extractives
By Timothy J. Killeen Investment capital flows when prices are high, but companies scale back investments when they fall. Nonetheless, companies do not often abandon projects once underway; in part, this is a natural resistance to writing-off an existing investment, but experienced businessmen also know that markets are cyclical. If companies wish to ‘cash in’ when prices are high, they must have installed capacity in order to ramp up production when the price is right. The prices of industrial minerals were at historical lows prior to 2000 but increased dramatically through the next two decad...
Mongabay
By Timothy J. Killeen Mining and energy companies invest in the Amazon because it is profitable. Opportunities are large because of geology, but development is costly due to the region’s isolation and lack of infrastructure. The decision to pursue a mineral exploitation project depends on several factors, but there are two primary technical criteria: (a) the richness of the mineral deposit, which determines the cost of extraction; and (b) the volume of the geological formation, which determines the productive lifetime of a mine or oil and gas field. Taken together, these two factors allow inve...
Mongabay
By Maxwell Radwin Environmental activists in Bolivia say they’ve become the targets of discrimination, death threats and even bombings after speaking out against harmful mining operations in the department of Oruro. The activists, most of them women, have faced escalating violence this year because of their opposition to mining pollution, water scarcity and land use change near the Indigenous Quechua community collective, or ayllu, of Acre Antequera. In some cases, they’ve even been attacked with sticks and dynamite. Now, they’re making a renewed push to raise awareness about the conflict. “Th...
Mongabay
By Timothy J. Killeen All three legacy-oil pipelines in the Andean Amazon system are old. The Oleoducto Transandino Colombiano (OTC) has been operating for 53 years, followed by the Sistema de Oleoducto Transecuatoriano (SOTE) at 50 years and the Oleoducto Norperuano (ONP) at 45 years. Pipeline technology has changed dramatically since their construction, with improvements in steel alloys, welding technology and surface coverings. These systems’ greatest flaw, however, was the decision to build them above ground, a practice that had been abandoned by the industry in its US-based systems long b...
Mongabay
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