The Miranda Project is located in the cantons of Zaruma and Portovelo, Province of El Oro, southern Ecuador, about 175 kilometers south and 60 kilometers southeast of the major port cities of Guayaquil and Machala respectively. The centre of the property is located on 654,500 East and 9,594,000 North (UTM PSAD-56, zone 17S) or longitude 79° 36’ 31” West and latitude 3° 41’ 20” South (Provisional South American 1956 projection).
Access
The mine is strategically located close to two medium-sized mining towns: Zaruma and Portovela. Access to them is about 2 hours drive from the city of Machala through asphalted roads. Access on the project area is facilitated by a relatively dense network of secondary roads. The project area is also traversed by a main highway to the city of Loja.
Climate and Physiography
The property lies on the western flank of the Cordillera Occidental of Andes mountain range. Hill slopes are moderately steep to very steep with elevations ranging from the 1040 to 1600m a.s.l. Being traditionally a mining district, areas which are not disturbed by mining activity are used for farmlands, grazing and local minor secondary forestry. The climate is subtropical and humid with temperatures ranging from 18° to 30°C. Yearly rainfall averages 1,341mm (1985 to 1994 in Clavijo, 1998), with heaviest rainfalls occurring in the months of January to June.
Local Resources
Zaruma and Portovelo have respective population of 29,000 and 14,000. These mining towns provide both the labor force and all other facilities a mining operation needs (e.g. hotels, food supply, material supply, communication resources, public security and government institution representatives). A strong mining background for the district guarantees skilled workers for underground mining and the availability of basic mining-related material in the Project area. High-tension power lines providing electricity are connected to both Zaruma and Portovelo, and the Rio Amarillo and Rio Calera rivers are able to supply adequate water for large scale mining operations throughout the year.
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