Veladero completed the first shift change for its workforce following the extraordinary weather conditions recorded over the past several days in the high Andes of San Juan, which had affected travel conditions along the access road to the operation.
By Panorama Minero
The operation involved the movement of more than 1,700 people: 950 workers descended from the mine, while another 760 traveled to the site to begin their shifts. Transfers were carried out progressively using different means of transportation, selected according to conditions along each section of the route.
The return to regular shift rotations began on August 4, when Veladero succeeded in reopening the access road after several days of work under weather-related constraints. Following an assessment of road conditions, the first personnel movements began, with the remainder of the operation proceeding subsequently.
The work required the participation of Veladero’s own crews and contractor teams, which carried out snow clearing and road conditioning activities, together with coordination among the different areas involved in personnel transportation.
The deployment is part of the company’s Winter Operations Plan, which remains active to maintain the road to the mine open and accessible. Specialized equipment and heavy machinery remain positioned at various points along the route to respond to changes in road conditions.
At the same time, road assessment, monitoring and maintenance activities remain ongoing. According to Veladero, personnel movements are authorized based on technical assessments of the road and the evolution of weather conditions.
Following the completion of this first shift change, work remains focused on restoring normal travel conditions along the access route to the operation, in a context where winter conditions in the high Andes require continuous monitoring of the road.
