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FACTBOX-Key players in Ecuador's nascent mining sector
Sept 9 (Reuters) - Global copper giants are turning their attention to Ecuador's rich southern copper belt, kicking the tires on the Panantza-San Carlos copper property owned by Canada's Corriente Resources Inc .
Following are some of the key players in Ecuador's budding mining sector, which analysts say could be worth billions of dollars in gold, copper and silver deposits.
Corriente Resources Inc.
Vancouver-based Corriente is seeking major partners to develop the multibillion dollar Panantza-San Carlos project that has inferred resources of around 14.4 billion pounds of copper.
Xstrata, Chile's Codelco and China's Tongling Nonferrous Metals , among others, are said to be eyeing the property.
Corriente also owns the Mirador and Mirador Norte projects, which together have resources of 11 billion pounds of copper. The company has other minor exploration targets in Ecuador.
All of Corriente's exploration projects have been suspende d by the government since late 2006 to prevent violent clashes between communities that oppose or back mining activity in the jungle.
Aurelian Resources and Kinross Gold
Kinross won approval earlier this month for its C$870 million ($815 million) bid for Aurelian Resources, allowing it to take control of the Fruta del Norte gold deposit in Ecuador.
With inferred resource of 13.7 million ounces of gold and 22 million ounces of silver, Fruta del Norte is one of the world's top undeveloped deposits.
Aurelian holds 39 concessions in Ecuador, or around 95,000 hectares (235,000 acres) of territory.
IamGold Corp.
Iamgold, a mid-tier gold producer, controls the Quimsacocha project in southern Ecuador with estimated resources of some 3.3 million ounces of gold.
The company is one of the biggest miners exploring in Ecuador, and has operations in North America and Africa.
Environmentalists and some local villagers have demanded the government shut down the Quimsacocha project to protect the environment and key water sources.
Dynasty Metals
Dynasty holds some of the most advanced exploration projects in Ecuador, the Jerusalem and Zaruma deposits that have combined resources of 3.8 million ounces of gold.
In April, President Rafael Correa visited the company's Zaruma gold project and met with senior executives.
The company's projects are currently suspended following a mining ban issued by the government in April as a new law is drafted. (Reporting by Alonso Soto; editing by Marguerita Choy)
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