 In 2012, it was reported that confidential agreements and negotiations had been entered into by the Haitian government granting licenses for exploration or mining of gold and associated metals such as copper for over in the mineralized zone stretching from east to west across northern Haiti.Estimates for the value of the gold which might be extracted through open-pit mining are as high as US$20 billion.Eurasian Minerals and Newmont Mining Corporation are two of the firms involved.