Whether Meridian Gold Corp. gets its open-pit gold mine outside Esquel could determine the fate of mining in Patagonia, a pristine region spanning southern Argentina and Chile.

• 巴塔哥尼亚高原是横跨阿根廷与智利两国南部的化外之地，而该地采矿业的命运，将取决于MDG公司能否取得艾斯圭尔外围露天金矿的开采权。