Canadian firm Ontario interested in exploring for copper in Argentina

Canadian company Ontario is interested in exploring for copper in seven areas within the Malargüe western mining district (MDMO) of Mendoza province, Argentina, which the local government is promoting to boost mining.

Specifically, Ontario is focusing on the area known as Huemul, which includes the Huemul, Mirano Norte, Carmencita, Silvana, Huemul Norte, Huemul Sur and Cerro Butalo exploration areas, according to a statement from the provincial government.

Ontario's representatives are prepared to set up an office in the region in the short term to engage with local communities and begin hiring staff, it added.

Like Kobrea Exploration, the company is awaiting a favorable announcement regarding the environmental impact assessment process initiated by the Mendoza government to approve over a hundred exploration prospects.

"The MDMO [program] will select 34 projects in the first phase from a total of more than 150, through an initiative seen as a solution to overcome the barriers imposed by anti-mining law 7722," Edwards Gajardo, owner of local news outlet Mendoza Minera, told BNamericas. 

Law 7722 is a provincial law in Mendoza, enacted in 2007, which imposes strict environmental regulations on mining. It was introduced in response to growing public concerns about the environmental impact of large-scale mining projects, particularly related to the use of toxic chemicals like cyanide, sulfuric acid and mercury in mining operations.

According to Gajardo, the presentation of a single environmental impact report is the formula to "clear the political and legislative hurdles in one go" rather than dealing with each project individually, which would slow down the process and open the door to using law 7722 as an excuse for delays.

"We need exploration investments in the province, and those investments must yield results so we can start producing the copper the world is currently demanding," provincial energy and environment minister Jimena Latorre said after meeting Ontario's representatives, according to the statement.