Mexico opens up mining areas

The Mexican government opened up almost 13 million hectares of land last year in an effort to spur mineral exploration.

This year, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and State Industry has already put up for bid 90,000 hectares in seven states: Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla and Sonora.

This ground, made available through the cancellation of allotments and divestiture of mining reserves, contains gold, silver, zinc, borates and phosphorite. The bids will be opened April 8.

An additional 387,000 hectares are slated for divestiture in 1994. The moves are in accordance with the 1990-94 National Mining Modernization Program.

— Submitted by the Mexican Investment Board, based in Mexico City.