According to the local press, the sky-high price of gold has pushed an
English mining company to start searching for the precious mineral in Tuscany’s
mining areas in the Maremma.
Although scientists have confirmed the existence of gold in the area
between Grosseto and Paganico, in the past its low price made mining, which is
labor-intensive, unprofitable. According to a study conducted by Italian petrol
company Agip in the 1980s, ‘firms can mine an average of about 4 grams of the
precious metal per tonne of rock,’ says geologist Giacomo Biserni.
Today’s high prices are making the prospect of mining gold more
attractive. The firm that has expressed interest is Medgold Resources Ltd, a
multinational with active mines in France, Spain, Turkey and as far as the
United States, in Nevada.
A consultant for Medgold, Biserni explained , ‘45 percent of the rock
samples analyzed in the past have shown the presence of gold, with values from
1 to 11 grams per tonne.’
‘We have begun paperwork to start searching in three areas and then we
will search others. It is obvious that an eventual extraction would be very
advantageous, as gold [prices] is at maximum levels,’ he continued.
The preliminary tests are not invasive, noted Biserni, with experts
extracting rock samples at the surface; if there are sufficient levels of gold,
then the next step would be an official request to start mining.
