People have panned for gold in the Kahayan river for centuries.[8] Following test drilling, a consortium of Canadian and Indonesian companies announced in 1997 that in-situ gold resources were at least 3.4 million ounces.[9] In 2002 a Canadian company with a background in community development programs proposed to develop artisanal mining in the headwaters of the Barito and Kahayan Rivers in Kalimantan, providing income for some 13,000 Dayak people at project maturity.[10] A large number of informal prospectors are undertaking alluvial operations within the river system, and mining hard rock gold veins.