Peter Nientied 

Beauty in the pits – three open pit mines in Huelva

​

In 2012, two books on abandoned structures - houses, engineering works, and industrial sites - were published under the title Beauty in Decay – Urbex (Volumes I and II). These beautiful photo books explore the haunting aesthetics of neglect and ruin. Bianca van der Werff (https://biancavanderwerf.com/) contributed to the first volume.

​

These books came to mind when I visited three open-pit mines in the province of Huelva, in the far south-west of Spain. One of these enormous pits is still in operation, while the other two have been closed. Most open-pit mines I have seen in various European countries tend to be rather depressing environments, especially during rainy weather and cold winds, when everything appears grey and dirty. This concerns only the visual aspect; far more serious is the ecological damage that has been caused (see https://minob.org/english/minas-de-riotinto.html).

​

Mining at San Telmo began in the mid-19th century; the mine was closed several times and was finally abandoned in 1992. The Tharsis mines produced copper, silver, gold, and raw pyrite, which was sold for the production of sulphuric acid. Mining activities there ceased in 2001. The mineralisation of the San Telmo mine consists of a mixture of lead, zinc, and copper sulphides. In the village of Minas de Riotinto (Red River) mines have been closed and transformed into a popular mining park and museum with a wide range of activities. But one large mine in the area, however, is still operational: Atalaya Mining company currently extracts more than 50,000 tonnes of copper and silver per year.