The Community grants an exploration permit for useful minerals in the technological industry and metals such as zinc, silver, cobalt, iron and nickel
In search of mineral treasure: a Spanish company based in Madrid will search for lithium, boron and fluorine in the municipalities of Águilas, Lorca, Puerto Lumbreras and Mazarrón, in accordance with the exploration permit granted last week by the Ministry of Business, Employment, Universities and Spokesperson. The main objective is to find these alkaline earth elements that are unconventional and highly demanded in the technology industry, for example for the manufacture of batteries, although the authorization includes prospecting for common metals, such as lead, zinc, copper, cobalt, nickel, iron and silver. .
The mining company has one year, extendable for another twelve months, to analyze the presence of these materials in a large area of 32,190 hectares located in the Guadalentín region, according to what LA TRUTH has learned. The conditions of the permit oblige him not to alter the physical environment, since he will only be able to extract samples of a maximum weight of 200 grams and with manual means; that is, with the help of a hammer. These requests are not very common, but specialized companies are beginning to knock on the doors of administrations due to the global shortage of these rare metalloids, sources familiar with this file explain.
The discovery of these resources “would be very positive for the Region and for the municipality where they are found, it would be like winning the lottery,” say these same sources, who maintain that with current techniques they could be extracted “without harm to the environment. And at current prices, it would be a profitable business.”
exploration permission
‘Don Bartholomew’
Municipalities: Águilas, Lorca, Mazarrón
and Puerto Lumbreras
vines of the
meseguer
port luminaries
Extension of the
Grid:
el mojón bridge intersection ap7 with almería province
the minerals sought
Exploration permit ‘Don Bartolomé’
Municipalities: Águilas, Lorca, Mazarrón and Puerto Lumbreras
vineyards of the meseguer
port luminaries
Extension of the
Grid:
el mojón bridge intersection ap7 with almería province
the minerals sought
This exploration permit, called Don Bartolomé, consists of the study of cartography, geological maps, previous indications of the presence of these minerals and an on-site visual inspection, where small samples can be taken that do not require work or machinery intervention. some in the field studied.
In the event that the presence of the intended minerals is confirmed, the company can request a research permit or a mining concession for their exploitation. Although the Administration contemplates two exceptions that would prevent the applicant from exploiting the veins found: that they are located on land previously reserved by the State or in areas that already have mining concessions or some other request for mining rights. According to the Mining Law, all mineral resources are property of the State.
environmental guarantees
In addition to paying the corresponding fee, the authorized company has had to take out civil liability insurance for an amount of 5,610,000 euros.
Is there any chance of finding these highly valued seams? Experts consulted by this newspaper believe that it is not ruled out due to the great mineral wealth of the Region of Murcia, caused by the great volcanic activity, and the historical background.
Rock samples, with a maximum weight of 200 grams, must be extracted with the help of a hammer
The granted exploration permit contains clauses to guarantee that the exploration work will not imply any alteration of the natural environment or affect environmental or heritage protection figures.
For this reason, nesting periods and times of greater sensitivity for birds, such as migration, will be taken into account, “and special attention will be paid to protected species.” In the event that the presence of threatened fauna is detected, “exploration activities in that area will be halted for the duration of the reproductive season of these species, in order not to affect their nests, vivariums and areas of reproduction”, warns the administrative contract.
“During their journeys, the geologists in charge of geological reconnaissance will use the existing road network of roads and paths, prohibiting cross-country travel by automobile. Access to areas of interest where it is not possible to reach the road network will be done on foot », insists in the specifications.
In the same way, the company has the obligation to guarantee “the correct functioning and periodic revision of the vehicles”, which must be subject to the “maintenance, revision and fine-tuning prescribed by the manufacturer, thus guaranteeing that noise and vibration emissions are adequate with the current legislation”.
Materials for optics, medicine, jewelry, nuclear industry and battery manufacturing
Going deep into the search for rare materials pays off. Because its scarcity and the great demand in the market have triggered its price in recent years. Lithium is used in the manufacture of batteries and in medicine; fluorine has applications in metallurgy, jewelry, as an additive in metal refining, in optics and nuclear technology; and boron is used as a preservative, in detergents, and in the ceramics industry.
The prospecting of unconventional minerals could lead to a third flourishing of mining in the Region: the first was carried out by the Romans and the second took place at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The Romans exploited the veins of silver and lead in the region but neglected other materials. They had good geological knowledge but little advanced technology for the use of metals such as zinc.
«And in the last century, both in the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión and in Mazarrón, other metals were already used, such as iron and zinc, apart from lead and silver. And associated with these, traces of other minerals emerged that are still there and that are the ones that are being searched for now, ”argue the experts consulted by LA VERDAD.
Although its extraction, they assure, would not be carried out in the open, but “with cutting-edge technology.”