The boost that Alberto Weretilneck’s new management gave to mining is being implemented with information meetings, formation of specific tables, re-registration of companies, digitalization of the transfer of minerals, but also important progress in the Calcatreu project, for the extraction of gold from the Southern Region.
Calcatreu, which operates the Patagonia Gold company, is the most advanced of the 32 metalliferous initiatives that make up the Río Negro mining development plan, as confirmed daily BLACK RIVER the Secretary of Mining, Joaquín Aberastain Oro, who at the same time works on a series of aspects linked to the modifications that were approved last year in the Mining Code and other regulations, seeking to comply with “international standards.”
“We are working from the government to guarantee that the community consultation bodies are met, have environmental precautions and develop an activity that enhances the region.“said the official.
According to the secretary, with the reforms in the laws approved in 2023, ““There is a different scenario for companies and for the people of Rio Negro.” and also stressed that “there is a political conviction to develop mining.”
Today in updated registry of mining producers in Río Negro It has 299 registered companies, after the re-registration that took place in February. This includes not only companies interested in metals (gold, silver, copper, lithium, zinc, lead, radium, uranium), but also aggregates, gypsum and non-metalliferous materials in general.
The mining plan has the support of Entity of the Southern Region -chaired by Darío Ibáñez and made up of all the localities in the area-, which put it on its priority agenda this year and created a Mining Roundtable to closely follow the development of the topic and also be a channel of dissemination to the community (see separate).
Doubts persist in the opposition. “SAlthough it can be a good for society, it has a discussion process and we must listen to the people and their needs.”, warned legislator Fabián Pilquinao (Vamos con Todos), who was mayor of Sierra Colorada for 12 years and was a member of the entity.
Pilquinao slid his criticism of the government for not betting on livestock which was traditionally the regional economic activity and in return promotes mining in the Southern Region. He also said that there are still service problems, with repeated power outages and connectivity problems, with a lack of a broad 4G network, which could discourage any investment and moved forward in requesting modifications in the royalty distribution system because the less populated towns are harmed in the redistribution.
He Mapuche Tehuelche Parliament of Río Negro He had already anticipated his opposition last year and demanded prior, free and informed consultation for the communities in each process, in addition to maintaining the premise of “closed gates” to mining. In mid-April the communities met and stated that the provincial government sees mining exploitation as a way out of its critical financial situation and asked themselves: “At whose expense, at the expense of what and for the benefit of whom?”
Gold, silver, uranium, lithium
He Calcatreu gold and silver project, from the deposit located 82 kilometers south of Ingeniero Jacobacci, which has already had its exploratory phase, is the most advanced of the metalliferous ones. “It is now in the feasibility stage, with its environmental report submitted and under evaluation“said Aberastain Oro. The next step is to form the Provincial Mining Environmental Assessment Council (Copeam) and then call a public hearing to socialize it with the population, although there are no defined deadlines.
The mining plan also includes Amarillo Grande project for the exploitation of uranium, in the Valcheta area, which continues in the exploratory stage and with the preliminary economic evaluation, which is a study that allows the projects to be listed on the stock market. And also There is interest in lithium in the surroundings of the Mamuel Choique area, which is one step further behind than the others, with a prospective (initial) stage through which a superficial task is carried out and in parallel the environmental and social license is sought. There is a Canadian company that kicked off and then three other companies requested permits explorations following the same geological zone.
“The Southern Region is where there are the most metal and industrial projects in production.“Aberastain Oro admitted, which is why the official himself, together with representatives of the Environment and the Provincial Water Department, months ago presented the plan and status of each project to mayors of the Southern Region and other actors, proposing the benefits for the communities in terms of economic movement, the generation of jobs with salaries above average, the promotion of hiring local suppliers, among others.
In addition, Aberastain Oro highlighted that Río Negro has – outside of metals – large volumes of aggregate productionamong them the silica sand that goes to Vaca Muerta and also the province leads national production in diatomite, which exports between 15 and 20%; It is the first producer of kaolin; also of and so (in the area north of Roca); and of bentonite (extracted from the Lake Pellegrini area) which also has between 20 and 25% export. Flagstone was recently added to the Rio Negro minerals sold outside the country.
Satellite images and digitization
Weeks ago, the Río Negro Mining Secretariat announced the final stage to implement a digital system of mineral transit guides, which will allow “optimize and streamline control and inspection procedures of mining activity throughout the territory.”
“The digitization of the guides is a milestone in one of the axes we have in transparency and modernizationwill allow agility in the procedures because the producer self-manages it through an online system,” explained Aberastain Oro.
The province estimated that this new system will be ready for execution between August and September and it has another function, which is to generate “detailed reports on the minerals transported, production and other relevant statistics for better control and monitoring of the activity.” This information will also be a tool for producers.
In the future, we can think about granting tax benefits to the transport of minerals. registered that use the Rio Negro routes for their transit, anticipated the head of the portfolio.
Furthermore, last year it was announced an artificial intelligence system that was made with Invap and Altec on an advanced platform to be able to monitor quarries and mines with satellite images.
“A spatial data infrastructure is generated and Satellite sweeps are carried out that detect production and the system alerts”, this way illegal mineral exploitation can be discovered and the inspectorate can be better directed to check the place.
The Entity of the Southern Region, between expectations and support
he president of the Entity of the Southern Region, Darío Ibánez, highlighted the promotion of mining in the area, dragged down for years by declining livestock farming, a consequence of prolonged droughts, and without a strong regional economy for its residents.
“First category mining had a project in 2004/2005 but there was no concrete political decision from the province, today there is a firm and concrete decision for mining development in the Southern Region,” he stated before Río Negro.
The first meeting of the entity’s new board of directors this year resolved to “accompany mining development” because in its opinion “it will generate resources, genuine labor” and then the authorities who promote the mining plan were invited to present before mayors, councilors and others actors from all locations in the region. The Mining Roundtable was also created to “accompany, provide information, socialize and help the community clear its doubts.”
Ibáñez admitted that there are “anti-mining sectors” – which he estimated to be no more than 15% of the area’s population – that point to the impact on the environment and the excessive use of water, but he said that “technology has changed in mining compared to 2005” and, for example, the Calcatreu project “will use closed circuits and the same water will be used again. Sustainable development is sought,” he emphasized.
He indicated that currently “mining companies have more demands that imply that in their work they take care of the environment, water, forestation, and remediation.”
“We are at a favorable time to be able to develop mining in the Southern Region,” said Ibánez and valued that it is now joining the Development Commissions in the distribution of royalties and there will be an infrastructure fund with the resources that the activity contributes to the province to specify in the area.
