Addressing more than 70 representatives from Mendoza-based companies, the provincial delegation in Toronto presented the institutional, regulatory, and technical advances supporting Mendoza’s mining policy and strengthening its position ahead of the 2026 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention.
Ahead of the 2026 edition of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), the world’s leading mining industry event, Mendoza presented its comprehensive investment attraction strategy before more than 70 professionals and representatives of Mendoza-based companies during a packed event held at Toronto’s Soho Hotel, with strong private sector participation.
Vice Governor Hebe Casado; Minister of Energy and Environment Jimena Latorre; Mining Director Jerónimo Shantal; and Impulsa Mendoza CEO Sebastián Piña, joined by Guillermo Martínez from ProMendoza, outlined the key pillars of a long-term policy aimed at positioning the province within the global mining industry and its associated sectors.
Held for the first time within the PDAC framework, the event brought together representatives from mining drilling and geotechnical companies; hydraulic systems manufacturing and maintenance firms; international logistics and freight transport providers; crane system suppliers; environmental management and civil engineering companies; developers of fluids and chemical solutions for exploration and production; as well as law firms, business associations, and professionals connected to Mendoza’s productive ecosystem.
“Exactly two years ago, in this same room, Governor Alfredo Cornejo was sitting here with many of us presenting a challenge: to launch an active mining investment promotion policy,” Latorre recalled. She acknowledged that there had been skepticism at the time, but emphasized that through planning and coordinated work among the public, private, academic, and scientific sectors, the province can now showcase concrete results.
“Today we can present management milestones. This does not mean we are at the optimum point; it means there is still much work to do, but from a completely different scenario,” the minister stated, highlighting the renewed confidence from the private sector, scientific community, and financial system.
“We are here to help you do your best business, because when the private sector does well, Mendoza does well too,” Casado said. “This was something we had been promoting, and the fact that we are able to hold this gathering today reflects the positive work that has been done in the province to promote mining and consolidate industry interest. The participation and commitment we see here today are a clear sign that those efforts have produced results,” she added.
Sebastián Piña emphasized the main objective behind the event:
“We wanted to create this space because all of you are here to do business. And what we seek is for those business opportunities, whenever possible, to materialize in Mendoza. Of course we compete with other provinces, but we want you to come to Mendoza.”
He added:
“The best way to achieve this is through common agendas and shared visions. If we truly work as a team, everything becomes much easier, which will translate into major benefits for Mendoza.”
During the presentation, officials reviewed the institutional path developed in recent years, including the modernization of the Mining Procedure Code, the approval of the Mining Royalties Law, the implementation of public hearings, the beginning of exploration projects with legislative approval, and the launch of the new digital Mining Cadastre system.
New Mining Cadastre: Transparency, Efficiency and Legal Certainty
Within this context, Mining Director Jerónimo Shantal officially presented Mendoza’s new Provincial Mining Cadastre, the result of more than two years of technical work that included the complete digitalization of historical records, the migration of mapping systems from AutoCAD (referenced to the Campo Inchauspe 1969 system) into a GIS environment using QGIS, and the development of an integrated spatial database.
The process involved the manual review and validation of thousands of records associated with quarries, claims, and exploration permits, ensuring consistency between graphical information and the administrative documentation linked to each mining right. Files were individually analyzed to verify registration numbers, ownership, declared minerals, dates, and historical records.
As a result, Mendoza now has a public, free, and online digital platform that provides updated information on mining properties, strengthening legal certainty and open access to information.
“We started from a very old cadastre. Mendoza has mines with more than 150 years of history and active files dating back to 1897, such as the La Mira de la Negrita case. We even have documents that could soon belong in a museum, yet they still maintain full legal validity,” Shantal explained.
He emphasized that the system is fully accessible through the website of the Mining Directorate within the Ministry of Energy and Environment, is continuously updated, and allows real-time access to mining rights information, file numbers, and ownership data, while maintaining confidentiality standards for personal information.
RIGI, Tax Incentives and Regulatory Modernization
Latorre also highlighted the extension of Argentina’s Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI), a decision adopted by the national government. She noted that Mendoza already has projects qualified under the regime and others currently in the incorporation process, creating opportunities not only for mining but also for strategic sectors such as energy.
The minister also underscored the reduction of Gross Revenue Tax rates for mining-related developments and the preliminary approval of the updated Glaciers Law, which will require complementary provincial regulations to provide greater certainty for investors.
Regarding the Mining Royalties Law, Latorre explained that the province adopted the royalty range established under Argentina’s Ley Bases — between 3% and 5% — while incorporating a flexible structure that adapts to the different stages of projects and commodity price volatility, sharing risks and avoiding rigid schemes that could affect profitability and project lifespan.
“It means adopting, as a state policy, the idea that risk should not fall solely on investors, but rather be shared within a predictable and transparent framework,” she stated.
Casado, in turn, emphasized institutional strength and transparency as defining characteristics of Mendoza, highlighting the coordination among ministries and government agencies to consolidate social license and the availability of open digital tools providing access to cadastre information.
Mendoza on the Global Stage
Mendoza is officially participating in PDAC 2026, which annually brings together more than 20,000 industry leaders — including investors, exploration companies, governments, and multilateral organizations — and serves as the world’s leading showcase for mining projects.
Within this strategic environment, Mendoza will present its portfolio of opportunities backed by clear rules, institutional support, and a development vision closely linked to the energy transition.
The province will participate in the Argentina Mining Pavilion, a space dedicated to commercial exhibitions and business meetings that serves as a strategic platform for showcasing Mendoza’s products and services internationally, establishing relationships with potential foreign investors, and accessing key information on new projects and development opportunities.
Through ProMendoza, more than ten supplier companies and business chambers are participating in the trade mission with the objective of building contacts, closing agreements, and integrating into global value chains.
Participating companies include Conosur Drilling SA, Hugo Fabián Valenti, Ng Store, Maqoil SAIC, Red Córdoba SA, Centauro SA, Geoservice SRL, Logística Bachi SA, Soliss SA, GT Ingeniería SA, WDF SA, Pablo Sarmiento Abogados, CaMEM, and Asinmet, forming a diverse business network ranging from drilling and geotechnics to logistics, engineering, environmental services, and institutional representation for the mining and industrial sectors.