BUENOS AIRES, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Gold leaching at Barrick
Gold Corp's ABX.TO Veladero mine in Argentina will remain
suspended until the miner presents an improved technical
inspection and maintenance plan after a defective valve led to a
cyanide leak, a judge said.
Pablo Oritja, a judge in the western province of San Juan
where the mine is located, initially ordered a five-day halt to
the leaching process, but has now extended the suspension
indefinitely as a precautionary measure.
"The company has to present a plan for improvements to the
safe handling of valves," Oritja told reporters on Wednesday.
A Barrick spokesman in Argentina declined to comment
immediately on whether the prolonged suspension would affect
gold output.
Oritja ordered Barrick constantly monitor its operations to
prevent another leak in the future. The miner has said the Sept.
13 leak was detected almost immediately and that there had been
no contamination of nearby rivers.
RBC Capital Markets told clients in a briefing note that it
did not expect the incident to have a material impact on the
company's 2015 production or costs.
The Veladero mine produced 722,000 ounces of gold last year
and is forecast contribute about 10 percent of Barrick's 2015
gold output, RBS (LONDON:RBS) Capital said.