Colombia promoting small and medium gold, polymetallic projects

Small and medium-sized mining projects in the Colombian departments of Chocó, Huila, Tolima, Vaupés and Cauca were presented to potential investors at the Gold & Polymetallic Business Round Table on Tuesday, the first to be held in 2022.

According to host mining agency ANM, companies from Switzerland, the UK, Japan, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates were among the interested parties.

ANM plans to hold another eight such business roundtables this year, according to a statement.

The agency’s head, Juan Miguel Durán, said the objective of the meetings is to facilitate relations between producers with mining projects in Colombia and potential markets at the national and international level, and to identify new opportunities for investments.

Colombia has 2,069 gold mining titles covering approximately 1.75% of the national territory, ANM said.

In 2021, gold production was 49.9t (1.6Moz), up almost 3% from 2020 and over 30% compared to 2019.

Last year, mines and energy minister Diego Mesa told BNamericas that Colombia expects to double its annual gold production by 2030 compared to 2020.

According to the ministry, mining contributes about 2% of Colombia’s GDP, 20% of foreign investment, a third of exports and 20-25% of the royalties received by the treasury.