Mining in Costa Rica

Artisanal gold mining in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has an active metalliferous mining industry producing gold and a quarrying industry producing aggregates such as limestone, clay, silica and diatomite.

History

Costa Rica became known as the "Rich Coast" to Spanish settlers because of the rich goldworking by the native cultures. Juan Vazquez de Coronado is said to have been the first European settler to attempt mining in the country, with limited success.

First Cycle: 1821-43

Mining claims registered for the Aguacate mines 1821-1831.

Mining for gold in Costa Rica began proper following the discovery of the Avocado Mines (Minas del Aguacate) by Bishop Garcia, Bishop of Costa Rica, in 1815. The discovery was announced by Don Rafael Gallegos, the second president of Costa Rica, and named Sacra Familia (Holy Family). A gold rush occurred and upon hearing about the discovery, Richard Trevithick who was then in Peru, traveled to Costa Rica in 1824 to work the Sacra Familia mines under the Anglo-Costa Rica Mining Company; the project was said to be unsuccessful. Other attempts by Cornish miners are said to have occurred in the 1830s and 1840s.

Second Cycle: 1890 to 1930

A "second cycle" of mining occurred in the late 19th to early 20th century following closure of most of earlier mines by the 1870s. It was characterised by foreign investment in Costa Rica's gold industry. Abangares became the emblematic district of the cycle.

Third Cycle: 1973-

This was characterised by a rise in the price of gold, spurring on new investment in mining.

Fourth Cycle: 1990s - present

During the 1990s Costa Rica attracted large foreign investors, however after public outcry open-pit mining was banned throughout the country in 2010.

Notable Mines

As described by Reitz (1902).

Plan of the Aguacate gold mines.

Avocado District

• Aguacate Mines - this consisted of approximately 6 smaller workings: the Main Lode, La Minita (discovered in 1832), San Miguel (discovered in 1826 and worked until 1862), Guapinol (discovered 1823), El Balsa (discovered and worked 1825, also known as the veta Oreamunos or the Mina de San Rafael. Minted Costa Rica's first gold coin), La Cigueña (between Guapinol and La Cigueña) and Don Eusebio (part of San Rafael).
• Sacra Familia Mines - adjoining the Aguacate mines on the northwest. Prior to closure in 1884, the mine had its own stamping mill, ores were transported by oxcart. Some of the individual workings were known as Cardinilla, Potrero Alto and Sobre Cañon de San Francisco. There was an arrastra situated on the Rio Quebrada Honda.
• Los Castros - adjoining the Aguacate Mines on the northeast on the continuation of the Oreamunos lode. Discovered in 1822, its constituent workings were known as Don Ricardo, El Manto, El Pochote, Don Antonio Pinto, Lacre , Sequiera and Don José Antonio Castro.
• El Porvenir - west of the Aguacate Mines on the Rio Machuca, a short distance north of San Mateo. In 1902 it was being worked by the Rio Grande Gold Mining Company.
• Quebrada Honde Mine - adjoining the Sacra Familia Mines on the west on the Rio Quebrada Honde. Worked three lodes to a maximum depth of 400ft. Closed by 1857.

Gold Mountain District

Source:

• Trinidad Mine - worked by an English company in 1902.
• La Union - worked by the San Francisco based Union Mining Company in 1902.
• Macacona Mine - closed c.1870.
• Bella Vista and la Montezuma - situated near the village of Miramar, Puntarenas district.

Abangares District

• Abangarez Gold Fields, Limited - worked lodes known as Tres Hermanos (6 to 20ft wide) and the Big Gilo (6 to 12ft).
• Tres Amigos Mine - worked by the Boston Mines Company.
• Las Cañas Syndicate - worked a lode known as the Esperanza.
• Guanacaste Syndicate - worked lodes known as the Gier and the Oracu.

Mining

Map of mines categorised by mineral, working and abandoned, in Costa Rica.

While some 17 metalliferous commodities are known to have occurrences, only gold, silver and manganese have been worked productively. Historical gold production data is very incomplete, reflecting the fact that most was produced through artisanal mining and exported illegally: 65, 427 and 8kg of gold are recorded for the years 1975-77 inclusive.

CR Gold Production 1944-1967

Year / period	Gold production, troy ounces
1944	3,606
1945	3,054
1946	1,251
1947	1,988
1948	1,096
1949	248
1953–1957 average	620
1958	310
1959	—
1960	—
1961	3,000
1962	3,000
1963	3,000
1964	3,000
1965	600
1966	600
1967	500

Gold Production

Year	Kg
2013	1500
2014	1350
2015	950
2016	750
2017	4255
2018	5200
2019	4500
2020	599
2021	647
Total	19,751

Quarrying

In 2021 1,510,654m³ limestone, 80m³ kaoline, 244,635m³ silica and 14,642m³ diatomite were produced.

Gallery

Aguacate Mines

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See also

• Costa Rican Directorate of Geology and Mines
• José María Figueroa Oreamuno

Bibliography

• García M., Guillermo (1977). "Las minas de Abangares: historia de una doble explotación". Estudios Generales (in Spanish). San José, Costa Rica.
• Kussmaul, Siegfreid (2007). "Publicaciones de principios del siglo XX sobre las minas de oro en Costa Rica". Revista geológica de América central. 36. doi:10.15517/rgac.v0i36.12900.
• Mellis, Ernesto (1891). "Informe sobre las minas del Monte del Aguacate y de Los Castro". Tipografía Nacional (in Spanish). San José: Instituto Fisco Geographico Nacional.
• Pochet, Carlos Anaya (1973). "La mineria y sus relaciones con la acumulacion de capial y la clase girigente do Costa Rica, 1821-41". Estudios Sociales Centroamericanos (in Spanish). 5: 31–64.
• Pochet, Carlos Araya (1976). El segundo ciclo minero de Costa Rica, 1890-1930 (in Spanish). Universidad de Costa Rica, Escuela de Historia y Geografía.
• Pochet, Carlos Anaya (1976). "La minería en Costa Rica (1821-1843)". Revista de historia (in Spanish) (2): 85–125.
• Reitz, Milton Franklin (1902-08-16). "The Gold Mines of Costa Rica". The Engineering and Mining Journal. 74 (7): 210–213.
• Jorge, León Saenz; Blanco, Nelson Arroyo; Mora, Andrea Montero (2012). Historia económica de Costa Rica en el siglo XX, Tomo III: La Industria en Costa Rica en el Siglo XX (in Spanish). Universidad de Costa Rica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Económicas Centro de Investigaciones Históricas de América Central. pp. 33–48. ISBN 978-9968-46-401-7.

External links

• Dirección de Geología y Minas
• US Geological Survey Mineral Resource Data System