Operations at Southern Copper's Cuajone mine in Peru have been suspended for 15 days as locals continue to block the company's access to reservoirs and other critical supplies, the country's mining and energy industry body revealed.
Blokada je započela 28. veljače, kada je Southern Copper odlučio zamijeniti 50- godina staru vodovodnu cijev koja je opskrbljivala vodom obližnje zajednice.
Prema riječima Raula Jacoba, glavnog izvršnog direktora Southern Coppera i sadašnjeg predsjednika Peruanskog udruženja rudara, nafte i energije (SNMPE), koncesija za rudnik se mijenja.
Jacob je lokalnim medijima rekao da ima dokumente koji dokazuju da je preseljenje odnijeto čelnicima zajednice i regionalnim i nacionalnim vlastima.
"We were taken aback by the blockade," Jacob said.
Radnici u rudniku Cuajone, koji zapošljava više od 5,000 ljudi, zatražili su od vlade da posreduje u sukobu između tvrtke i lokalnog stanovništva, tvrdeći da su njihovi poslovi i životi ugroženi.
"The residents' refusal to restore water supply to Cuajone and release the railway has prevented us from resuming operations at the mine," Southern Copper said in an emailed statement.
SNMPE said the protesters were demanding 5bn in compensation and a 5 per cent share of the company's profits.
Pablo O'Brien, a mining expert at Velocity Trade Capital, said it was more than that, describing the situation as "very serious".
"No one can just turn off the water supply to a group of people for whatever reason. This situation unfortunately demonstrates the current inability of states to mediate in resolving conflicts, "O 'Brien said.
Peru is the world's second-largest copper producer after neighboring Chile, and mining is a major source of tax revenue. Residents of nearby communities have increasingly protested against the mines, claiming they cause pollution without contributing enough to the local economy.
Southern Copper, dio Grupo Mexico, jedna je od tvrtki bakra s najvećim rezervama minerala, a Cuajone je njegov drugi najveći rudnik u Peruu.
The miner's copper production fell 4.3 per cent in 2021 and recently said it expected a further decline this year.
Do 2022. Southern Copper očekuje proizvodnju 922,000 tone metala koji se koristi u građevinarstvu i električnim automobilima.
"After this year, we believe our 2023 production will rebound to 1 million tonnes of copper," it said in its February earnings statement. By the end of the decade, as our organic growth projects mature, we expect copper production to reach 1.8 million tonnes.
China Southern razvija projekte vrijedne 2,8 milijardi u Peruu. Ako se uračunaju projekti u nastajanju Michiquillay i Los Chancas, brojka skače na gotovo 8 milijardi.
Protests have hit several of Peru's biggest mining companies since leftist President Pedro Castillo took office in July after winning an election with overwhelming support in the country's impoverished mining regions.
Roads used by MMG's Las Bambas copper mine to transport its metal have been intermittently blocked by residents demanding financial contributions from the company.
Last year protests also disrupted Antamina, the country's largest copper mine, which is jointly owned by BHP billiton (33.75 percent), Glencore (33.75 percent), Teck Resources (22.75 percent) and Mitsubishi (10 percent).
Pogođeni su i rudnici Glencore (LON: GLEN), Hudbady Minerals TSX, NYSE: HBM) i Hochschild Mining.
Social unrest in the country's mining areas has deepened global fears of a looming copper shortage.
Prema procjenama CRU Grupe, industrija bakra treba potrošiti više od 100 milijardi kako bi riješila manjak od 4,7 milijuna tona godišnje do 2030. godine.
