Coal mining in Latin America

This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

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Latin America is a small coal-producing region, mining 65 million tonnes of coal in 2020, comprising less than 1% of global output. While the industry is characterized by small "artisanal" mines, several large coal operations, including the Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia, are located in the region.

Locations

The map below shows the exact location of operating and proposed coal mines in Latin America.

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Background

Proposed coal mines

A small producer, Latin America makes up just 0.7% (16 mtpa) of proposed global coal mining capacity. The majority of proposed capacity is located in Colombia (3 mtpa under construction and another 7 mtpa planned), followed by Brazil with 5 mtpa of capacity planned and Venezuela with 1 mtpa planned.

Notably, all proposed coal mining capacity in Colombia is sponsored by Yildirim Holding of Turkey. The coal mines would fuel the 3 GW of new coal-fired power projects in Turkey that the company is pursuing. Most of the coal mined in the country is exported abroad while locals deal with the effects, including water and soil pollution, displacement, anti-union repression and murder by paramilitary groups in the early 2000s.

In Brazil, the 5 mtpa Guaíba mine is sponsored by Copelmi Mineração, the country’s largest private coal mining company. If approved, it would be the largest open-pit coal mine in Brazil. In February 2020, a Brazilian federal judge suspended the environmental licensing process for the mine, citing Copelmi's failure to consider the mine’s impact on the nearby indigenous community of Aldeia TeKoá Guajayvi.

In Venezuela, proposed capacity consists solely of the planned 1 mtpa Las Lajitas mine. Coal from the mine would primarily be sold to Venezuela’s Dutch-owned Lomas de Niquel slag-to-nickel project, with the remainder to be exported internationally.

Corporate data transparency

The mining industry's corporate data transparency varies across coal operations in Latin America. Global Energy Monitor's Global Coal Mine Tracker has noted whether coal companies make public a website, contact information, list of operations, and information timely and accessible, and whether they disclose environmental impact statements, ownership structure, and workforce data.

Coal Mine	Country	Company	Status	Contact Information	Disclosure of operations	Public information up-to-date	Disclosure of EIAs	Disclosure of ownership structure	Disclosure of workforce data	Company Website	References
Prodeco coal mine	Colombia	Glencore	Mothballed	✓	✓			✓	Partial	✓
Nueva Rosita coal mine	Mexico	Grupo Mexico SAB de CV	Mothballed	Partial				✓		✓
Río Turbio coal mine	Argentina	Yacimientos Carboníferos Río Turbio (YCRT)	Operating	✓	✓	✓				✓
Calombo Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating	✓	Sparse	N/A		Partial		✓
Cerro Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating	✓	Sparse	N/A		Partial		✓
Butiá Leste Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating	✓	Sparse	N/A		Partial		✓
Seival Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating	✓	✓	✓		Partial		✓
Invierno Coal Mine	Chile	Ultramar	Mothballed	✓	Sparse			✓	Partial	✓
Cerrejón Coal Mine	Colombia	Glencore	Operating	✓	✓			✓	Partial	✓
El Descanso Coal Mine	Colombia	Drummond Company (80%), Itochu (20%)	Operating	✓	Sparse	✓			Partial	✓
Pribbenow Coal Mine	Colombia	Drummond Company (80%), Itochu (20%)	Operating	✓	Sparse	✓			Partial	✓
San Juaquin Mine	Colombia	Grupo Corporativo Vatia S.A.S (Vatia)	Operating	✓						✓
Micare Coal Mine	Mexico	Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) - Grupo Acerero del Norte S.A. de C.V.	Operating	✓	Sparse	N/A		✓		✓
Mimosa Coal Mine	Mexico	Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) - Grupo Acerero del Norte S.A. de C.V.	Operating	✓	Sparse	N/A		✓		✓
Progreso Coal Mine	Mexico	Carbonifera De San Patricio	Operating			N/A
Santa Barbara Coal Mine	Mexico	Mineria y Energia del Noreste	Operating		Sparse	N/A				✓
Pampahuay Coal Mine	Peru	N/A	Operating			N/A
Paso Diablo Coal Mine	Venezuela	Carbones del Guasare (CDG)	Operating	✓		N/A
Guaíba Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Proposed	✓	✓		✓	Partial		✓
Cañaverales Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed	✓	✓			✓	Partial	✓
Papayal Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed	✓	✓			✓	Partial	✓
San Juan Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed	✓	✓			✓	Partial	✓
Las Lajitas Coal Mine	Venezuela	Corporación Venezolana de Minería	Proposed
Fila Maestra Coal Mine	Venezuela	Government of Venezuela, Carbones Guri Guri	Proposed

Note: The above list only includes mines and projects in Global Energy Monitor's Global Coal Mine Tracker.

Environmental Practices

The environmental practices of coal mines in Latin America vary among coal operations. Global Energy Monitor's Global Coal Mine Tracker has noted whether projects are located on protected lands or lands with a majority indigenous population, whether there are documented conflicts over land use, the environment and water use with local communities, and whether the company has disclosed a post-mining reclamation plan.

Coal Mine	Country	Company	Status	Protected lands	Environment or water use conflicts	Reclamation Plans	Land use conflicts	Indigenous lands	References
Prodeco coal mine	Colombia	Glencore	Mothballed	✓	✓		✓	✓
Nueva Rosita coal mine	Mexico	Grupo Mexico SAB de CV	Mothballed
Río Turbio coal mine	Argentina	Yacimientos Carboníferos Río Turbio (YCRT)	Operating
Calombo Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating
Cerro Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating		✓
Butiá Leste Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating
Seival Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating		✓		✓
Invierno Coal Mine	Chile	Ultramar	Mothballed		✓		✓
Cerrejón Coal Mine	Colombia	Glencore	Operating		✓		✓	✓
El Descanso Coal Mine	Colombia	Drummond Company (80%), Itochu (20%)	Operating		✓		✓	✓
Pribbenow Coal Mine	Colombia	Drummond Company (80%), Itochu (20%)	Operating		✓		✓	✓
San Juaquin Mine	Colombia	Grupo Corporativo Vatia S.A.S (Vatia)	Operating
Micare Coal Mine	Mexico	Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) - Grupo Acerero del Norte S.A. de C.V.	Operating
Mimosa Coal Mine	Mexico	Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) - Grupo Acerero del Norte S.A. de C.V.	Operating
Progreso Coal Mine	Mexico	Carbonifera De San Patricio	Operating
Santa Barbara Coal Mine	Mexico	Mineria y Energia del Noreste	Operating
Pampahuay Coal Mine	Peru	N/A	Operating
Paso Diablo Coal Mine	Venezuela	Carbones del Guasare (CDG)	Operating
Guaíba Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Proposed	✓	✓		✓	✓
Cañaverales Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed	✓	✓		✓
Papayal Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed
San Juan Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed
Las Lajitas Coal Mine	Venezuela	Corporación Venezolana de Minería	Proposed
Fila Maestra Coal Mine	Venezuela	Government of Venezuela, Carbones Guri Guri	Proposed

Note: The above list only includes mines and projects in Global Energy Monitor's Global Coal Mine Tracker.

Labor and economic practices

The labor and economic practices of coal mines in Latin America vary among operations. Global Energy Monitor's Global Coal Mine Tracker has noted whether projects have any documented allegations of corruption, tax avoidance, labor conflict, or allegations of human rights abuses.

Coal Mine	Country	Company	Status	Labor conflict	Allegations of tax avoidance	Allegations of corruption	Allegations of human rights abuses	References
Prodeco coal mine	Colombia	Glencore	Mothballed	✓	✓	✓	✓
Nueva Rosita coal mine	Mexico	Grupo Mexico SAB de CV	Mothballed	✓			✓
Río Turbio coal mine	Argentina	Yacimientos Carboníferos Río Turbio (YCRT)	Operating
Calombo Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating
Cerro Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating
Butiá Leste Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating
Seival Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Operating
Invierno Coal Mine	Chile	Ultramar	Mothballed	✓		✓	✓
Cerrejón Coal Mine	Colombia	Glencore	Operating	✓	✓	✓	✓
El Descanso Coal Mine	Colombia	Drummond Company (80%), Itochu (20%)	Operating	✓	✓	✓	✓
Pribbenow Coal Mine	Colombia	Drummond Company (80%), Itochu (20%)	Operating	✓	✓	✓	✓
San Juaquin Mine	Colombia	Grupo Corporativo Vatia S.A.S (Vatia)	Operating	✓			✓
Micare Coal Mine	Mexico	Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) - Grupo Acerero del Norte S.A. de C.V.	Operating	✓			✓
Mimosa Coal Mine	Mexico	Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) - Grupo Acerero del Norte S.A. de C.V.	Operating	✓			✓
Progreso Coal Mine	Mexico	Carbonifera De San Patricio	Operating	✓			✓
Santa Barbara Coal Mine	Mexico	Mineria y Energia del Noreste	Operating	✓			✓
Pampahuay Coal Mine	Peru	N/A	Operating				✓
Paso Diablo Coal Mine	Venezuela	Carbones del Guasare (CDG)	Operating
Guaíba Coal Mine	Brazil	COPELMI	Proposed
Cañaverales Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed
Papayal Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed
San Juan Coal Mine	Colombia	Yildirim Holding AS	Proposed
Las Lajitas Coal Mine	Venezuela	Corporación Venezolana de Minería	Proposed
Fila Maestra Coal Mine	Venezuela	Government of Venezuela, Carbones Guri Guri	Proposed

Note: The above list only includes mines and projects in the Global Energy Monitor's Global Coal Mine Tracker.