A farmer finds a large gold deposit and will not be able to exploit it

Sometimes in the routine you can find the extraordinary. That is what happened to Michel Duponta farmer from the Auvernia region, in the center of France, when he walked through his farm and found, by chance, some brilliant gold nuggets in the channel of a small stream. What seemed like a simple anecdote ended up revealing itself as one of the greatest atriferous findings in the French territory today.

Dupont’s discovery caught the attention of geologists who, after performing the first explorations, estimated that under the ground a site with more than 150 tons of gold was hidden, which could be valued in more than 4,000 million euros. A finding of such magnitude that not only surprised the scientific community, but also placed a place until then known for its volcanic landscape.

French legislation establishes that subsoil resources, such as gold, belong to the State, regardless of who is the owner of the surface land. Therefore, after confirming the magnitude of the finding, the authorities initiated a process to evaluate the environmental and patrimonial impact of the area before making any decision about its possible exploitation.

Thus, the case aroused the interest of both the press and the local population, which could observe with a mixture of pride and expectation how its region went from rural tranquility to the Attention focus national. Michel Dupont himself, who has always collaborated with the technical teams in the different phases of the study, said he never imagined that something like that could be under his feet.

Other European cases

This is not the only case in Europe where a casual finding has revealed the mineral wealth of certain regions. In Spain, the project of the Mina de Oro de Salavein Asturias, it has also been the subject of attention for its great estimated wealth, with 300 tons of gold still without exploit. In that case, as in France, environmental studies are mandatory previous steps before considering a possible openness.

Another relevant example is andl Hallazgo en sacărâmba small town in Romania where, throughout the twentieth century and until the beginning of the 21st, rare minerals and high -value gold deposits have been discovered although the massive extraction has ceased, the place remains subject to geological studies due to its uniqueness and wealth.

Experts point out that these discoveries help better understand the geology of the continent and its resources. And, although these deposits are not always exploited commercially, contribute to scientific knowledgeoffering opportunities to develop improved exploration technologies.

For now, Michel Dupont’s garden remains a quiet field covered with grass. Under him, however, there is One of the greatest natural treasures Discovered in Europe in decades.