A sinkhole approximately 32 meters in diameter and roughly 200 meters deep opened up in the Atacama Desert of Chile, near the Alcaparrosa copper mine at the beginning of August 2022. Anytime something like this appears near a mine, there is the obvious question if the mining activities have something to do with the formation. It does appear to have the classic appearance of other large sinkholes formed by normal geologic processes of limestone dissolution. I can’t be sure, but from the photos, it appears that the structure is centered on some kind of channel that reroutes water around the mine facilities. One can imagine that even with the minimal rainfall in the Atacama Desert, the occasional flow in that channel could have been concentrated on the sinkhole area, perhaps playing a role in the final collapse. I would speculate that the actual formation of the sinkhole probably predates the mining activity.
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Layne Christensen Company Acquires Bencor Corporation of America
MISSION WOODS, Kan., Nov. 17, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Layne Christensen Company ("Layne") (Nasdaq:LAYN) today announced the acquisition of Bencor Corporation of America – Foundation Specialist ("Bencor"). Founded in 1969, Bencor is one of North America’s leading contractors in foundation and underground engineering. Bencor specializes in deep foundations for dams, levees, shafts and below ground structures and also excels in the design and building of earth support retention systems for basement excavation for high-rise structures, subway lines and stations and depressed highways. Bencor has performed work in the United States, Canada, South America, Europe and North Africa and has over 100 permanent employees headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The purchase price for the stock of Bencor was $32.1 million. Management projects first year revenues and earnings per share of approximately $50 million and $0.20-$0.25 per share, respectively, after purchase accounting adjustments.
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