Nov. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The macho world of South America's gold, silver and copper mines is under invasion by women.

The women come from remote communities in the Andes Mountains to work as monster-truck drivers. The jobs offer more income than they can earn in their villages and help mining companies preserve vehicles that cost about $3 million each.

``The men didn't think we were going to last out here,'' said Patricia Guajardo, 31, who drives a huge dump truck at Barrick Gold Corp.'s Veladero gold mine in Argentina. ``The winters can be very harsh, but I love it.''

Guajardo contends with blizzards and winds so strong they whip shale off the ground. Some mines are at altitudes exceeding 4,000 meters (12,200 feet), so high that visitors are given oxygen tanks to help them breathe.

Tough as they must be to withstand those conditions, the women have a gentle touch with the giant trucks. That helps cut costs and boost output for companies such as Barrick and BHP Billiton Ltd. that mine ore in Argentina and Chile.

``Women tend to take more care of the machine and don't abuse the brakes or the engine,'' said Cristian Silva, who trains people to drive Caterpillar Inc. trucks and earth-moving equipment in Santiago for Vancouver-based Finning International Inc. ``Operating the machine better means more profits.''

Newer Caterpillar vehicles are controlled by joysticks that respond best to a woman's ``sensitive'' touch, said Daniel Sanchez, a sales manager at Finning's Argentina unit.

Too Small

Some women were rejected even though modern hydraulics mean that the strength of a man isn't needed to drive the vehicles. The women weren't tall enough to reach the pedals, Silva said.

``They were very small,'' he said. Standing next to their vehicles, many of the women aren't half as tall as the tires. Some trucks are almost 8 meters (25 feet) high.

Silva and Sanchez's employer refurbishes worn-out Caterpillar vehicles. The business is growing as mineral-rich countries snap up new equipment to develop mines after copper and silver prices tripled during the past four years. The shortage of new vehicles makes it crucial for mining companies to preserve those they have, Silva said.

Mining jobs help disadvantaged women who face poverty and inequality in remote Andean communities, said Lynne Patterson, executive director of Pro Mujer, a New York-based charity that helps women in Latin America.

Raising Llamas

``The majority of women in this zone are either housewives or raise sheep, goats or llamas,'' said Maria Tinte, who is responsible for women's development in the region around Argentina's Pirquitas project for Oclade, a charity financed by the Roman Catholic Church. ``It's an opportunity for women to show they are capable.''

In Chile, women were effectively banned from working at mines until 1993, when the government repealed a law prohibiting their employment in jobs deemed too strenuous or inappropriate for their gender. By 2005, women represented 4.3 percent of the country's mining workforce, according to Chile's state-owned Codelco, the world's largest copper producer.

Minera Escondida Ltda., the holding company for the world's largest copper mine, in Chile's Atacama Desert, began hiring women to drive heavy equipment four years ago, said Jorge Munoz, vice president of human resources at Escondida, which is controlled by Melbourne-based BHP and London-based Rio Tinto Plc.

``Our experience has been very positive,'' Munoz said. ``They are very careful with the equipment.''

Staying Home

Munoz said it's difficult to find more female drivers because many women prefer to stay home with their children.

Codelco followed Escondida's lead by hiring five women drivers for its Norte mining division in the Andes foothills.

Codelco emphasizes in advertising that jobs at its mines are open to both sexes. It offers flexible hours for mothers, and is building separate washrooms and changing areas for women.

Women constituted less than 8 percent of applicants for jobs at Codelco's mines from 2000 to 2005, according to the company.

At Veladero, in Argentina's western San Juan province, Guajardo works two-week shifts at Toronto-based Barrick's prospect, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Driving a 6-meter- high truck, she ferries ore from the mine to a plant where it is crushed so the gold can be extracted.

Guajardo then has two weeks off. She spends the time with her 14-year-old son at their home in Iglesia, which at 156 kilometers (98 miles) away is the nearest village to the mine.

Higher Wages

Only a handful of women work on Guajardo's team of 95, each earning 3,000 pesos ($947) a month, more than three times the average wage in the province, said Miguel Martin, a Veladero spokesman.

At the remote Pirquitas silver mine in the northwest corner of Argentina, Vancouver-based Silver Standard Resources Inc. recruits female drivers from local Kolla Indian communities.

Nancy Mamani, 22, was one of a dozen Kolla women hired after undergoing training on a truck simulator at Finning's offices in Santiago.

``Some of the men say we can't do it,'' said Mamani, who lives close enough to walk to the mine when she begins her new job. ``I can't wait to start.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Matthew Craze in Buenos Aires at mcraze@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 7, 2007 22:07 EST