Mendoza continues to explore its enormous copper potential in Cerro Amarillo, the formation located in Malargüe, following previous work on road repair and opening, and the setup of platforms where the drilling equipment will be located.
The project entails terrain exploration to assess its geophysical characteristics and the geological potential of an area that shares a formation with Chile, rich in copper porphyries. It was approved by the provincial legislature and prioritizes the hiring of local resources and labor.
To oversee the work, carried out by the national capital mining company Wincul SA, officials from the Ministry of Energy and Environment, the Mining Directorate, and the municipality, along with inspectors from the Mining Police and the Environmental Protection Directorate, traveled to the deposit located 60 kilometers from the main city of Malargüe.
“We ensure that the entire investment plan complies with current regulations. The plan is to reach around 10 wells in 2024, depending on weather conditions,” emphasized the Energy Undersecretary, Manuel Sánchez Bandini. It’s worth noting that this is a high-altitude area, and snowfall affects exploratory tasks.
“At this site, the national capital company begins its activity, employing labor, companies, and services from Mendoza. Approximately 142 meters have already been drilled with very positive and hopeful results,” said Jerónimo Shantal, in charge of the Mining Directorate.
“We are conducting inspection and control processes and will do the same at El Burrero and Las Choicas,” stated Leonardo Fernández, Director of Environmental Protection. Both are copper projects that received legislative approval last December.
“We have been visiting the initial stages of this development at Cerro Amarillo, convinced that mining is fundamental for the development of our department and the province of Mendoza,” said the mayor of Malargüe, Celso Jaque. “More than 100 young people graduate annually with a degree in industrial mining technology, and our expectation is that each of these young individuals has the opportunity to apply this knowledge.”
A key project in Argentina
Located 60 kilometers from the city of Malargüe, Cerro Amarillo is at an altitude of 3,100 meters above sea level, with frequent snowstorms in winter and low temperatures. This allows exploration to be conducted during the summer months.
The work is carried out under Law 7722, using the diamond drilling system, previously successfully used in Hierro Indio. The drilling methodology involves the recirculation of 100% of liquid effluents, composed of water and drilling additives.
Once drilling is completed, the well will be sealed, including casing if groundwater is detected, and plugged with sterile material from the area, along with a cement cap with surface identification.
Each well will be marked on the ground with a PVC pipe with a cap, not protruding more than 30 centimeters from the ground. The area will be restored, and the wells will be detectable using GPS search techniques.
Prior to this, reconnaissance tasks, road reconditioning, bibliographic data collection, geophysical work, and surface geochemical sampling were carried out. Furthermore, well coordinates optimize the construction of roads between platforms, minimizing soil movement impact. The drillings will have an average depth of 350 meters, and samples will be sent to the laboratory to determine the exact potential of the formation.
Mendoza had gone 20 years without drilling for copper porphyries, despite being one of the provinces with the greatest potential to work with this mineral, crucial in the energy transition.
According to a report by the consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, copper demand will multiply by five in the coming years due to the manufacturing of electric vehicles, the transition of the productive sector from fossil energy sources to renewable or lower CO2 emissions alternatives, energy storage, and increased installation of electrical networks.
According to official data from the National Government, around 80% of mining investment stays in the country and immediately impacts regional economies. Mendoza has the infrastructure and suppliers of goods and services to generate an acceleration of development not only in the community where the project is located but throughout the province.
