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ORO PUNO

MINING ORGANIZATION ORO PUNO

“A responsible small-scale operation IS possible, with commitment, wisdom, effort and dedication”: Francisco Ceama

MINING TERRITORY

This mine has a long history. Miners from neighboring areas, foreign companies, banks and even state mining companies have developed mining activity in these areas. However, in 2010 the legal status of Empresa Minera Oro Puno was established, with the purpose of carrying out mining exploitation within the peasant Community of Ananea. Currently, 24 families live directly from the activity of this organization and indirectly more than 200 people.

The exploitation of the mining organization of Oro Puno is by the method of “open-pit”, it is done in a deposit of “glacial moraines” which are the product of thawing. From Apolobamba in Bolivia to Ancocala in Peru, there is this type of unique deposits in the world.

 

SOCIAL CONTEXT

Ananea’s economy is based on extractive activities, mainly gold, practiced mainly by organizations in the small-scale mining sector. Due to the climate and the poverty of the soils, agriculture is only for subsistence. There are some grazing activities for Andean camelids such as alpacas and llamas and some trade. The population is predominantly rural. The mining activity in this region generates a large migratory movement from the rest of the country, which has determined that different ancestral cultures such as the Quechuas and Aymara co-exist in the neighboring communities, who maintain their customs, their traditions and own languages.

QUICK FACTS

Location: Puno region, San Antonio de Putin province, Ananea district. See map here.

Number of Workers: 25

Type of extraction: Alluvial and glacial moraines

Fairmined Certification Date: January 15, 2018

FAIRMINED PREMIUM

Learn about Oro Puno’s investments in best mining practices, the well-being of its workers and the community with the Fairmined premium report.

AUDIT SUMMARY 

Learn about Oro Puno’s 2021 audit results in relation to environmental protection, working conditions, development plan, and commercial relations.

ACHIEVEMENTS THANKS TO THE FAIRMINED CERTIFICATION

Oro Puno is the first Peruvian mining organization in the sector to obtain the Fairmined Ecological Gold certification, that is, neither mercury nor cyanide are used in its extraction and production process.

ECONOMIC

  • Gold traceability and supply chains free of conflicts and bad practices throughout the entire value chain.
  • Experience in the international commercialization of gold.

WORKER’S WELFARE

  • Investment of the Fairmined premium in the well-being of the miners: construction of showers using solar panels, expansion of the dining room, among others.
  • The mining organization has policies of respect for human rights, duly socialized.

ENVIRONMENT

  • Oro Puno recovers gold without using mercury (gravimetric methods), becoming  an example to look up to for other mining organizations at the regional and national level.
  • Composting of organic waste.
  • Revegetation.

ORGANIZATIONS ACCOMPANYING THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Oro Puno’s Fairmined certification was possible thanks to the support of two organizations: firstly, the Responsible Gold Initiative (BGI), of the SECO Swiss Cooperation in Peru, who conducted a survey of mining organizations throughout Peru, identifying Oro Puno as an organization that had enormous potential to be certified. On the other hand, there is the organization ABR – Grupo Consultor y Asociados S.A.C. consulting company executing BGI projects, who provided technical and business assistance to the mining organization.