosciences for
the GRD Minproc 2001 Cerro Corona DFS. The oxide
materials are of relatively low competency, limestone
beds hosting the porphyry intrusive are competent, major
structures are generally steep, and the porphyry intrusive
material varies from competent to low competency in certain areas of severe alteration. Surface mine slopes have
been based on the following inter-ramp angles:
Oxide material 40.
Competent limestone and porphyry intrusive 52.5.
Low competent intrusive zone to the northeast
35.5.

Reserves

GFLC performed a number of surface mine optimizations for the deposit to establish reserves. Proven and
probable reserves are based on a US$10.93/g (US$375/oz)
gold price and a 90 cents/lb copper price (Table 1). The
deposit is geologically subdivided into four zones, and
reserves are therefore presented by zone. The overburden
component includes 7.27 t (8,011 st) of mineralized oxide
at 1.39 g/t (0.04 oz/st) gold. Current reserve estimates are
constrained by infrastructure capacity issues and have not
been recalculated using higher metal prices.

Processing

Crushing. A ROM pad size of 15 to 20 days feed for 70

percent rehandle and 30 percent direct tip of ROM ore has
been derived from the difference between the production
rate of the loading equipment and the throughput rate
of the mill. Further consideration was given to the bulk
nature of the deposit and the necessity to achieve tailing
dam construction requirements. Three prime fingers will
be established to maximize blending on the ROM pad.
These will consist of soft, hard and high sulfur content
material.
Stockpiled ore will be reclaimed by front-end loader
and fed into the crusher feed hopper. The nominated
mining contractor has planned for two front-end loaders,
with a third for backup, to be available for rehandling.
This will allow for consistently maintaining a feed rate of
775 t/h (854 stph) up to a distance of 100 m (328 ft) from
the crusher.
The primary crushing stage has been designed to include two operational lines with only one line being operated at a time. While one line is operating, maintenance
can be carried out on the other. Each operational line

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41

Cerro Corona tailing dam foundation.

comprises a 300-t (330-st) live capacity dump pocket and

a variable speed apron feeder to feed a 373-kW (500-hp)
Abon mineral sizer. The product from the mineral sizer
is transported to the semiautogenous grinding (SAG)
mill by a 300-m (984-ft) long belt. The crushing circuit is
expected to achieve some 99 percent system availability
having two independent lines.
Grinding. The grinding circuit is a conventional SAB,
equipped with a SAG mill and ball mill operating in
closed circuit with cyclones. The SAG mill is 7.3 m (24 ft)
in diameter 4.4 m (14.6 ft) long and is powered by a 3.7MW (5,000-hp) hyper-synchronous wound rotor motor.
The SAG mill has been designed on a nominal operating
ball loading of 10 percent and has a variable speed drive.
The grate discharge type SAG mill is fitted with a 13-mm
(0.5-in.) trommel screen that discharges into a common
grinding mill sump.
Cyclone feed pumps draw from the sump and pump
to a cluster of eight operating (plus two standby) 660-mm
(26-in.) hydrocyclones. The nominal P80 of the cyclone
overflow is 120m for the supergene ore and 160m for
the hypogene ore. The cyclone cluster underflow feeds a
fixed speed overflow ball mill, 6 m (20 ft) in diameter and
10 m (34 ft) long, designed for a 38 percent ball loading
as nominal charge. The ball mill is equipped with a dual
pinion geared drive, having two 3.7-MW (5,000-hp) motors. The size of the mill and the installed power allows the
use of rubber liners and will be installed with such initially.
An 800-m3 (28,250-cu ft) surge tank with agitator has been
included between the grinding and flotation circuits to
ensure a constant feed rate to the flotation cells.

Flotation

The flotation circuit produces a bulk chalcopyrite/

42

October 2007

Mining Engineering

pyrite concentrate from the

rougher section. The concentrate is then subjected to a selective separation process that
involves regrinding, depression
of the pyrite in a first stage
cleaner, plus a cleaner-scavenger and a further three stages of
cleaning to produce an acceptable concentrate grade, greater
than 25 percent copper.
The cyclone overflow from
the grinding circuit flows to the
rougher flotation cells with seven 160-m3 (5,650-cu ft) capacity
cells. The installed residence
time is more than 30 minutes.
Rougher concentrate gravitates through a launder system
to the regrind circuit that is
equipped with four 354 kW
(475 hp) stirred media detritor
(SMD) to achieve the required
concentrate P80 of 30 microns.
Space has been allowed for
the addition of a fifth SMD if
it is found to be required. The
regrinding circuit also receives
the cleaner-scavenger concentrate and the second cleaner tailing streams.
Selective flotation is undertaken with the addition of
a depressant and increase in pH. The concentrate from
the first cleaners is treated in three stages of closed circuit
cleaning. Each of the three cleaner stages has a nominal
residence time of 13 minutes and progressively smaller
installed capacity 50 m3 (1,766 cu ft) for first cleaner, 16
m3 (565 cu ft) for second and third cleaners and 8 m3 (282
cu ft) in the fourth stage. The concentrate from the fourth
stage of cleaning is the final concentrate product.
Tailing from the first cleaning stage reports to the
cleaner-scavenger. The cleaner-scavenger consists of four
50-m3 (1,766-cu ft) cells with a total residence time of 13
minutes. The cleaner scavenger is in open circuit with
concentrate reporting to the regrind mill feed and tailing
to the tailing thickener. Final concentrate is pumped to
a 16-m- (52-ft-) diameter high rate thickener and then to
a filter feed stock tank. The concentrate is then filtered
and transferred by conveyor to the concentrate storage building where five days production can be stored.
Concentrates will be loaded and trucked to the port of
Salaverry for shipment to Korea, Japan and Germany
for smelting.

Tailing thickening

The cleaner scavenger tailing stream (around 10

percent to 20 percent of the mass on average) is pyritic
and has the potential for acid generation. It will be sub
aqueously impounded within the tailing dam interior to
prevent oxidation.
The rougher tailing will gravitate to a 40-m- (131-ft-)
diameter high rate thickener. From there, the underflow
slurry will gravitate to the tailing dam and the overflow will
be used as process water in the plant. Tailing transportation will use existing topography to avoid pumping.

Reagents. The plant

has been designed to prepare two types of collector, one type of frother,
a pyrite depressant and
a pH modifier. The collectors are potassium
amyl xanthate (PAX) and
sodium dialkyl dithiophosphate. The frother
is methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC). The pyrite
depressant is DDS3 (a
mixture of quebracho,
sodium cyanide and dextrin), which will be used
in modest amounts with
no residual free cyanide
remaining in the process supernatant. The pH
modifier is milk of lime
obtained from a slaking
system using calcium oxide (CaO).

Cerro Corona primary crusher foundations.

Capital and schedule

development

Capital cost. A feasibility study commenced

in early 2005 and involved a third party EPCM firm, input from selected
vendors, as well as Gold Fields engineers and operators.
In August 2005, with approximately 40 percent of the engineering completed, an initial capital estimate of US$277
million was generated.
Significant exposure existed in three areas: EPCM
services, tailing dam quantities and installed material
costs, and plant site utilities/general services. Detailed
engineering continued through to September 2006 when
the final construction budget was completed.
The three areas of concern did, in fact, represent the
largest degree of cost growth. EPCM services increased
by 20 percent from the feasibility estimate while the other
two areas increased nearly 46 percent each. Rising fuel and
input commodity costs, tightened geotechnical specifications, failed construction assumptions, all coupled with a
tight engineering labor market served to increase project
capital costs to US$343 million, some 22 percent higher
than first developed (Table 2).

Project milestones

Major project construction milestones are summarized.

Establish 500 bed temporary man camp, June 2006.
Begin Cerro Corona Mine development, August
2006.
Complete facilities construction platforms, February,
2007.
Complete additional 1,000 bed man camp, March
2007.
Set grinding mills, August 2007.
Commission mill, December 2007.
Complete tailing dam, December 2007.
Ship first concentrates, March 2008.

Environmental impact study

The environmental impact study (EIS) was completed by Knight Pisold and submitted in late May 2005.
Through the propertys varied ownership, environmental
baseline studies were initiated in 1995 by Knight Pisold
and then updated in 1997. In 2000, Vector performed additional monitoring and verification of key environmental
parameters. These included water quality, biological diversity and archaeological heritage as well as community
attitudes towards the project. Knight Pisold was commissioned by GFLC to update its work as part of the acquisition due diligence process. Social Capital Group was
retained by GFLC to review the social issues. An audit of
the social programs and their effectiveness was conducted
by Business for Social Responsibility.
In May 2004, Gold Fields commissioned Montgomery
Watson Harza (MWH) Peru to undertake a detailed review of available data in preparation for compiling the EIS.
MWHs review identified (confirmed) a number of areas
where updated or additional information was required
including office work and site data collection. The main
areas to be addressed included:

Baseline air quality monitoring.

Baseline noise and vibration monitoring.
Improved rock characterization for AMD.
Improved data relating to existing surface and underground water flows.
Updated flora and fauna surveys.
Updated socio-economic data.
Improved analysis and presentation of existing
data.
In addition to the forgoing, a large amount of new,

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43

Cerro Corona milling circuit.

often confirmatory, data was gathered for the submitted

study. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the new
information was the detailed social baseline, which was
included as a part of the study.
As noted, the EIS was submitted to MEM for its review
and approval in late May 2005. As part of the approval
process, a public hearing was held in Hualgayoc in July
2005. It was well attended by a range of stakeholders,
all of whom had the opportunity to comment or submit
observations on the EIS. This was followed by a public
comment period to allow for the participation of other
interested parties as well as other governmental agencies.
In all, more than 1,200 comments and observations were
received and required response. To ensure completeness
of the stakeholder process, GFLC individually answered
each of the external observations. The responses to technical and public consultation questions were filed in early
November 2005, and subsequently the study was approved
by MEM in December 2005.
Closure plan. Within 12 months after EIS approval,
a detailed closure plan must be submitted to MEM
for approval. This will be the plan that will govern the
final and full closure of the entire operation. Financial
guarantees for closure are required to be filed one
year after approval of the closure plan. The MEM may
require a provisional guarantee from the titleholder at
any time. The closure plan will be updated periodically
as required with updated environmental data and with
any significant change to the mine plan that affects the
closure scheme.
The EIS incorporates a conceptual closure plan for
the operation. The principal objective is re-establishing
a landscape that is environmentally and, where possible,
aesthetically compatible with the surrounding country-

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side. The restoration plan

will include all project
installations including
the surface mine, overburden storages, tailing
dam and administrative
facilities. After closure, all
installations will be physically stable and will not
represent any danger to
public health. The water
management program
will continue to be maintained until the effluent
has demonstrated sustained compliance within
the regulatory limits.
Progressive, concurrent rehabilitation of
overburden storage lifts,
access road cuttings, etc.
will be incorporated into
the plan. Knight Pisold
made a preliminary material take-off based on
the project drawings to
determine the estimated
magnitude of the closure
effort as currently envisioned. Based on this work, US$14 million has been
included in the financial model spread over two years
following cessation of mining.

Social interactions

Social plan. GFLCs community relations plan (PRC)

encompasses the projects various social management
programs. Management programs have been developed
according to the baseline results, the projects preliminary
description and the previously prepared impact analysis.
The proposed management measures aim at preventing
adverse changes in the living conditions of the local population and at promoting the positive impacts of the Cerro
Corona project on the area.
The project PRC is one of a participative nature. The
proposed management measures are basic policy guidelines, to which the company will commit in accordance with
the Peruvian legal framework, including Supreme Decree
No. 042-2003-EM (Prior Commitment), international
social impact management guidelines and standards, and
the corporate social responsibility policies of the company.
However, these guidelines must be translated into action
plans to be developed in cooperation with the projects
stakeholders.
Objectives. The general objective of the PRC is to
ensure that all proposed social management actions are
identified, understood and implemented by the personnel
involved in the Cerro Corona project, to ensure that the
proposed vision and mission are fulfilled.
The following are the specific objectives of the PRC:
Manage the Cerro Corona projects social impacts in
such a way that the positive effects are magnified and
the negative effects are mitigated.

 Establish guidelines for the management of

the social impacts of the project, so they can
become operational plans, with the participation of the projects stakeholders.
Develop and maintain positive and mutually
beneficial relations between the company
and the population of the Cerro Corona
Project area of influence.

Diego Ortega, manager of community affairs. speaks with the El

Tingo community.

Social programs. Depending on their aim, social programs could be classified as social prevention programs or social development programs.
Social prevention programs are those oriented to
the mitigation of foreseeable negative impacts.
Social development programs are aimed at boosting the foreseeable positive impacts and/or at the
implementation of social responsibility policies
by the projects principal.
The social prevention programs forming part
of the projects community relations plan are as
follows:
Workers community relations training program.
Communication and consultation program.
Program for health and safety in transport related
activities.
Rural roads and infrastructure improvement program.
Closing social program.
The social development programs forming part of the
projects community relations plan are as follows:

Local employment program.

Local purchasing program.
Program for the support of former land owners.
Local authorities training program.
Local development program.
Improve local education to develop varied skills and
encourage attendance.

The Cerro Corona projects community relations plan

also takes into consideration the implementation of participative social monitoring to improve the understanding by
the stakeholders of the projects foreseeable impacts and
the measures needed for their management, improve the
projects understanding of the concerns and perceptions
of the stakeholders, take into consideration the concerns
and perceptions of the stakeholders, and generate mutual
trust, as well as promote mutual responsibility both on the
part of the project as well as of the local stakeholders.
The social programs will be adapted to the requirements
of the projects areas of influence direct and indirect.
Citizens consultation and participation procedure. As
part of the Cerro Corona projects public consultation
process, a public consultation and project EIS information
disclosure plan has been developed with the targets being
the projects previously identified stakeholders. The consultations were conducted in strict compliance with Peruvian
Ministerial Resolution No. 596-2002-EM/DM, the MEM
Community Relations Guide and the Good Practice Manual
on Public Consultation and Information Disclosure of the

International Finance Corporation (IFC World Bank).

Objectives. The objectives of the Cerro Corona
projects public consultation and information disclosure
plan are as follows:
Gather, identify and solve public concern issues
through joint and cooperative efforts to be made with
the stakeholders and openness towards their concerns
and worries.
Openly share timely, consistent and transparent
information concerning the project and its plans. To
promote and build understanding and long-term cooperation and trusting relationship with the projects
stakeholders.
Help the projects stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the project and its personnel. Specifically,
inform them about Minera Gold Fields experience in
mining, as well as its values and culture, technical capacity, environmental and industrial safety standards,
and social responsibility policy. In addition, convey the
projects commitment to dialogue and to permanently
attempt to solve stakeholders concerns.
Talk with the stakeholders about the identified impacts
and proposed mitigation plans, so as to incorporate their
concerns and opinions in the design of such plans.
Establish communication channels and forums, as essential mechanisms, to solve differing points of view
and the concerns of the population.
Identify sustainable opportunities to contribute to
local development in a participative manner.
Components. The program includes six key components, in accordance with World Bank guidelines:

Identification of stakeholders.
Opportunities for stakeholder participation.
Undertaking a social impact study.
Identification and resolving the populations concerns
and worries.
Monitoring and evaluation of the consultation process.

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45

 Documentation of stakeholder participation and access to the projects information.

Children dressed a miners take part in the Hualgayoc

Community Childrens Parade.

Results of the public consultation process. The Cerro

Corona projects consultation and EIS information disclosure plan has, so far, yielded the following results:
The population has expressed support for the development of the project.
The people have openly and transparently defined
and put forth their concerns about the project.
A majority of the peoples concerns about the project
were resolved during the consultation rounds.
Consultation meetings were carried out with an excellent level of participation on the part of stakeholders.
The stakeholders underscored the value of the
consultation meetings as vehicles for dialogue and
participation.
The consultation meetings represented an unprecedented and new type of opportunity for the people to
voice their concerns and problems, and to participate
in the implementation of a mining project. The people
stated that never before had they had the opportunity to participate and be consulted about a mining
project.
A relationship is being built between the project and
the stakeholders based on trust, dialogue and mutual
respect.
Between the first and second consultation rounds, it
was evident that the stakeholders had gained more
knowledge about the project and that they were more
involved in its development. Furthermore, unlike in
the first round, in the second round it was agreed that
modern mining, properly enforced, both internally
and externally, can represent an opportunity for development without sustained long term impacts to the
environment.

Hualgayoc, the unprecedented opportunity to participate in the permitting process has been an uplifting and
empowering experience. There is a sense of cooperation
between the community, government and the company
that never existed before. The people of this district,
through open and public participation in the permitting
process, have helped shape their future. The economic
and employment opportunities they now have through
the social commitments of GFLC to those in the area of
influence are unprecedented in the centuries old history
of the mining here.
The participatory process for an EIS that carefully and
appropriately considers all of the stakeholders can and will
yield an environment where responsible mining activities
can peacefully exist with the communities they are close
to. Integral to this tranquillity are the concepts that there
is a clear benefit to the local population and communities
Summary
because of the mines presence, that the local residents had
For the residents of the historic mining district of
substantive input into the permitting process and that the
channels of communication between
the company and stakeholders are
Agricultural improvements are part of Cerro Coronas sustainable
development plan.
always open.
The social interaction and impact
mitigation aspect of GFLCs plan
incorporates all of these concepts and
more. It is through these avenues that
the company will build and maintain a
close, cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with its neighbors
in the nearby communities. n

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the management of Gold Fields Ltd. for the ability to present this paper. They would
further concede that without the dedication and hard work of Gold Fields
La Cima staff, consultants, regulatory
agency personnel and the honesty of
the community members, the success
which is now evident, would not have
been possible.
46

October 2007

Mining Engineering