Catamarca seeks to bolster mineral data services

Northwest Argentina's Catamarca province is aiming to improve mineral information services to encourage exploration investment there, according to provincial mining secretary Raul Doering. The Catamarca government has teamed up with the University of Catamarca and the national geological service Segemar to coordinate information based on the province's geology, exploration records and other relevant data, Doering told a mining and infrastructure conference for northwest Argentina, held in Tucuman last week. The mining department will also provide laboratory and analysis services to small-scale miners and geologists, setting up a "mining park" to help minerals companies with projects in the province, he said. Catamarca is already home to Argentina's most significant mineral discovery, the Bajo de la Alumbrera mine operated by Switzerland's Xstrata, which expects to produce 190,000t of copper and 700,000oz of gold this year. Other major provincial operations include the Salar de Hombre Muerto lithium operations, and the 1.1Mt/y Loma Negra cement plant. Major undeveloped mineral deposits in Catamarca include: Vancouver-based Northern Orion's (TSX: NNO) Agua Rica gold-copper project, with a resource of 750Mt grading 0.99% copper-equivalent; local firm YMAD's (Yacimientos Mineros Agua de Dionisio) Farallon Negro gold plays, which have attracted interest from Japan's MMAJ; and the Diablillos and Condor Yacu gold-silver properties being drilled by Canadian junior Maximus (TSX: MXV). Most of these properties have been known about for many years, but only attracted interest from international players in the 1990s.