The sharp rise in&nbsp;gold&nbsp;prices has driven a&nbsp;surge&nbsp;of&nbsp;illegal&nbsp;mining&nbsp;in&nbsp;Brazil, much of it in the Amazon rainforest, according to a&nbsp;study&nbsp;published Tuesday.

Gold&nbsp;output in&nbsp;Brazil, the world's 14th-biggest producer last year, has soared since the coronavirus pandemic pushed international prices to record highs.

Of the 112 tonnes of&nbsp;gold&nbsp;produced in&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;last year, at least seven percent was&nbsp;illegal&nbsp;and 25 percent potentially&nbsp;illegal, found the&nbsp;study&nbsp;from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG).

"From 2020 to 2021, there was a 44-percent increase in the amount of&nbsp;illegal&nbsp;gold&nbsp;produced," said the&nbsp;study.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jihadist-ambush-on-gold-mine-vehicle-convoy-kills-seven-in-burkina-faso-510503">Also read |&nbsp;Jihadist ambush on gold mine vehicle convoy kills seven in Burkina Faso</a>

The trend continued basically unchanged in the first six months of 2022, it found.

Lucrative profits are driving a&nbsp;gold&nbsp;rush in the Brazilian Amazon, where the amount of deforestation for&nbsp;mining&nbsp;set a record of 121 square kilometers (47 square miles) last year, according to satellite monitoring by the national space agency, INPE.

The&nbsp;study&nbsp;found at least 23 percent of&nbsp;mining&nbsp;deforestation in the Amazon, a key buffer against climate change, was on Indigenous reservations, conservation areas and other officially protected lands.

Illegal&nbsp;wildcat miners with links to organized crime have violently attacked Indigenous inhabitants in some areas, and studies show the mercury they use to separate&nbsp;gold&nbsp;from sediment is contaminating rivers.

The&nbsp;study&nbsp;found the vast majority of&nbsp;Brazil's&nbsp;illegal&nbsp;gold&nbsp;output -- 98 percent -- came from three municipalities in the northern state of Para, with the Kayapo and Munduruku Indigenous groups particularly hard-hit.

Federal prosecutors have urged President Jair Bolsonaro's government, which faces international criticism over the accelerating destruction of the Amazon, to adopt stricter controls on the origin of&nbsp;gold.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indigenous-leader-who-opposed-illegal-mining-killed-in-venezuela-ngo-493817">Also read |&nbsp;Indigenous leader who opposed illegal mining killed in Venezuela: NGO</a>

Prosecutors estimate the social and environmental damages from&nbsp;illegal&nbsp;gold&nbsp;mining&nbsp;at 39 billion reais ($7.5 billion) from January 2021 to June 2022, the&nbsp;study&nbsp;said.

That is nearly equal to&nbsp;Brazil's total estimated&nbsp;gold&nbsp;revenues for the period, 44.6 billion reais.

Total tax revenues from&nbsp;gold&nbsp;mining&nbsp;meanwhile came to less than two percent of the damages.

"The harm (from wildcat&nbsp;gold&nbsp;mining) in the Amazon affects everyone... but the profits generated by these operations are concentrated among just a few," the&nbsp;study's lead author, engineer Bruno Manzolli, told AFP.

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The sharp rise in gold prices has driven a surge of illegal mining in Brazil, much of it in the Amazon rainforest, according to a study published Tuesday. Gold output in Brazil, the world's 14th-biggest producer last year, has soared since the coronavirus pandemic pushed international prices to record highs.

The sharp rise in gold prices has driven a surge of illegal mining in Brazil, much of it in the Amazon rainforest, according to a study published Tuesday. Gold output in Brazil, the world's 14th-biggest producer last year, has soared since the coronavirus pandemic pushed international prices to record highs. Of the 112 tonnes of gold produced in Brazil last year, at least seven percent was illegal and 25 percent potentially illegal, found the study from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). "From 2020 to 2021, there was a 44-percent increase in the amount of illegal gold produced," said the study. Also read | Jihadist ambush on gold mine vehicle convoy kills seven in Burkina Faso The trend continued basically unchanged in the first six months of 2022, it found. Lucrative profits are driving a gold rush in the Brazilian Amazon, where the amount of deforestation for mining set a record of 121 square kilometers (47 square miles) last year, according to satellite monitoring by the national space agency, INPE. The study found at least 23 percent of mining deforestation in the Amazon, a key buffer against climate change, was on Indigenous reservations, conservation areas and other officially protected lands. Illegal wildcat miners with links to organized crime have violently attacked Indigenous inhabitants in some areas, and studies show the mercury they use to separate gold from sediment is contaminating rivers. The study found the vast majority of Brazil's illegal gold output -- 98 percent -- came from three municipalities in the northern state of Para, with the Kayapo and Munduruku Indigenous groups particularly hard-hit. Federal prosecutors have urged President Jair Bolsonaro's government, which faces international criticism over the accelerating destruction of the Amazon, to adopt stricter controls on the origin of gold. Also read | Indigenous leader who opposed illegal mining killed in Venezuela: NGO Prosecutors estimate the social and environmental damages from illegal gold mining at 39 billion reais ($7.5 billion) from January 2021 to June 2022, the study said. That is nearly equal to Brazil's total estimated gold revenues for the period, 44.6 billion reais. Total tax revenues from gold mining meanwhile came to less than two percent of the damages. "The harm (from wildcat gold mining) in the Amazon affects everyone... but the profits generated by these operations are concentrated among just a few," the study's lead author, engineer Bruno Manzolli, told AFP. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Study finds surge in illegal gold mining in Brazil

Environmental activists in South Africa are suing the government and mining companies to clean up toxic waste from gold mining, and to compensate people who have become sick from the contamination. &nbsp;

The Federation for Sustainable Environment, an environmental group, says the waste, including uranium, has released radiation on nearby communities and squatters.&nbsp;

Mintails, an Australian-owned company, is also being sued for not cleaning up environmental damage at its mines.

Meanwhile, the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources is seeking to avoid a lengthy legal process and wants to see the case settled out of court.

Nearby communities such as Tudor Shaft are exposed to radiation and toxic tailings, leftovers separated from the ore, the group's director said.

Some Tudor Shaft residents have been relocated to safer areas, but many more have been left behind.

The absence of basic structures in this impoverished area is making life unbearable for Tudor Shaft residents, said community activist Lucas Mitsipitso.

Environmental activists in South Africa are suing the government and mining companies to clean up toxic waste from gold mining, and to compensate people who have become sick from the contamination.

Environmental activists in South Africa are suing the government and mining companies to clean up toxic waste from gold mining, and to compensate people who have become sick from the contamination. The Federation for Sustainable Environment, an environmental group, says the waste, including uranium, has released radiation on nearby communities and squatters. Mintails, an Australian-owned company, is also being sued for not cleaning up environmental damage at its mines. Meanwhile, the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources is seeking to avoid a lengthy legal process and wants to see the case settled out of court. Nearby communities such as Tudor Shaft are exposed to radiation and toxic tailings, leftovers separated from the ore, the group's director said. Some Tudor Shaft residents have been relocated to safer areas, but many more have been left behind. The absence of basic structures in this impoverished area is making life unbearable for Tudor Shaft residents, said community activist Lucas Mitsipitso.

South African environmentalists sue govt to get toxic gold mines cleaned

A Chinese stat-run company is planning to buy a&nbsp;gold mine in the&nbsp;Canadian Arctic. The plans of a state-run company acquiring the area has&nbsp;sparked concerns for the Canadian government.

Shandong Gold Mining Co.'s plans on&nbsp;buying the gold mines from a Canadian company as&nbsp;experts believe it&nbsp;shows how China is expanding its presence in strategically important region.

The Canadian opposition party has raised concerns and has urged the Trudeau government&nbsp;to take steps as it holds a&nbsp;cabinet meeting over this deal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-backs-us-rejects-beijings-south-china-sea-claims-315887">Also read:&nbsp;Australia backs US, rejects Beijing's South China Sea claims</a>

The opposition has urged the Prime Minister to block the deal and discourage China from acquiring any more assets in the Arcitc after the US warned that China could be aiming to assert its importance in sensitive and important regions such as Arctic, similar to the South China Sea dispute.

“This purchase should not go forward,” said Richard Fadden, who was national security adviser to both PM Trudeau and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “They are clearly adversaries, and I think we have to take that into account every time they seek to buy something.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/did-china-steal-organs-of-falun-gong-practitioners-315513">Also read:&nbsp;Did China steal organs of Falun Gong practitioners?</a>

The Canadian company&nbsp;TMAC Resources Inc. has approved the deal and the only step remaining is a green signal from the Canadian government. In Canada, all assets being sold to foreign state-owned company has to be approved by the government, and the cabinet holds the power to block the deal if it poses a threat to the national security — a term undefined by the Canadian government.

“We are a commercially focused company that is well known to the Canadian mining industry,” said Jack Yue, director of corporate development and global investment. “The Canadian government will decide whether to approve this acquisition, but we see it as a straightforward gold-mining transaction.”

While the experts and Canadian opposition are looking at Trudeau's administration for a final decision now, his office has not issued a statement on this matter yet.

A Chinese stat-run company is planning to buy a gold mine in the Canadian Arctic. The plans of a state-run company acquiring the area has sparked concerns for the Canadian government.

A Chinese stat-run company is planning to buy a gold mine in the Canadian Arctic. The plans of a state-run company acquiring the area has sparked concerns for the Canadian government. Shandong Gold Mining Co.'s plans on buying the gold mines from a Canadian company as experts believe it shows how China is expanding its presence in strategically important region. The Canadian opposition party has raised concerns and has urged the Trudeau government to take steps as it holds a cabinet meeting over this deal. Also read: Australia backs US, rejects Beijing's South China Sea claims The opposition has urged the Prime Minister to block the deal and discourage China from acquiring any more assets in the Arcitc after the US warned that China could be aiming to assert its importance in sensitive and important regions such as Arctic, similar to the South China Sea dispute. “This purchase should not go forward,” said Richard Fadden, who was national security adviser to both PM Trudeau and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “They are clearly adversaries, and I think we have to take that into account every time they seek to buy something.” Also read: Did China steal organs of Falun Gong practitioners? The Canadian company TMAC Resources Inc. has approved the deal and the only step remaining is a green signal from the Canadian government. In Canada, all assets being sold to foreign state-owned company has to be approved by the government, and the cabinet holds the power to block the deal if it poses a threat to the national security — a term undefined by the Canadian government. “We are a commercially focused company that is well known to the Canadian mining industry,” said Jack Yue, director of corporate development and global investment. “The Canadian government will decide whether to approve this acquisition, but we see it as a straightforward gold-mining transaction.” While the experts and Canadian opposition are looking at Trudeau's administration for a final decision now, his office has not issued a statement on this matter yet.

China plans to buy gold mine in Arctic; Trudeau government to decide deal

To the west of Ethiopia near the Sudanese border lies a place called the Asosa zone. This may be the location of the oldest gold mine in the world. Dating back some 6,000 years, it provided a key source of gold to the ancient Egyptian empire, whose great wealth was famous throughout the known world. It may even have supplied the Queen of Sheba with her lavish gifts of gold when she visited King Solomon of Israel almost 3,000 years ago.

The excitement in this part of the world is more about the future, however. Some local inhabitants already make a living from prospecting, and several mining companies have been active in the area in recent years, too.

<figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202851/original/file-20180122-182948-2y98r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202851/original/file-20180122-182948-2y98r4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>
When Sheba met Sol. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/ethiopian-cents-image-lion-head-isolated-716736049?src=MqPalwucGkqsIEJJ26g5Iw-2-42">Wikimedia</a>

But what comes next could be on a much bigger scale: I have just co-published with my colleague, Owen Morgan, new geological research that suggests that much more treasure might be buried under the surface of this east African country than was previously thought.
</figcaption>
</figure>

Treasure trail

The Asosa zone is made up of flatlands, rugged valleys, mountainous ridges, streams and rivers. It is densely vegetated by bamboo and incense trees, with remnants of tropical rainforests along the river valleys. The zone, which is part of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Benishangul-Gumuz region, is spotted with archaeological sites containing clues to how people lived here thousands of years ago, together with ancient mining pits and trenches.

Local inhabitants have long taken advantage of these riches. They pan for gold in Asosa&rsquo;s streams and also extract the precious metal directly from outcropping rocks.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202822/original/file-20180122-46210-1ei2jtm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202822/original/file-20180122-46210-1ei2jtm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>Local inhabitants panning for gold. Owen Morgan</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

More substantial exploitation of the region&rsquo;s riches dates back to the Italian invasion of the 1930s. The Italians explored the Welega gold district in West Welega, south-east of Asosa.

Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, believed the country had the potential to become a global leader in gold. But when the revolutionary Derg government deposed him and the country plunged into civil war, gold mining disappeared off the agenda for a decade and a half. It took until the early 2000s before the government started awarding exploration licences.

Several mines are up and running, neither of them in Asosa. One is at Lega Dembi slightly to the east, owned by Saudi interests. The other, at Tigray in the north of the country, is owned by American mining giant Newmont, and just started production late last year.

More is already on the way: the beneficiary of the Italian efforts from the 1930s in Welega is the Tulu Kapi gold prospect, containing 48 tonnes of gold. This was most recently acquired in 2013 by Cyprus-based mining group KEFI Minerals (market value: roughly US$2.3 billion (&pound;1.7 billion)).

As for Asosa, the Egyptian company ASCOM made a significant gold discovery in the zone in 2016. It published a maiden resource statement that claimed the presence of &ndash; curiously the same number &ndash; 48 tonnes of gold. Yet this only looks like the beginning.

Au-some potential?

The Asosa zone geology is characterised by various kinds of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that are more than 600 million-years-old. The region has been intensely deformed by geological forces, resulting in everything from kilometre-long faults to tiny cracks known as veins which are only centimetres in length.

Some of these veins contain quartz, and it is mainly here that the region&rsquo;s gold accumulated between 615m and 650m years ago &ndash; along with silver and various other minerals. The gold came from molten materials deep within the Earth finding their way upwards during a process known as subduction, where tectonic forces drive oceanic crust beneath a continent. This is comparable to the reasons behind gold deposits in island arcs like some of the ones in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Our field observations and panning suggest that gold should be generally abundant across the Asoza zone &ndash; both in quartz veins but also elsewhere in the schist and pegmatite rocks in which they are located. We also see signs of substantial graphite deposits, which are important for everything from touch-screen tablets to lithium-ion batteries.

There is undoubtedly much more world-class gold within this area than has already been discovered, pointing to a promising source of income for the government for years to come &ndash; much of the region remains unexplored, after all. It probably is no exaggeration to say that Ethiopia&rsquo;s gold potential could rival South Africa&rsquo;s, which would put it somewhere around the top five gold producing nations in the world.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202820/original/file-20180122-46232-qea4pz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202820/original/file-20180122-46232-qea4pz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>View across the gold-bearing schist rocks of the Asosa zone, Benishangul-Gumuz. Owen Morgan</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

There are still some substantial challenges, however. Dealing with governmental red tape can be difficult. In an area like the Asosa zone there are dangerous wildlife to avoid, such as venimous snakes, baboons and even monkeys. The vegetation also becomes forbiddingly wild during wet seasons.

It is also important to strike up good working relationships with local inhabitants, showing the utmost respect to local cultures &ndash; it&rsquo;s the ethical way to operate, and failing to do so can make life harder with the authorities in the capital. This includes the need to preserve the natural beauty of the region; gold mining already has a very bad international reputation for environmental damage.

With the right approach, however, western Ethiopia will be a literal gold mine that could bring economic benefit to the region. What the Queen of Sheba may have known 3,000 years ago, the modern world is finally rediscovering today.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ethiopia-could-be-sitting-on-one-of-worlds-great-untapped-gold-deposits-90408" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Dating back some 6,000 years, Asosa zone in west of Ethiopia, provided a key source of gold to the ancient Egyptian empire, whose great wealth was famous throughout the known world.

To the west of Ethiopia near the Sudanese border lies a place called the Asosa zone. This may be the location of the oldest gold mine in the world. Dating back some 6,000 years, it provided a key source of gold to the ancient Egyptian empire, whose great wealth was famous throughout the known world. It may even have supplied the Queen of Sheba with her lavish gifts of gold when she visited King Solomon of Israel almost 3,000 years ago. The excitement in this part of the world is more about the future, however. Some local inhabitants already make a living from prospecting, and several mining companies have been active in the area in recent years, too. When Sheba met Sol. Wikimedia But what comes next could be on a much bigger scale: I have just co-published with my colleague, Owen Morgan, new geological research that suggests that much more treasure might be buried under the surface of this east African country than was previously thought. Treasure trail The Asosa zone is made up of flatlands, rugged valleys, mountainous ridges, streams and rivers. It is densely vegetated by bamboo and incense trees, with remnants of tropical rainforests along the river valleys. The zone, which is part of Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region, is spotted with archaeological sites containing clues to how people lived here thousands of years ago, together with ancient mining pits and trenches. Local inhabitants have long taken advantage of these riches. They pan for gold in Asosa’s streams and also extract the precious metal directly from outcropping rocks. Local inhabitants panning for gold. Owen Morgan More substantial exploitation of the region’s riches dates back to the Italian invasion of the 1930s. The Italians explored the Welega gold district in West Welega, south-east of Asosa. Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, believed the country had the potential to become a global leader in gold. But when the revolutionary Derg government deposed him and the country plunged into civil war, gold mining disappeared off the agenda for a decade and a half. It took until the early 2000s before the government started awarding exploration licences. Several mines are up and running, neither of them in Asosa. One is at Lega Dembi slightly to the east, owned by Saudi interests. The other, at Tigray in the north of the country, is owned by American mining giant Newmont, and just started production late last year. More is already on the way: the beneficiary of the Italian efforts from the 1930s in Welega is the Tulu Kapi gold prospect, containing 48 tonnes of gold. This was most recently acquired in 2013 by Cyprus-based mining group KEFI Minerals (market value: roughly US$2.3 billion (£1.7 billion)). As for Asosa, the Egyptian company ASCOM made a significant gold discovery in the zone in 2016. It published a maiden resource statement that claimed the presence of – curiously the same number – 48 tonnes of gold. Yet this only looks like the beginning. Au-some potential? The Asosa zone geology is characterised by various kinds of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that are more than 600 million-years-old. The region has been intensely deformed by geological forces, resulting in everything from kilometre-long faults to tiny cracks known as veins which are only centimetres in length. Some of these veins contain quartz, and it is mainly here that the region’s gold accumulated between 615m and 650m years ago – along with silver and various other minerals. The gold came from molten materials deep within the Earth finding their way upwards during a process known as subduction, where tectonic forces drive oceanic crust beneath a continent. This is comparable to the reasons behind gold deposits in island arcs like some of the ones in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Our field observations and panning suggest that gold should be generally abundant across the Asoza zone – both in quartz veins but also elsewhere in the schist and pegmatite rocks in which they are located. We also see signs of substantial graphite deposits, which are important for everything from touch-screen tablets to lithium-ion batteries. There is undoubtedly much more world-class gold within this area than has already been discovered, pointing to a promising source of income for the government for years to come – much of the region remains unexplored, after all. It probably is no exaggeration to say that Ethiopia’s gold potential could rival South Africa’s, which would put it somewhere around the top five gold producing nations in the world. View across the gold-bearing schist rocks of the Asosa zone, Benishangul-Gumuz. Owen Morgan There are still some substantial challenges, however. Dealing with governmental red tape can be difficult. In an area like the Asosa zone there are dangerous wildlife to avoid, such as venimous snakes, baboons and even monkeys. The vegetation also becomes forbiddingly wild during wet seasons. It is also important to strike up good working relationships with local inhabitants, showing the utmost respect to local cultures – it’s the ethical way to operate, and failing to do so can make life harder with the authorities in the capital. This includes the need to preserve the natural beauty of the region; gold mining already has a very bad international reputation for environmental damage. With the right approach, however, western Ethiopia will be a literal gold mine that could bring economic benefit to the region. What the Queen of Sheba may have known 3,000 years ago, the modern world is finally rediscovering today. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: World's great untapped gold deposits are in Ethiopia

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