Canada and Mongolia go mining crazy
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The barren plains of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, has been regarded for centuries as one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Freezing winters and blistering summers have kept the population of under 3 million widely scattered over Mongolia’s 600,000 square miles. That could soon change.
Landlocked Mongolia – Slightly smaller than Alaska
The recent discoveries of copper, gold and coal, the era of isolation is rapidly coming to an end. The Gobi is now seeing a flood of geologists, miners, investors and speculators, all in search of the enormous mineral wealth lying below its desolate surface.
“Mongolia has finally arrived on the global mining scene,” investment banker Bold Baatar recently told a delegation of coal mining executives attending a conference in the capital Ulan Bator.
“Over the next five to 10 years we are going to produce a world class mining industry that will rival Chile or Brazil.”
Canada-based Ivanhoe Mines is currently building a $5 billion mine, with production set to start within 18 months. The Oyu Tolgoi deposit has the potential to become one of the world’s top three copper producing mines and could single-handedly boost Mongolia’s gross domestic product (GDP) by one third.
But despite the magnitude of the deal, Oyu Tolgoi has fallen out of the headlines as the government is moving onto equally spectacular mining projects. Teed up next is Tavan Tolgoi, a high-grade coal deposit with six billion tonnes of reserves.
The deposit is rich in coking coal, a necessary element in the production of steel, convenient for Mongolia as the world’s largest steel industry lies just across the border in China.
CANADA IS CASHING IN TOO
Canada is opening up the pristine wilderness of Northern Quebec, about 500,000 square miles, to mining, energy and forestry interests.
The government of Quebec has unveiled a massive plan to develop a largely inhospitable but untouched area in the north of the province. Called “Plan Nord” the idea is to ensure that half of the area will be environmentally protected.
“It is one of the world’s last virgin territories,” said Quebec’s Premier Jean Charest. “It’s also a fragile territory and a territory of great richness and it’s also a responsibility.”
The area is rich in deposits of nickel, cobalt, platinum, zinc, iron ore and rare earth minerals.
“Northern Quebec has incomparable mining potential,” said natural resources minister Sege Simard. The plan includes 11 new mining projects, the development of renewable energy resources (mainly hydro-electric projects), sustainable forestry and a huge infrastructure programme.
This part of Canada is so remote that new roads, airports, and even a deep sea port will have to built to get the raw materials out to sell them to the outside world.
The government of Quebec said that everyone in the province would benefit.
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No wonder we’ve got earthquakes and tsunami’s…maybe it’s Mother Nature warning us off destroying any more planet.
This is disgusting and sadly typical of humanity. If it’s good for us then screw everything else.
Here we go again: destroying our precious resources in pursuit of the almighty dollar. Canada surprises me the most as it’s main tourist attraction is its pristine wilderness. Then again, I haven’t known a lot of Canadians, but most I do know lack good common sense.