Mining+Industry+in+Colombia

 **__MINING IN COLOMBIA __** One significant part of the transformation of the Colombian economy from the 1970s has been the expansion of the mining sector, mostly made of oil production and coal, though it also includes gold and valuable gems such as emeralds. Colombia's main oil export market is the United States. Production is located mainly in the Cusiana and Cupiagua fields in the Andes foothills and in the Cano Limón field near the Venezuelan border. British Petroleum has major operations at Cusiana and Cupiagua, while the Cano Limón field is operated by U.S.-based Occidental. Colombia produces more than 90 percent of the world's emeralds; it is the second-largest South American producer of gold and the most important coal producer in Latin America. Some of the world's largest coal reserves are located in South America, at [|Cerrejón] in [|Colombia], which is one of the world's largest mines. The company has its own 150 km standard-gauge railroad, connecting the mine to its coal-loading terminal at Puerto Bolívar on the Caribbean coast. There are two 120-car unit trains, each carrying 12,000 tons of coal per trip. The round-trip time for each train, including loading and unloading, is about 12 hours. The mine, railroad and port operate 24 hours per day. Cerrejón directly employs 4,600 workers, with a further 3,800 employed by contractors. The coal is mostly used for electric power generation. It is clear that the mining sector, and particularly coal, will play a significant role in the growth of the Colombian economy for decades to come. 