Mendoza legislature gives green light to exploration in Malargüe mining district

The senate of Argentine province Mendoza approved the Malargüe western mining district (MDMO) project after the lower house also gave it the green light.

As a result, the measure only needs to be promulgated for work on 34 copper, gold and silver exploration projects to begin.

"Prospecting would begin first, and then, perhaps, next year drilling at one of the projects could begin, considering that this type of activity is carried out from November to April due to the snow at high altitudes," Edwards Gajardo, owner of publication Mendoza Minera, told BNamericas after the senate approval on Tuesday.

The legislative approval ratified the 34 environmental impact assessments for the projects in Malargüe department after carrying out a process of citizen participation and technical analysis that, according to a statement from the senate, met the rigorous requirements of law No. 7722.

Autonomous state-owned company Impulsa Mendoza is behind the MDMO project, motivated by the geological potential of the area due to its proximity to metallogenic belts in Chile, so the possibilities of finding key minerals for the energy transition are considered high.

The district covers around 18,754 km2 and more than 200 mining properties, although “only 34 projects have met the requirements and were therefore included in this initial stage,” the statement said.

Some are in the sights of Canadian companies such as Ontario, which is seeking to develop the Huemul belt projects, and Kobrea Exploration, which has already committed to investing in exploration of the Sofi, El Perdido and Mantos de Cobre copper projects. Kobrea also has 14 mining properties in the district.

MDMO was approved in the senate with 33 votes in favor and three against.