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S P EC I A L

P ERU
B I CE N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

PERU
MINING
2021

Political Analysis - Production and Exploration - Market Trends - Social Management


Engineering & Construction - Equipment & Technology - Services
Dear Reader,
“The people have awakened,” declared Pedro Castillo from a balcony in Lima on
Thursday evening, June 11th, after the narrowest of election victories.

What does a Perú Libre government mean for Peruvian mining? If Covid-19 was the
dominant theme of 2020, then the ramifications of a new government has undoubtedly
been the prominent talking point in over 120 interviews conducted by Global Business
Reports (GBR) in the first half of 2021. Could the situation mirror the Ollanta Humala
presidency in 2011, when he rose to power on the back of anti-establishment rhetoric,
but soon cooperated with market actors when faced with economic reality?

In 2020, investment into Peru’s mining industry totaled US$4.33 billion, a decrease of
over 29% from the US$6.15 billion spent in 2019, according to MINEM figures. How-
ever, the market has rebounded well in 2021. Producers have been looking to make
up for time lost during the three-month lockdown in 2020, spurred on by the surging
copper price, which hit an all-time-high in May 2021, and has remained over US$4/
lb since February.

A bullish sentiment surrounding copper from a medium to long term perspective was
already evident, but few could have predicted how the red metal would thrive during
a global pandemic. Macro fundamentals, such as the growing electric vehicle (EV)
movement and planned infrastructure spending, present a tremendous opportunity for
Peru as the world’s second largest copper producer. To fulfill this potential, political
stability and addressing a cumbersome permitting process are urgent.

Sustainability, meanwhile, has evolved to become an overarching theme impacting all


facets of mining. Rather than being an afterthought at the back of company PowerPoint
presentations, ESG is now at the forefront of corporate strategy. Sustainability is of par-
ticular importance in Peru, where project development has frequently been obstructed
due to a difficult relationship between the mining industry and local communities.

To cover these topics and provide a comprehensive guide to the different companies
involved in Peru’s mining value chain, GBR has renewed its strategic partnership with
the Canada-Peru Chamber of Commerce (CCCP). CCCP is the country’s leading bi-
national mining chamber, and promotes commercial relations and investment as well
as organizing the Peruvian annual presence at the PDAC Convention in Toronto. The
result of this collaboration is the production and distribution of ‘Industry Explorations
- Peru Mining 2021’, an up-to-date review of the current operations and projects and
the latest trends in Peru's mining industry.

We thank all of our interviewees for their time and collaboration. We also thank you for
choosing Peru Mining 2021 as your source of information about Peru’s mining industry
and hope it can contribute to a successful year ahead.

Alfonso Tejerina Jorge León Benavides


General Manager and Director, President,
Global Business Reports Canada-Peru Chamber of Commerce
(GBR) (CCCP)
CONTENTS / PERU MINING 2021

COLOMBIA
Introduction to Mining in Peru 52. Copper Exploration Equipment and Technology
54. Interview with ELEMENT 29 RESOURCES
8. Peru enters a new era – 55. Interview with CAMINO CORPORATION 98. OEMs focus on productivity
What will a Castillo government mean 57. Interview with FORTE MINERALS CORP 100. Interview with FERREYROS S.A.
for Peruvian mining? 58. Precious Metals Exploration 101. Interview with IPESA
12. Interviews with the PERUVIAN INSTITUTE 60. Interview with TIER ONE SILVER 102. Interviews with KOMATSU-MITSUI
OF MINING ENGINEERS (IIMP) and with 61. Interviews with SILVER X and MAQUINARIAS DEL PERU and
LIMA STOCK EXCHANGE (BVL) with PUCARA GOLD LTD. with CUMMINS
Quito
13. Interview with CANADA PERU CHAMBER 62. Zinc 103. Interview with EPIROC
OF COMMERCE (CCCP) 62. Lithium and Uranium 104. Underground Mining Equipment
14. Factsheet 64. Interview with CERRO DE PASCO 105. Interview with DSI UNDERGROUND
ECUADOR 15. Thoughts – Political and Social Analysis RESOURCES 106. Interviews with NORMET PERU and
16. Peru’s copper opportunity 65. Interview with AMERICAN LITHIUM with RESEMIN S.A.
19. Interview with ANGLO AMERICAN PERU 107. Construction and Ancillary Equipment
20. Interview with BEAR CREEK MINING 108. Interview with SCANIA PERÚ
21. Sustainability Engineering, Construction and 109. Interviews with VOLVO PERU and
24. Interview with ENGIE ENERGÍA PERÚ Consultants with DIVEMOTOR
Tumbes 25. Interviews with INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL 110. Equipment Components
Iquitos 68. Engineering and EPCM
TUMBES ON MINING & METALS (ICMM) and with 111. Interviews with FUCSA FUNDICIÓN
APPIAN CAPITAL ADVISORY LLP 70. Interviews with WSP PERU and with CHILCA S.A. and with REXROTH
LORETO
AUSENCO 112. Comminution and Material Handling
71. Interview with WORLEY 114. Interview with METSO OUTOTEC
PIURA
Mining Production 72. Mining Consultancies 115. Interview with WEIR MINERALS PERU
Piura 74. Interview with SRK CONSULTING 116. Interview with MARTIN ENGINEERING
AMAZONAS 28. Copper Production 75. Interview with SANTA BARBARA 117. Interview with TECNOMINA
Moyobamba 30. Interview with MMG-LAS BAMBAS CONSULTANTS 118. Interview with ACEROS CHILCA
Chachapoyas 76. Interviews with AMC CONSULTANTS,
LAMBAYEQUE 31. Interview with HUDBAY MINERALS INC. 119. Innovation and Technology
CAJAMARCA BRAZIL 32. Interview with MINSUR EY PERU and with MINING PLUS 122. Interview with SITECH
Chiclayo
SAN 33. Interview with SOUTHERN PEAKS MINING 77. Environmental and Tailings 123. Interviews with TORSA and with 3M
Cajamarca MARTÍN
34. Factsheet Management
South
LA LIBERTAD
36. Precious Metals 79. Interview with AMPHOS 21
Pacific
Trujillo Pucallpa 80. Interview with KLOHN CRIPPEN BERGER Service Providers
Ocean 38. Interview with GOLD FIELDS
39. Interview with BUENAVENTURA 81. Construction and Contractors
ÁNCASH 40. Interviews with HOCHSCHILD MINING and 83. Interviews with STRACON and 126. Drilling
HUÁNUCO with MINERA PODEROSA with CALIDRA 127. Interview with BOART LONGYEAR
Huaraz
Huánuco 41. Factsheet 84. Interview with PERÚ PIPING SPOOLS 128. Interview with AK DRILLING
UCAYALI
42. Zinc 85. Underground Contractors INTERNATIONAL
PASCO 86. Interview with AESA
43. Interview with NEXA RESOURCES PERU 130. Interview with GEOTEC
Cerro de Pasco
44. MAP – Peru’s Main Producing Mines 88. Interview with INCIMMET 131. Interview with MDH
90. Interview with BYRNECUT OFFSHORE 132. Third Party Services
LIMA
JUNÍN 91. Interview with JRC INGENIERÍA Y 134. Interview with CERTIMIN
Lima MADRE DE DIOS
Junior Exploration CONSTRUCCIÓN 135. Interview with CONFIPETROL ANDINA
Huancayo
92. Raise Boring and Shotcrete Specialists 137. Interviews with SK RENTAL, ACOINSA
Callao
CUSCO
Puerto Maldonado 48. The Junior sector reignites 93. Interview with MASTER DRILLING and with STIERLIFT
Huancavelica 94. Interview with ROBOCON
50. Interview with SOMBRERO RESOURCES 138. Company Directory
HUANCAVELICA Ayacucho
51. Interview with CHAKANA COPPER 95. Interview with MONTALI S.A. 142. Credits
Cusco
Peru Ica
Abancay
APURÍMAC
International Boundary AYACUCHO
ICA PUNO
BOLIVIA
Province Boundary

National Capital
Introduction Mining Junior
Province Capital

AREQUIPA
Puno Titicaca to Peru Production Exploration
N
Arequipa
New government, Editorial analysis and A rejuvenated junior segment
MOQUEGUA La Paz copper booming, and a interviews with Peru’s means drills are turning and
PERU MINING 2021
Industry Explorations sustainable agenda main copper, gold, silver new companies are listing
Global Business Reports Moquegua
TACNA and zinc producers
This research has been conducted by Tacna
Ben Cherrington, Susana Isotupa
and Mariolga Guyon
Edited by Mungo Smith
8, 16, 21 28, 36, 42 48, 50, 58, 62
Graphic design by Gonzalo Da Cunha

A Global Business Reports Publication


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INTRODUCTION
TO
PERU
“Since I have been here I have seen the tremendous
opportunities that Peru’s mining sector presents, and I think this
should be emphasized more than it is. As an industry we need
to sit down with government and figure out how we are going to
capture this opportunity to benefit the Peruvian people.”

- Tom McCulley,
CEO,
Anglo American Peru

GBR • Industry Explorations • PERU MINING 2021

Image courtesy of Anglo American


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

Peru Enters a Total Mining Investment In Peru


Source: MINEM
showed. Strong support for Castillo
was also apparent where new mining
sites are being built, including 86.3% of
New Era Billion US$
10
the vote in Torata, where Anglo Ameri-
can’s Quellaveco mine is currently un-
der construction, and 96% of the vote in
9
Haquira, where First Quantum plans to
invest US1.8 billion in a copper project.
8
WHAT WILL A CASTILLO
GOVERNMENT MEAN FOR
7 Will pre-election rhetoric result in
PERUVIAN MINING? tangible change?
6
2019 to 2020
change
Castillo has previously criticized mining
“The people have awakened,” declared 5 -29.6% firms for "plundering" the country's
Pedro Castillo from a balcony in Lima wealth, and has pledged to redraft Pe-
on Thursday evening, June 11th, as the ru's constitution and redistribute profit.
4
final votes were being counted in the However, this raises the point of what is
narrowest of election victories. Cas- rhetoric and what will convert into real
3
tillo’s Perú Libre party won with 50.2% policy.
of the public vote, a 0.36 percentage “I do not think we will get to a point of
2
point lead over Keiko Fujimori’s Fuerza resource nationalization, and we will not
Popular party (by a margin of less than see expropriation,” suggested FTI Con-
70,000 votes). Unfortunately, but per- 1 sulting’s Michael Cullen, drawing paral-
haps inevitably, Fujimori was quick to lels to the situation when former presi-
call foul play, alleging claims of voter 0 dent Ollanta Humala came into power
fraud in a move that evoked former US 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 in 2011. “The economic reality of the
president Donald Trump’s reluctance to situation dictated that he got straight
concede to Joe Biden. Perhaps the key question is, how did it corrupt establishment. He added: “A into bed with the corporate element of
To add to the drama in the wake of the come to this? The unexpected rise of a relatively uneducated father from a society, despite having ties to Chávez
election, José Domingo Perez, the lead relatively unknown rural school teacher large family in Lima does not want a dis- and rising to power through leftist rhet-
prosecutor in the Odebrecht corruption speaks to how the pandemic has thrown cussion about the benefits of Keynesian oric,” Cullen recalled.
case, urged a judge to send Fujimori politics into upheaval, reported the economic strategies in a time of reces-
back to prison after allegedly meeting Wall Street Journal. Castillo capitalized sion – he simply wants food, shelter and
with a witness. Needless to say, the po- on anger over a market model that left work.”
litical turbulence that has characterized behind the country's poorest, a gap Anthony Hawkshaw, president and CEO
Peru in recent years looks set to contin- that has been particularly evident dur- of Bear Creek Mining (TSXV: BCM), also
ue in the short term, which is a blow for ing the pandemic as hospitals collapsed observed how deep rooted issues of
a country that has suffered more than and oxygen tanks ran out. inequality have been exacerbated. It is not possible to think
most during the Covid-19 health crisis. “Covid-19 has been the fuel onto the “From the mid-90s until 2019, the level
As of September 2021, Peru held the
about fiscal consolidation and
fire of a long-standing and deep-root- of Peruvians living below the poverty
grim title of highest Covid mortality rate ed social and political problem in Latin line dropped significantly, but many of sustainable growth without
per million of population, in addition America,” stated Michael Cullen, man- those people had informal jobs,” re- the mining sector, and this
to experiencing the biggest economic aging director for Latin America at FTI flected Hawkshaw, noting that when needs to be understood by
contraction in South America in 2020. Consulting. Questioning why Latam, the pandemic hit, government-imposed
What exactly the people have awak- which is home to 8% of the global pop- lockdowns left a large section of society
our country’s authorities.
ened to is yet to be seen, but Castillo’s ulation but has accounted for 20% of without the means to provide for their
victory signals the dawn of a new era Covid deaths, has performed so poorly families. “Inequality and poverty, which
for Peru, an era that the country’s mi- in the face of the pandemic, Cullen sug- cause disenchantment, have been en- - Claudia Cooper,
ning sector awaits with trepidation. For gested that populist governmental poli- flamed by Covid,” he added.
many Peruvians, Castillo vs Fujimori cies were not solely to blame. “There is Tellingly, Peru’s key mining regions
President,
was a choice between being shot in the something more endemic and perni- overwhelming supported Castillo, un- Lima Stock
foot or shot in the hand. However, from cious at play, and the root cause is in- derscoring how tensions have risen Exchange (BVL)
the 120 interviews conducted for this equality.” after years of conflict between mining
report, it was clear who Peru’s mining Expanding on the issue, Cullen ex- firms and the local communities. In
industry preferred, and it was not the plained how a rise in leftist politics is provinces such as Cotabambas, Espinar
candidate threatening to retain up to the result of a perfect storm of histori- and Chumbivilcas, over nine out of 10
70% of mining profits. cal inequality, growing poverty and a people voted for Castillo, election data

8 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Acknowledging that the current situation might seem similar by a majority of parties which favor the market economy and Gold Fields’ executive vice president of position to rebound strongly in 2021.
to the period before Humala was elected, political commen- private investment as the main driver of the economy. the Americas. Whether this potential is realized is an-
tator and CEO of Viceversa Consulting, Oscar Díaz, warned This sentiment was echoed by Claudia Cooper, president of Expanding on this point, Víctor Gob- other question, and the first months of
that there are two fundamental differences from the context the Lima Stock Exchange (BVL) and former finance minister, itz elaborated: “The mining industry is the Castillo administration will give an
today. “First, Humala signed a roadmap towards the second who emphasized the mining sector’s role in both short-term When you are elected as so important to the country that there indication of what can be expected mov-
round of the election, which represented a moderation of recovery and long-term macroeconomic stability: “It is not president and have to run should be a defined mining policy, in ing forward.
his discourse. Second, he never threatened to close the con- possible to think about fiscal consolidation and sustainable a country whose economy the same way Peru has solid tax policies 2021 is more than just an election year
gress, nationalize industries, or disregard international agree- growth without the mining sector, and this needs to be un- and macroeconomic policies. This would for Peru, it is also recognized as the bi-
ments, like Castillo is doing.” derstood by our country’s authorities.”
is based on mining, you assure continuity regardless of govern- centennial anniversary of the country’s
However, Díaz agreed that Castillo will not be able to nation- According to the IMF, Peru is expected to experience the need to start making ment changes.” independence. However, Roque Bena-
alize the mining industry, as nationalization implies paying strongest recovery in Latin America in 2021 (9% growth), but alliances and thinking Streamlining permitting should be top vides believes that the real bicentennial
huge amounts of money to the affected companies. On June this will be put in jeopardy if protectionist policies that do about improving mining of the agenda for the next mining min- anniversary of Peru’s independence is, in
27th, Castillo stated his willingness to reappoint the head of not attract foreign investment are implemented. Speaking ister, with adjustments to the prior con- fact, in 2024, 200 years after the last bat-
the country’s central bank, Julio Velarde, in a market-friendly in February, Michael Scherb, founder and CEO of Appian
development, otherwise the sultation law of paramount importance tle against the Spaniards was fought. On
move which indicates a path of moderation may be possible. Capital Advisory LLP, stated that he would like to increase economy will fail. to stimulate investment into early-stage that note, he gave a final message to the
Furthermore, Perú Libre will have to contend with a divided Appian’s position in Peru, where the company’s head of La- exploration. “It is essential that political Peruvian mining community: “In these
Congress. tam and COO (Igor Gonzales, formerly of Sierra Metals) is leaders establish consensus and guaran- next three years, the private and public
- Fernando Pickmann,
“Politicians in Peru are similar to politicians all over the world. based. However, he warned: “I speak with the ministers of tee an environment of stability, predict- sectors have to work together to take
They promise a number of things, but do not realize that mines of many countries, and we are clear with the point that Partner, ability and compliance with deadlines,” advantage of the opportunities in front
there are checks and balances in place. In the case of Peru, our capital will go to the path of least resistance and best Dentons said Jorge León Benavides, president of of us,” he said, imploring the industry to
this means the conformation of Congress,” reflected Roque risk-reward.” the Canada Peru Chamber of Commerce become more involved in civil society.
Benavides, chairman of Buenaventura. If Peru is to rebound successfully from the economic devas- (CCCP). “I would say that Peru has a brilliant fu-
Orlando Marchesi, country senior partner at PwC Peru, stated tation caused by Covid-19, a middle ground will have to be Soaring metals prices in 2021 have been ture,” added Benavides, concluding that
that it will be almost impossible for Castillo to carry out any found between Castillo’s ideals and the financial reality of a a catalyst for renewed optimism, and a the election has shown the need to be
expropriations, as the Congress, which was elected during country hugely dependent on its mining industry. mature, well-run mining industry with a more active in contributing to the well-
the first round of presidential elections in April, is made up deep pool of local talent puts Peru in the being of the country. ■

Moving forward: The need for dialogue and collaboration

With copper trading above US$4/lb, the new administration


is blessed with macro conditions as favorable for mining as
anything seen since the previous super cycle that ended in
2011. Long term planning and collaboration are necessary to
make the most of the country’s natural resources. Currently,
the sector consists of a mining portfolio of 46 projects total-
ing a value of more than US$56 billion, and the geological
endowment to increase this further.
Furthermore, an infrastructure deficit worth nearly US$100
billion also offers an opportunity for economic revival. “The
best way to fund infrastructure investment is through the
income provided by mining, generating a virtuous circle for
employment and development,” reflected Víctor Gobitz,
president of the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP)
and CEO of Antamina.
Although the Castillo election has been a shock to the coun-
try’s mining community, the political circus of the previous
three years, which saw three presidents and five mining min-
isters, has hardly been a beacon of stability. When the dust
settles after the election, the hope is that the new regime
will not disregard the positive work carried out by previous
mining minister, Jaime Gálvez, who was a key figure in the
formulation of the Vision of Mining to 2030, promoted by the
Center for Convergence and Good Mining-Energy Practices
(Rimay).
“It is important to re-start workshops that had to stop due
to the pandemic, where mining companies, government au-
thorities, NGOs and civil society came together to define the
vision of mining in Peru for 2030,” commented Luis Rivera,

10 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 11
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Víctor What are the priorities of IIMP for


2021?
A key priority for the industry and the
solid tax policies and macroeconomic
policies. This would assure continuity
regardless of government changes.
If that is not addressed, we will continue
seeing a decrease in exploration ex-
penditures, which is highly damaging to
Jorge León What issues are currently affecting the

Gobitz country is to tackle the pandemic. Dur-


ing the first wave, Peru was the only mi- To what extent do you think the
a mining country like Peru.
Benavides mining industry in Peru?
The expedition of permits and authori-
ning country that shut down mining op- presidential elections in 2021 could 2021 is the 200 year anniversary of zations that allow mining exploration to
erations, and that was a mistake. So, it is impact Peru’s mining industry? Peru’s independence. By the end of start at the appropriate time is an issue
President a priority to maintain the dialogue with There is going to be a lot of noise. The the year, what changes would you that must be addressed. At present, they
President
PERUVIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING the authorities during the second wave. campaign is going to be throwing lots like to see in the country’s mining in- far exceed the times recorded in other
dustry?
CANADA PERU CHAMBER OF mining countries. Adjustments need to
ENGINEERS (IIMP) Beyond this, we will have a new govern- of populist ideas to the public, and
ment taking over in July 2021. During most probably the new government will Peru’s geological richness offers huge COMMERCE (CCCP) be made to the Prior Consultation Law
this election process, the industry will not have control over Congress. Who- operations like Cerro Verde, Las Bam- so that this is not an impediment to the
have to be active to send its messages ever is elected will need to have a very bas and Antamina, as well as narrow development of mining projects. The
to the public. Over the last two years, fluid communication with the different vein operations and artisanal mines. As eradication of illegal mining and the
we have seen two positive initiatives economic and political actors. a country, we need to promote large creation of better policies for mining for-
by the government, supported by IDB. investments but also formalize the ar- malization is also a pending task.
The first one is the ‘Rimay’ initiative to What were the main themes of the tisanal mining industry that is linked to The country is witnessing large invest-
define a vision of the mining industry IIMP’s ProExplo virtual event in gold production. It is estimated that half ments paralyzed by conflicts with the co-
towards 2030, an effort that needs to March 2021? a million people are involved in artisanal mmunities and a lack of support from the
be continued now at a regional level. ProExplo is focused on the exploration mining, and this industry is not paying central government (Río Blanco, Conga,
The second one was the creation of an segment. One of our objectives is that any taxes and is leaving a wide portfolio Tía María). Peru has a significant portfo-
inclusive working group to work on the those in charge of public policy under- of environmental liabilities. This is the lio of 46 mining projects totaling more
industry’s long-term sustainability. The stand that exploration is a high-risk greatest challenge that needs to be ad- than US$56 billion, many of which are
mining industry is so important to the activity with a minimal environmental dressed by the industry. ■ not being developed for various reasons
country that there should be a defined impact. Yet, the permits are similar to at the speed required and needed.
mining policy, in the same way Peru has those that a mining operation requires. What are the CCCP's main priorities in Also, in a year marked by the presiden-
2021? tial elections, it is essential that political
We know about the financial problems leaders establish consensus and guaran-
many companies are facing in various tee an environment of stability, predict-
sectors, therefore, our management is ability and compliance with deadlines,
focused on providing them with various which will allow for the execution of in-
After a uniquely challenging 2020, to think about fiscal consolidation and on the BVL? tools that allow them to get closer to po- vestments.

Claudia what is the state of the Peruvian


economy at the beginning of 2021?
sustainable growth without the mining
sector, and this needs to be understood
The BVL already has a strong partici-
pation from the mining sector, which
tential clients and replace face-to-face
networking opportunities with virtual op- How could Peru improve its climate
The Peruvian economy has experienced by our country’s authorities. represents almost half of all its listed portunities. Moreover, we have created for junior exploration?
Cooper a dynamic recovery since before the
second lockdown in February 2021, What do you think could be done to
companies. However, the Lima Stock
Exchange’s main challenge is that it
new working committees, such as the
innovation and technology committee
What has to happen is that the large mi-
ning companies regain market value, op-
which was not as strict as the first lock- improve the climate for foreign in- does not have enough liquidity, which is and the gender equity committee, that erational capabilities, and become ag-
down as a balance between economy vestment in Peru? a problem derived from a change in the are added to the mining, energy, infra- gressive investment companies, in such
and health was considered. This recov- Peru has experienced constant changes capital markets. More liquidity will at- structure, social media and sustainability a way that they lead to risk investment,
President ery has been due to two factors: first, of policies in recent years. What the tract more companies, and this is a role committees. that is, exploration.
LIMA STOCK EXCHANGE (BVL) there has been a huge monetary and country needs, rather than more mea- that we have to share with the whole fi- Likewise, one of the tasks that must be
fiscal injection into the economy; sec- sures, is political stability and leader- nancial system. How is the CCCP promoting the Pe- carried out by the government is admin-
ond, the Peruvian economy is very dy- ship, which needs to be built around ruvian mining industry, and what can istrative simplification, with all the rules
namic and volatile, with high levels of a common vision. Mining needs to be In February, IIMP announced Rumbo you tell us about your participation at and processes being clear and rational.
informality, which allows the country to included in this vision as a fundamen- a PERUMIN 2021. Can you tell us PDAC 2021?
adapt quickly to changes. According to tal basis for the country’s development. about this series of events? We have created various business plat- What would you say makes Peru an at-
the IMF, it is likely that Peru will experi- Once we have stable leadership and We decided to carry out Rumbo a PE- forms that will allow our partners alter- tractive jurisdiction for mining invest-
ence one of the strongest recoveries in have decided which direction we want RUMIN as a combination of virtual and native contracting of their products or ment?
the region. our country to go in, the right measures physical events to discuss how to build services in a much more agile and direct Peru continues to be one of the most im-
will come. On the economic side, it is a common vision for the mining sector way with mining companies. The CCCP portant mining addresses thanks to the
What role do you see mining playing necessary to continue promoting mac- and to establish a minimum consensus. also facilitates networking opportunities volume of its reserves and the sustain-
in Peru’s economic recovery? roeconomic stability, commercial open- The objective is to make this event as through one-to-one meetings we gen- ability of its economic and legal policies.
The mining sector is crucial for Peru’s ness and private investment as an en- decentralized and as inclusive as pos- erate for our partners. As for PDAC, we Furthermore, a good level of debt, dol-
economic recovery and macroeconom- gine for development. sible, with hybrid events in the main are focused on maintaining the activi- lar stability, international reserves, low
ic stability as it generates resources and mining regions of Peru, including Areq- ties that Peru has offered year after year, country risk and optimal investor confi-
investment, which at the same time at- Would you like to increase the par- uipa, Apurimac and Cajamarca. ■ which are highly recognized by execu- dence are factors that maintain Peru as
tract more investment. It is not possible ticipation of mining companies listing tives and global investors. an attractive jurisdiction for investors. ■

12 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 13
FA C T S H E E T Global Business Reports Industry Explorations THOUGHTS

Peru At a Glance
Source: IMF, data for 2020
GDP Evolution In US Dollar Value
Source: IMF
Political and
CAPITAL
Lima Billion US$
220.19
Social Analysis
230
HEAD OF STATE (projected)
Pedro Castillo, Perú Libre 220
210
202.01
GDP
US$202.01 billion 200 “Covid-19 has been the fuel on the fire of a long-standing and deep-rooted social and
GDP GROWTH 190 political problem in Latin America. Latam is home to 8% of the global population, but has
-11.15% 180 accounted for 18% of Covid cases and 20% of Covid deaths. Why has the region performed
TOTAL INVESTMENT (% OF GDP) 170 so poorly in the face of the pandemic? Commentators have been quick to point out
17.82% 160 populist presidents in Brazil and Mexico who were skeptical of imposing lockdowns,
GROSS NATIONAL SAVINGS (% OF GDP) 150 however that was not the case in Peru which also suffered high death rates. There is
19.1% 140 something more endemic and pernicious at play, and the root cause is inequality.”
CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE (% OF GDP) 130
-1.5% 120 - Michael Cullen,
110 Managing Director – Latin America,
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 FTI Consulting

Demographic Data GDP Growth


Source: IMF, data for 2020 Source: IMF 9% “The current situation we are living in Peru might seem similar to the period before
(projected)
%
Humala was elected in 2011. Despite his radical discourse before the election, once he was
7
elected, he understood that re-founding the country was not feasible and that he had to
play by the rules of democracy. There are two fundamental differences with the context
6 today: First, Humala signed a roadmap towards the second round of the election, which
represented a moderation of his discourse. Second, he never threatened to close the
POPULATION 5 congress, nationalize industries or disregard international agreements.”
33.4 4
- Oscar Díaz,
MILLION 3 CEO,
Viceversa Consulting
2
UNEMPLOYMENT
RATE 1
“Most of the areas where the big mining companies operate remain extremely poor.
6.2% 0
2020 Therefore, many communities surrounding mining operations are not fond of our
market economy as it has not benefitted them. The problem is not the market economy,
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021
but rather that the regional and local governments have done a poor job of bringing
-11.15% prosperity to their communities. If we had more efficient government we would have
GDP PER CAPITA been able to build better infrastructure, health and educational services over the last 20
GDP Per Capita In US Dollar Value
years. Regardless of who wins the election, the system has to be reformed.”

US$6,127
Source: IMF

US$
8,500
- Orlando Marchesi,
8,000
Country Senior Partner,
PwC Peru
7,500
7,000
GDP PER CAPITA (PPP) 6,127
6,500
“Many companies in Peru that struggle with social licensing have been around for
US$11,879 6,000
5,500
5,000
decades, and sometimes have a bad reputation due to legacy issues, or if they were in
a region where there has been historical conflict between mining and communities. On
4,500
the other hand, companies which have entered the Peruvian market recently have been
4,000
successful in obtaining their social license to operate. Establishing good relationships
INFLATION RATE 3,500
with the community from the start is key to accelerate the process.”
3,000

4.2% 2,500 - Marcial Garcia,


Partner and Mining Lead,
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 EY Peru

14 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 15
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

Peru’s Copper Projected Copper Supply


and Demand Outlook

Opportunity Base Case Production Capability


Source: Wood Mackenzie

Probable Projects Primary Demand Peru produces 2.5 million


Million Tonnes tonnes of copper annually,
35 so every cent the copper
THE METAL OF THE FUTURE IS
30 price goes up represents an
ALREADY THE METAL OF THE additional US$50 million in
25
MOMENT revenue. It is an opportunity
20
the country cannot miss.
15

10
“Copper is the new oil,” stated Gold-
man Sachs in May 2021, citing a surge 5
in green capex combined with the lack - Rómulo Mucho, General
0
of copper mining projects as the fac- Manager, Pevoex
1992 1997 2002 2007 2022 2027 2032 2037
tors that will lead to a multi-year bull
market. Trafigura, the world’s biggest
copper trader, sees the red metal hit- is expected to move into production in Global EV + PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Elec-
ting US$15,000 a ton (US$7.50/lb) in 2024, according to CEO of Nexa Peru, tric Vehicle) sales reached 3.24 million in
the coming years, according to head of Ricardo Porto, who stated: “There is a lot 2020, compared to 2.26 million for 2019,
copper trading, Kostas Bintas. “Copper of talk about a commodities supercycle and are expected to rise to over 21 mil-
demand is going to be psychedelic,” and the one commodity that is indisput- lion units by 2030. The average petrol
proclaimed Robert Friedland, speaking ably linked to this cycle is copper.” engine vehicle requires 20 kg of copper, have predicted how quickly demand
at Mines and Money London in Novem- Quite simply, everyone is bullish on a hybrid 40 kg, and a plug-in EV 109 kg, would pick up in the short-term, par-
ber 2020 (caveat: he also sells copper). copper, and for good reason. From in- while the cars of the future will need as ticularly in the context of a global pan-
Precious metals producers are on the frastructure-based government stimulus much as 163 kg of the metal. As an ex- demic where economic growth has been
hunt for copper deposits, with Barrick packages, to ‘the green reset’ where Eu- ample of how quickly the switch towards sluggish at best. Surging demand from
chief Mark Bristow describing it as “a rope and the USA are all aligned in their EVs could be completed, in July 2021 China and dwindling copper warehouse
fantastic strategic asset”. Producers of plans to move away from fossil fuels, the the European Union proposed an effec- stocks sent the red metal to an all-time-
other base metals, such as zinc-focused transition will be driven by copper, sup- tive ban for new fossil-fuel cars starting high in May 2021, with futures trading
Nexa Resources, are looking to develop plying material for solar, wind, energy in 2035. over US$4.80, a remarkable figure less
copper projects. In the case of Nexa, its storage systems, electric vehicles (EVs) Although the mid to long-term consen- than a year since copper had cratered to
Magistral greenfield property in Ancash and EV charging stations. sus on copper is favorable, few could 4-year low of US$2.10/lb in March 2020.
Peru, as the world’s second largest cop-
per producer, will undoubtedly benefit
from rising prices. However, there is a
pervasive feeling that the country could
produce a lot more than it currently
does. Multiple large-scale projects re-
main undeveloped, stuck in a quagmire
of permitting complications and commu-
nity conflicts. Even projects with permits
in hand, such as Tía María – the poster-
child of undeveloped Peruvian mining
assets – are not guaranteed to get the
green light, as emphasized by former
president Martín Vizcarra, who stated
that the project would never be devel-
oped under his administration.
If the struggle has been difficult under
moderate governments, how much
worse could it get under Castillo? Which
bank would fund a project when the
State is threatening to take 70% profit?

16 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

“Peru produces 2.5 million tonnes of copper annually, so ev- of the momentum that high metals prices bring. Not only to
ery cent the copper price goes up represents an additional aid economic recovery, but also because the country’s post- What is the status of the Quellaveco development, and when do you expect
US$50 million in revenue. It is an opportunity the country can- Quellaveco pipeline lacks major greenfield projects. production to start?
not miss,” stated Rómulo Mucho, general manager of Pevoex Money alone will not be enough to ensure projects are given Covid has created a lot of challenges, particularly from a logistics standpoint, but
and president of Agromin 2021. The event, taking place in the green light, as lengthy permitting processes and social our team and contractors have handled it as well as possible. For instance, we
November 2021, looks at creating synergies between mining tension have resulted in a number of high-quality projects be- do approximately 500 random Covid tests per week, in addition around 3,500 to
and agriculture, two industries with intrinsic links to local co- ing held back. 4,000 pre-boarding PCR tests per week. From an overall construction standpoint,
mmunities. “The government does not think mining deserves a dedicated Quellaveco is now over 50% construction complete (as of May 2021). On the opera-
Indeed, unification should be the operative word for the newly State policy, and that damages the industry’s prospects. In- tional side, we have had four autonomous trucks running for over two months now,
elected Perú Libre regime, as conflicting interests have con- vestment arrives in countries with legal and political stability,” with one shovel up and running and a second shovel set to be commissioned in July.
tributed to an unstable political backdrop. Marcobre’s Mina observed Rómulo Mucho, who added that a dedicated, pro- We expect Quellaveco be fully operational in 2022. The exact date is Covid de-
Justa moved into production in July 2021, and combined with active State policy could expedite projects which would yield pendent to some degree, but this is a goal we expect to achieve. We should start
Anglo American’s Quellaveco, due to start in 2022, Peru has good returns. mining ore by the end of 2021, as the project transitions from construction to op-
a platform to produce 3 million tonnes of copper annually by These projects include Jinzhao Mining’s Pampa de Pongo, eration.
2023. However, ironing out social conflicts and establishing a
semblance of political continuity will be key for Peru to con-
tinue this upward trend and close the supply gap with Chile.
particularly attractive with iron ore trading over US$200 per
tonne, and the Río Blanco mine in Piura, which would add over
200,000 mt/y of copper, but mining is pretty much banned in
Tom Can you tell us about Anglo American’s agreement with ENGIE Energía Peru
to provide renewable energy to Quellaveco via the Punta Lomitas wind farm?
this region of Northern Peru, according to Mucho. Even areas
where mining is widely accepted, such as the mining corridor
McCulley We sat down with ENGIE Energía Peru just before Covid to start talking about
what opportunities we have for green energy, and the deal was put together in the
Stimulating Project Development of southern Peru, have seen road blockades which caused a span of less than a year. This sends a message to the mining industry and to Peru
loss of sales worth more than US$500 million to MMG-Las that renewable energy is feasible, and we are very proud to be the first mine in the
With copper trading above US$4/lb since February, free cash Bambas. country that powers its entire operation via renewables. Quellaveco will require
flow is expected to fuel expansions, technology investments, Another of Peru’s copper producers with a project subject to a approximately 187 megawatts, and even on a global level there are very few mines
exploration and M&A. In addition to the need to make up for judiciary process is Southern Peaks Mining (SPM) and its Ariana of this scale that source 100% of their energy from renewable sources. We are very
time lost during the 2020 lockdown, there is some urgency asset. Adolfo Vera, SPM’s president and CEO, weighed in on CEO glad to support additional investment in Peru and the agreement we have with
for Peru to expedite project development and take advantage the matter: “Ariana is a project that SPM will definitely build, ANGLO AMERICAN PERU Engie will provide more jobs to the people of Peru.
as I have always maintained, because there is no technical sup-
port for any of the claims of those who oppose the project.” How do the Caterpillar 794 AC autonomous mining trucks using Command for
SPM hopes to be able to restart construction by the end of Hauling at Quellaveco compare to traditional vehicles?
2021, with production to start by the end of 2022. Vera stated At the moment we are going through a learning curve to see how we can get the
that once in production, Ariana will be a low cost producer, best out of the trucks. For example, when the shovel operator fills up a manual
adding 20,000 mt/y copper concentrate to the company’s pro- truck, if he overflows the load it does not matter, but with an autonomous truck it
file. does matter, because if you drop a rock in the way of an autonomous truck it will
The importance of stimulating project development goes far not operate as it will detect a hazard. However, we expect a significant productivity
beyond the royalties and taxes paid to the government, as improvement in the coming months and years, especially when all the trucks be-
the largest projects create vast ecosystems of suppliers, who come autonomous. We expect between a 10% to 30% improvement in productivity
in turn provide for their families, generating wealth spent in compared to a traditional fleet.
industries such as agriculture, hospitality and consumer goods. At Quellaveco we also made a commitment to the community, that even though we
A large percentage of the 120 companies interviewed for the are using automous trucks we will still hire the same amout of people as we would
2021 edition of GBR’s Peru Mining publication are actively in a manual operation, but some of the jobs will be different than before and we will
working on Anglo American’s US$5 billion capex Quellaveco train the people to be able to work in an digital mine.
project, from engineering through to equipment components,
catering and maintenance. Copper is often talked about in We are very proud to be What are some of Anglo American’s initiatives to increase the participation of
macro terms – the role it will play in the energy transition – but the first mine in Peru that women at its operations?
the jobs it creates also sustain countless families on a micro Across the company this has been a big focus and we are at about 25% participation
powers its entire operation via
level in countries such as Peru and Chile. of women at Quellaveco. It is important to create an inclusive environment where
Discussing the progress of Quellaveco, Tom McCulley, CEO
renewables. all workers feel comfortable.
of Anglo American Peru, revealed that construction was 50%
complete as of May 2021, and mining ore should start by the What message would you give about the importance of fostering a collabora-
end of the year. The mine is expected to be fully operational tive mining climate in the country?
in 2022. “Since I have been here, I have seen the tremendous Since I have been here I have seen the tremendous opportunities that Peru’s mi-
opportunities that Peru’s mining sector presents, and I think ning sector presents, and I think this should be emphasized more than it is. As an
this should be emphasized more than it is,” stated McCulley. industry we need to sit down with government and figure out how we are going to
“As an industry we need to sit down with government and fig- capture this opportunity to benefit the Peruvian people. If we are not careful and
ure out how we are going to capture this opportunity to ben- too many restrictions are introduced, future investment is going to dry up or go
efit the Peruvian people. If we are not careful, and too many somewhere else. All stakeholders should have a fair share, make a fair profit, and
restrictions are introduced, future investment is going to dry have access to development. I think we have done a good job of this at Quellaveco,
up or go somewhere else.” ■ and this is a good example of how we need to do things moving forward. ■

18 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 19
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

What is the current status of the fi-


nancing package for the Corani proj-
ect (June 2021)?
ment in these regions is an image is-
sue, or more deep rooted?
I think it is more deeply rooted. From
Sustainability proving that an industry with a checkered
history can operate in a responsible man-
ner.
the challenges surrounding mining is ESG
as a route to building stronger relation-
ships with customers and investors, rather
We continue to work with BNP Paribas the mid-90s until 2019, the level of Pe- Has modern mining cleaned up its act? than just a way to reduce criticism.
and Société Générale, who we engaged ruvians living below the poverty line For those within the industry, this goes Indeed, rather than being an afterthought
in 2020 to arrange a senior secured dropped significantly, but many of without saying. However, ask the families at the back of company PowerPoint pre-
credit facility. The main commercial those people had informal jobs. Then MORE THAN A BUZZWORD, ESG of the 270 people killed during the Bru- sentations, ESG is now at the forefront of
terms of the financing have essentially the pandemic hit, the GDP dropped madinho tragedy in 2019, or the Puutu corporate strategy. A report from Morn-
HAS BECOME THE OVERARCHING
been agreed, and the different parties by over 10% and government-imposed Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura communities ingstar released in April revealed that sus-
have completed their due diligence. lockdowns left these people without THEME IMPACTING ALL FACETS whose 46,000-year-old Aboriginal site at tainability-focused funds attracted record
The independent engineers will be the means to make money. Inequality OF MINING the Juukan Gorge was destroyed in 2020, inflows during the first quarter of 2021,
able to sign off on their technical due and poverty, which cause disenchant- what they think of the sector. pushing global assets under management
diligence report after a site visit, but the ment, have been enflamed by Covid. Incidents such as Brumadinho and Juukan in ESG funds to nearly US$2 trillion.
recent outbreak of the Delta variant of Gorge are the ones that make the news “Financial institutions are finally putting
Covid in the Arequipa region has de- What work has Bear Creek been do- Is mining sustainable? The depletion of and capture media attention. Further- their money where their mouth is,” af-

Anthony layed this slightly. This part of the Cora-


ni project financing will be in the order
of US$400 million to US$425 million at
ing to support the Chacaconiza and
Quelcaya communities?
Over a long period of time we have
a finite resource that cannot be renewed
is, in essence, the antithesis of what many
consider sustainability. However, mining is
more, the organizations responsible are
not small backwater operators, but two
of the three biggest mining companies by
firmed Michael Cullen, managing director
Latin America for FTI Consulting, giving
the example of a mining project in Peru

Hawkshaw good commercial terms.


We are also negotiating a subordinated
helped them develop their alpaca herds
and improve the quality of the wool, to
fundamental to a sustainable future in the
transition to an electrified green economy
market cap in the world.
A commodities note written by Daniel
he worked on where a European and an
American banking institution were about
debt facility that would bolt on to the the point where the average family in- that is growing incrementally. For this tran- Litvin for the Financial Times on June to stop financing due to environmental
senior credit facility. The intercreditor come had gone from US$50/month in sition to happen at the pace necessary to 7th titled “Prepare for a ‘supercycle’ in and human rights issues. “If you are a ju-
arrangements are the subject of discus- 2011 to US$700/month in 2019. How- combat the impacts of climate change, a anti-mining activism” suggested that new nior mining company hoping to fake it till
sion as to who disperses first, who gets ever, the alpaca market was drastically greater acceptance of the mining sector is waves of social opposition set to hit the in- you make it before being bought out, that
repaid first, and how they get repaid affected by Covid. We have been able a necessity. In this context, sustainability dustry may change it for the better. Litvin is not going to happen, as a deep ESG
President & CEO out of the project cash waterfall. As to provide some employment on vari- in mining is about doing things better and argued that the common thread linking audit will be performed to ensure that you
BEAR CREEK MINING part of the subordinated debt package ous projects, including building a pow-
we will probably enter into a long-term er line, where we have completed seven
concentrate offtake agreement, which towers of a proposed 17. We have also
will secure our market for several years. provided educational material, radio
The balance of the Corani project fi- signals and internet access so that the
nancing will be raised by equity. children can study from home. Once
the power line is completed, we will put
To what extent has the political situa- up fiber optic cable which will eventu-
tion in Peru impacted the climate for
mining investment in the country?
ally spread to all of the local communi-
ties.
We became one to help our
In my opinion, considering mining in clients develop more
Peru represents over 10% of the GDP Where would you like to see Corani
and 60% of the export earnings, I do by the middle of 2022?
sustainable projects
not expect there will be drastic chang- I would like to see a substantial amount
es to the legislation affecting mining. of the heavy civil work done, the pio- The combined WSP + Golder team
Considering that mining in There may be incremental increases in neer camp virtually complete, detailed strengthens our position as a strategic
the tax burden, but the principal en- engineering complete, and major partner of the mining industry in Latin
Peru represents over 10% of shrined rights in the constitution – such equipment ordered – some of which America.
the GDP and 60% of the export as property ownership and the free ready to be delivered. We also intend to
earnings, I do not expect there movement of currency – will not be augment Bear Creek’s in-house team, We deliver engineering, water, social
will be drastic changes to the changed. It will take the capital markets and have recently hired a new project and environmental services focused on
some time to absorb all of this, but Peru director and a health and safety manag- sustainability and tackling our client's
legislation affecting mining. remains a good destination for mining er. We will need further reinforcements complex future challenges. We know our
investment, with a far stronger bond in HR, environmental specialists, engi- solutions will shape the communities of
rating for its sovereign debt than any neering, metallurgical and communities tomorrow.
other South American country except relations staff.
Chile. In summary, I would like to see an or-

In many of the major mining regions


ganization with around twice as many
people as we currently have, manag-
We are Future Ready®
in Peru Pedro Castillo received a ing a heavy civil works contractor and
large majority of the votes. Do you getting ready to line the water ponds
think the anti-establishment senti- at Corani. ■

20 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 21
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

comply with their very high international April 2021, multinational EPCM Ausenco Renewable Energy Sources are currently evaluating the possibility of cost of the mining process is its environ- lustration of the situation faced by poor
standards.” released its first sustainability report. Al- using solar power for San Gabriel, which mental impact in Andean communities communities in Peru, using the example
Michael Scherb, founder and CEO of Appi- exandra Almenara, Ausenco’s VP environ- In April 2021, ENGIE Energía Perú, the has an ideal location to benefit from such that have not seen their fair share of the of the Chumbivilcas province, which has
an Capital Advisory LLP, weighed in on the ment and sustainability for South America, Peruvian arm of French multinational elec- an energy source,” revealed Roque Bena- wealth created by generations of mining. 83,000 inhabitants in a remote location
subject: “Today, ESG comes up in nearly outlined what the report hopes to achieve: tric utility company ENGIE, announced it vides, chairman of Buenaventura. Herein lies the challenge of obtaining and over 4,000 m above sea level. “In the re-
every interaction with investors. It used to “Its aim is to compile all our sustainabil- will build a wind farm to supply power to maintaining a license to operate. gion 29 out of 1,000 children do not cel-
be a buzzword, then it became a checklist, ity efforts in different projects and areas Anglo American’s Quellaveco mine, mak- Orlando Marchesi, country senior partner ebrate their first birthday due to the high
and now it has become a real thematic in of the company, and with this constitute ing it the first Peruvian mine to use 100% Sustainable Wealth Creation and Com- at PwC Peru, believes that many of the so- rate of infant mortality. On the environmen-
underwriting,” he said, explaining that it a baseline for our commitment to the fu- renewable energy. Rik De Buyserie, coun- munity Expectation cial challenges to mining in Peru are the tal side, 62% of the garbage and waste in
is an educational process, walking insti- ture,” she said, adding that once all the try manager of ENGIE in Peru and CEO of result of a decentralization process that the region is buried, burned or dumped
tutional investors (like pension plans and independent sustainability initiatives with- ENGIE Energía Perú, detailed that the 260 “The social side of ESG – poverty – is started in 2003. into water sources. In other words, the area
sovereign wealth funds) through the good in the company are understood, Ausenco megawatt (MW) Punta Lomitas wind farm often neglected,” stated Barrick's CEO While the country’s poverty incidence rate is in need of tremendous help.”
that mining does in the world. “This is can start working on more specific, unified will provide approximately 187 MW of Mark Bristow, citing a World Health Or- fell from 58 to 23 percent between 2004 Hudbay intends to bring in a multi-stake-
not just about decarbonization and com- and company-wide measures. green energy in a two-part project. ganization (WHO) report forecasting that and 2014, a large portion of the tax gener- holder approach that delivers investment
modities, which is everyone’s focus, but Gonzalo Covarrubias, general manager of “Firstly, we will convert the current PPAs 100 million people will move below the ated from mining has not been reinvested to Chumbivilcas from many sources, and
involves communities, jobs, health and WSP Peru, explained how the company’s (power purchase agreements) that we have breadline (US$1.90 per day) because of properly. He pointed to the lack of proj- signed a framework agreement in March
infrastructure investment in remote parts consulting services aim to create long- in place into green PPAs; and secondly, we Covid. “Companies that think simply tick- ect management capabilities of regional 2021, committing to invest 11 million
of countries which may not usually receive term relationships between project, com- have signed a green PPA for eight years ing boxes is enough to raise money are in governments, which have not been able Peruvian Soles (around US$3 million) per
benefits,” added Scherb, remarking that a munity and operation, suggesting that from 2029,” explained De Buyserie, noting for a rude awakening, as the pandemic has to invest the Canon Minero (50% income year in social and technical development
lot of sectors can learn from mining’s abili- the mining industry has not been great that ENGIE will also build a 60 km trans- highlighted that the world is not a platform tax generated from Peruvian mining com- projects. However, Del Rio warned that the
ty to bring different stakeholders together at communicating its role in supplying mission line to connect the wind farm to for exploitation,” he added. panies) correctly. task requires support from more than just
as part of a final product. global demand for sustainable technolo- the national grid. The majority of regions where mining is “This has created conflicts between the the private sector: “Regardless of who wins
The International Council on Mining and gies. “We need to clearly communicate The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) prevalent remain poor, despite companies mining companies and local communi- the election, sustained investment and de-
Metals (ICMM) has set out a list of Mining why we mine metals – as they are vital for granted the concession on the Punta Lo- and their shareholders making huge prof- ties,” he said, noting that unspent funds velopment is needed in the Chumbivilcas
Principles, created on the understand- development; and how we mine metals – mitas wind project for both generation and its. It is one of the reasons why anti-mining provided to regional governments (be- province, and this cannot be achieved by
ing that the decarbonizing of the global by having a responsible mining and strong transmission, and ENGIE expects to start sentiment exists, and one of the reasons tween 30% to 40% of the total paid) are one company alone.”
economy and meeting the UN Sustainable relationships within the communities that plant construction in the second half of politicians like Pedro Castillo rise to power. returned to the Ministry of Economy and The hope for Peru, its mining industry and
Development Goals (SDGs) requires a sus- we operate.” 2021. De Buyserie elaborated on the en- After it has been mined, copper does a Finance. Stating that both the regional and local communities is that the experience of
tained demand for metals and minerals Covarrubias emphasized the need to vironmental benefits of the project, stating number of good things, but its extraction local governments have done a poor job mislaid promises and legacy issues is part
over the coming decades. communicate with local communities, that the Punta Lomitas wind project will re- presents the moral issue of global benefit of bringing prosperity to their communi- of a learning curve that leads to clearer
“The mining sector is the backbone of the governments, clients and employees in duce CO2 emissions by 230,000 mt/y. vs local cost. One of the most tangible ties, Marchesi reflected: “If we had more communication from the early stages of a
transition to a net zero emissions econo- unison rather than in silos, accentuating He also underlined that ENGIE is building ways to eradicate poverty is through the efficient governments, we would have project. Castillo’s Perú Libre government
my,” stated Rohitesh Dhawan, new ICMM the importance of long-term planning that the wind farm without any subsidies from construction of wells and pipes to supply been able to build better infrastructure, has been elected with a mandate to dis-
CEO, who brings a wealth of sustainabili- considers climate change, wealth-creation the government, adding: “It is great news water to third world communities, giving health services and educational services tribute wealth more evenly, but to achieve
ty-focused experience to the role. Dhawan for communities and how technologies for future development if you can be envi- single mothers the chance to care for their over the last 20 years.” this, collaboration rather than demoniza-
cited the World Bank estimate that there will evolve. ronmentally-friendly but also competitive children or work rather than walk miles to Javier Del Río, VP business unit South tion is a must for a country that relies on its
will be a 500% growth in the demand for American multinational conglomerate 3M from a cost perspective.” collect water each day. However, the local America for Hudbay Minerals, gave an il- mining industry. ■
critical minerals required for this transition. is involved in the full lifecycle of mining Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American
To underline the importance of the mining projects, providing consumables such as Peru, related that the deal with ENGIE
sector, he gave the example that if the UK PPE and electrical solutions for connectiv- was put together in the span of less than
alone was to convert all its petrol and die- ity and energy. Luis Palenque, 3M’s presi- a year, with the two companies entering
sel cars to electric cars today, it would take dent and managing director for the Ande- discussions just before the Covid outbreak
up twice the annual global production of an Region, mentioned that the company in 2020. “This sends a message to the mi-
cobalt. “Therefore, mining will be a funda- invests more than 6% of its global income ning industry and to Peru that renewable
mental pillar of vehicle electrification, and into innovation, which represents over energy is feasible,” he said.
for the production of other important ele- US$2 billion per year, with sustainability Peru also has abundant solar energy sourc-
ments to reach carbon neutrality such as at the core of its R&D. “3M’s sustainabil- es, particularly in the south of the country,
solar panels or wind turbines.” ity strategy includes new objectives, such a source of power that has dramatically re-
Dhawan went on to emphasize that the as achieving 30% less carbon emissions duced in cost in the past decade. A report
way minerals are produced is also im- within the next 10 years, 30% less water from the International Renewable Power
portant. In the past, mineral production consumption by 2030, and zero-carbon Agency (IRENA) presented data showing
contributed 4-7% of global greenhouse footprint by 2050. To help achieve this, the global weighted-average LCOE (lev-
emissions. the company has already invested US$1 elized cost of electricity) of utility-scale
Achieving tangible change will require billion towards reaching its sustainabil- solar PV is set to fall to US$ 0.039/kWh in
the buy in of the full mining supply chain, ity goals,” detailed Palenque, noting that 2021, lower than any fossil fuel-generated
including the engineering firms and con- even as a customer, 3M selects suppliers source. In addition to their environmental
sultancies that design projects and advise and companies based upon how sustain- benefits, renewables are now becoming
on environmental and social strategy. In able they are. an economically sound alternative. “We

22 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 23
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Rik Rohitesh What role can the mining industry play in the transition to a net zero emissions
economy?
Mining will be a fundamental pillar of vehicle electrification and for the production of oth-

De Buyserie Dhawan er important elements to reach carbon neutrality such as solar panels or wind turbines.
The way these minerals are produced is also important. We cannot afford to have exces-
sive carbon emissions from mineral production.
Mining will continue to require
CEO The ICMM is working on both sides of the equation: we are studying how the industry
significant amounts of energy, can supply the metals and minerals required for the low carbon transition and analyz-
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON MINING
but if this can be supplied ing how to do this generating the fewest possible greenhouse emissions. Several mi-
& METALS (ICMM)
through greener sources, the ning companies have successfully transitioned to 100% renewable energy, such as Anglo
CEO industry will be able to change
American in several parts of their operations. The Escondida mine is also well on track to
ENGIE ENERGÍA PERÚ achieve 100% renewable energy.
the perception some people
have of it. What are the ICMM’s current priorities?
The main priority is to continue enabling the global industry to take up the Global In-
dustry Standard on Tailings Management. Towards that end, we recently launched the
Tailings Management Good Practice Guide as well as the Conformance Protocols for the
Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management. Our ambitious goal is to find solu-
tions that will significantly reduce or eliminate tailings in the first place.
There are two other areas we are currently working on: our skills initiative, which is a 15-
year plan to equip communities with the skills they need to thrive, no matter what mining
ENGIE Energía Perú recently announced it will build a will reduce CO2 emissions by 850,000 mt/y. The Punta Lomi- looks like in the future, and the Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles (ICSV), designed to
wind farm to supply power to Quellaveco, making it the tas wind project will avoid CO2 emissions by 230,000 mt/y. reduce greenhouse gas emissions from mobile equipment on the mine site and reduce
first Peruvian mine to use 100% renewable energy. Can To summarize, in a very short period of time, we are eliminat- fatalities and injuries caused by mobile equipment. This year, we will also work in areas
you provide details of this agreement? ing approximately 2 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, related to climate change and biodiversity. ■
The agreement between ENGIE and Anglo American will while at the same time avoiding 300,000 mt/y of CO2 emis-
mean that the entire energy supply of the Quellaveco proj- sions through generating energy from renewable sources.
ect, which is approximately 187 MW, will be 100% green As well as being environmentally friendly, there is also a posi-
energy. This power project will make Quellaveco the first tive financial impact. The south of Peru and north of Chile
mine in Peru which secures 100% of its electricity needs have abundant solar resources, but Peru also has a couple of
through renewable sources from the beginning of the mine
operation.
In order to be able to produce the green energy that the
wind sites which are world class.

Are power projects such as Punta Lomitas just applicable


Michael W. In January 2021, the completion of the Appian Natural Resources Fund II was
announced for US$775 million. How was the fund raised and where will it be
deployed?
mine will require, we will be building a 260 MW wind farm
in south-central Peru. We will also build a 60 km transmis-
for multi-billion dollar operations such as Quellaveco,
or can they be scaled down for small and medium-sized
Scherb Fund II has the same strategy as Fund I, but on a slightly larger scale, as we can
offer more credit and royalties. We have guiding macro themes that have been in
sion line to connect the wind farm to the national grid. The mines as well? place for over five years now, such as electrification, for example. However, there
concession on the Punta Lomitas wind project has already The beauty of renewable energy projects is that they are is no real chase for commodities as we are technically focused, targeting bottom-
been granted and we expect to start plant construction in flexible and can be scaled to fit the size of the operation. up fundamentals of an asset. We managed to deploy 45% of Fund II during Covid,
the second half of 2021. Siemens Gamesa will be providing Renewable energy plants are much more modular than fos- which proves you are still able to get good deals done despite what commodity
the wind turbines for the project and is a key partner for EN- sil fuel plants, as increasing capacity can be done through Founder & CEO prices are doing.
GIE in this investment. just adding another solar unit or wind turbine. ENGIE En- APPIAN CAPITAL ADVISORY LLP
ergía Peru has approximately 1,000 MW renewable energy Which jurisdictions is Appian looking at, and what factors do you take into
What are the environmental and cost benefits of install- projects in its pipeline, and this is the company’s focus for account when weighing up country risk?
ing renewable energy, such as wind turbines? the foreseeable future in Peru. I speak with the ministers of mines of many countries, and we are clear with the
The Punta Lomitas wind project is a game changer for EN- point that our capital will go to the path of least resistance and best risk-reward.
GIE. Looking at the 2,500 MW installed capacity we have in To what extent do you think the utilization of green ener- Latin America is the most important region for Appian, and 70% of our capital is
Peru, which represents approximately 20% approximately of gy could help the mining industry improve its image? invested there. We would like to increase Appian’s position in Peru and Mexico.
the installed capacity in the country, around 300 MW is cu- Because of the nature of mining activities, the industry con-
rrently from renewable sources. Therefore, with the 260 MW sumes a significant amount of energy in various forms. In re- How has the importance of ESG in the mining space evolved from an invest-
wind farm project we are almost doubling our renewable cent years, there has been a shift towards more sustainable ment standpoint?
energy source capacity. forms of energy consumption, with Quellaveco leading the ESG used to be a buzzword, then it became a checklist, and now it has become
In 2017, we decommissioned our diesel fuel plant in Ilo, which way for the rest of industry to follow. Mining will continue to a real thematic in underwriting. It is an educational process, walking institutional
was the first plant we bought when we started operations in require significant amounts of energy, but if this can be sup- investors (like pension plans and sovereign wealth funds) through the good that
Peru. Taking this plant out of the system reduced our CO2 plied through greener sources, the industry will be able to mining does in the world. This is not just about decarbonization and commodities,
emissions by 1 million tonnes per year (mt/y). In 2018, we change the perception some people connect with it. Mining which is everyone’s focus, but involves communities, jobs, health, and infrastruc-
inaugurated our first 40 MW solar plant, which avoids 52,000 is a necessity, and if it can be done in a sustainable way, it is ture investment in remote parts of countries which may not usually receive ben-
mt/y of CO2 emissions. By the end of 2022, we will decom- a win for the communities, the companies that need a license efits. A lot of sectors can learn from mining’s ability to bring different stakeholders
mission our 135 MW coal plant, the only one in Peru, which to operate, the environment, and the Peruvian economy. ■ together as part of a final product. ■

24 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 25
MINING
PRODUCTION
“To optimize your production, it is important to know in real time
the specific characteristics of the ore that is going through
your processing plant, so the operator can provide the best
metallurgical response possible”

- Javier Del Río,


VP Business Unit South America,
Hudbay Minerals Inc.

GBR • Industry Explorations • PERU MINING 2021

Image courtesy of Hudbay Minerals


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Copper fourth biggest copper producer with


312,776 mt/y. Cerro Verde and Las
Bambas both suffered 18.2% drops
is VAT leaching. Taking advantage of
our proximity to the sea, we are using
untreated seawater for the leaching
work, including at Pampacancha.”
Hudbay completed the pre-stripping
phase at its Pampacancha satellite de-
SPM’s president and CEO. Vera noted
that this will result in a 20% increase in
copper production from the mine, be-
Production compared to their 2019 production, in
contrast to fifth place Chinalco, which
process. In the case of sulphides, we
have a conventional sulphide concen-
posit in 2021, and expects to achieve
full production at Pampacancha by the
fore adding that the following stage will
be to increase throughput to 12,000
grew by far the most of Peru’s top 10 trator plant.” end of Q2, revealed Del Rio, but com- mt/d after SPM has prepared a new EIA
copper producers, reaching 202,771 Acknowledging the impact Covid had mented that the real benefits of the op- and obtained the necessary permits.
mt/y, a 6.7% increase from its 2019 on Las Bambas’ production in 2020, eration will be felt in 2023/24. “This de- On the subject of the surging copper
mark. general manager Edgardo Orderique posit will overcome the declining head price, Vera mentioned that the context
COPPER PRODUCTION IN PERU Peru experienced sharp growth in its spoke of the opportunity it presented grade at Constancia and compensate gives SPM a robust case for expansion.
copper production between 2014 and to accelerate the implementation of the hardness of the Constancia rock. “This will bring about cheaper capital
DECREASED IN 2020, BUT A 2017, moving from an annual average of technologies, such as the company’s Pampacancha has 40 million tonnes for brownfield copper projects, and has
REBOUND HAS STARTED IN 2021 less than 1.5 million mt/y to 2.45 million recently inaugurated Digital Opera- of reserves at 0.60% Cu, which will be also stimulated M&A interest,” he said.
mt/y. After a period of stability preced- tions Center (DOC) in Lima. “Our DOC blended with the Constancia produc- Although Vera stated that an IPO is
ing the new decade and the black swan has the aim of operating Las Bambas tion resulting in an average grade of not a short-term priority for SPM, he
event of 2020, a near-term pipeline is from Lima, controlling the whole value 0.40% to 0.45% Cu for our operation, admitted that listing is on the cards in
about to come online which will push chain, from the mine to the Matarani so it will contribute considerably." the not so distant future. Summarizing
After three years of steady copper Southern was the only company able annual production towards 3 million port,” he explained, adding that the One of Peru’s private copper produc- where he would like to see the com-
production, where Peru’s annual out- to keep producing throughout lock- mt/y. current mini DOC controls dispatch as ers, Southern Peaks Mining (SPM), is pany in 2022, Vera added: “I would
put averaged 2.45 million tonnes per down, its position should come as no Minsur’s Mina Justa operation is due well as trucks, shovels and drillers, but in the process of expanding its Cond- like to see Ariana back in construc-
year (mt/y) from 2017 to 2019, the Co- surprise. However, the copper major to start commercial production in July MMG aims to extend this control to the estable mine in the Cañete province. tion, Condestable’s first expansion fully
vid-induced lockdown in 2020 caused also benefited from a first full year of 2021, and once ramped up will add transportation of concentrate and the The staged expansion of Condestable completed, and the permitting process
production to decrease by 12.5% to production after the expansion of its 100,000 mt/y of copper, including storage points. will initially increase throughput from underway for the second stage of the
2.15 million mt/y, according to figures Toquepala mine. “The new concentra- 58,000 mt of copper cathodes. Anglo Orderique went on to outline the com- 7,000 mt/d to 8,400 mt/d, with cons- expansion. In an ideal world, I would
from the Ministry of Energy & Mines tor at Toquepala added 100,000 mt/y American’s Quellaveco will contribute pany’s plans to begin operating the truction for this stage due to be fin- also like at least one more asset in the
(MINEM). Despite this expected drop, of copper contained in concentrates, 300,000 mt/y and is expected to start Chalcobamba pit in June 2021: “Our ished in Q3 2021, revealed Adolfo Vera, SPM portfolio.” ■
figures from October to December which represents approximately an in- production in 2022. goal is not to expand production, but
revealed production in Q4 2020 was crease of 30% in our production capac- Mina Justa, Peru’s newest copper mine, rather, to compensate for the lower
almost identical to the corresponding ity,” revealed Oscar González Rocha, is operated by Minsur’s subsidiary Mar- copper grades at the Ferrobamba pit
quarter in 2019; an illustration of the Southern's president and CEO. cobre, and has two plants – one for as we drill deeper and to achieve sus-
recovery and a positive sign for 2021. Antamina (a BHP-Glencore-Teck-Mit- oxides and one for sulphides. Gonzalo tained production in the coming years”
There was a change to the leaderboard subishi joint venture) remained in sec- Quijandría, Minsur’s corporate affairs he said, noting that after Chalcobamba,
of Peru’s largest copper producers in ond place, with 396,247 mt/y, followed and sustainability director, elaborated MMG will continue development at Sul-
2020, as Southern Copper Corpora- by previous leader Cerro Verde, the on the processes to be used for each fobamba.
tion took the top spot (up from third mine operated by Freeport McMoRan plant: Another of Peru’s main copper produc-
in 2019) with 423,796 mt/y, accounting in Arequipa, with 387,928 mt/y. Las “In the case of oxides, we are using a ers, Hudbay Minerals (TSX: HBM), also
for 19.7% of the country’s output. As Bambas, operated by MMG, was the new production process for Peru, which highlighted technological advances
that have been implemented to op-
timize its operations. Javier Del Río,
Hudbay’s VP business unit South Amer-
ica, explained that to optimize produc-
tion, you need to know in real time the
specific characteristics of the ore that is
going through your processing plant so
the operator can provide the best met-
allurgical response possible.
“Right now, we are taking advantage
of the US$4/lb+ copper price to invest
in capital initiatives focused on the
optimization of all the processes from
the pit to the port,” he said, giving the
example of particle size sensors that
send data in real-time to optimize the
processing plant throughout the Ex-
pert System. “We are also looking to
automate our drill rigs so they can be
operated remotely, and reinforcing our
digital infrastructure with an LTE net-

28 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 29
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

How has Las Bambas modified its op-


erations to adapt to remote work?
Due to Covid, we found an opportunity
monitoring carried out by an indepen-
dent authority, it has been verified that
the standards established for these
Javier
to sustain our operations with the least
amount of workers possible at the op-
measurement parameters are met.
On the other hand, our Local Business
Del Río We have 150,000 hectares
of concessions in Peru, and
erations. We found that many tasks can Development program has resulted option agreements with various
be carried out from home or from our in the hiring of a significant number of companies, so there is no
recently inaugurated Digital Operations local companies that provide us with
Center (DOC) in Lima. In fact, 10% of goods and services. Likewise, we have
lack of potential to crystalize
our personnel – 180 workers – are cu- a significant number of workers from opportunities and grow our
VP BUSINESS UNIT SOUTH AMERICA
rrently working remotely. the Apurimac region. However, we con- presence in the country.
Other remote technologies have also sider that existing expectations exceed HUDBAY MINERALS INC.
gained traction. For example, with vir- our ability to hire local companies and
tual reality it is possible to have a ‘di- workers, so we must redouble our ef-
gital twin’ of the mine. We expect to forts to contribute with the different

Edgardo use this technology soon for the Ferro-


bamba pit.
levels of government (local, regional
and local) to improve the living condi-
tions of the communities in our region.
Orderique Can you elaborate on the inaugura-
tion of Las Bambas’ Digital Opera- What is the timeline for Chalcobam-
Which investments is the company making at Constancia?
During 2021 we have thus far completed the pre-stripping
ing us to improve our recoveries (especially with the ultrafine
material) and in particle size sensors that send data in real-
tions Center (DOC) in Lima? ba’s development? phase at the Pampacancha satellite deposit, which repre- time to optimize the processing plant throughout the Expert
Our DOC has the aim of operating We plan to begin operations at the sents a capital expenditure, and have begun mining the first System. We are also looking to automate our drill rigs so they
Las Bambas from Lima, controlling the Chalcobamba this year once we have of two stages at this site, contributing towards our P&L. Keep can be operated remotely, and reinforcing our digital infra-
whole value chain, from the mine to the the requested permits. Our goal is in mind, Constancia is not the finish line, as we have several structure with an LTE network, including at Pampacancha.
Matarani port. This mini DOC currently not to expand production, but rather, greenfield and brownfield deposits around the mine and in Importantly, these are not isolated activities, as the opera-
General Manager has the control of the dispatch as well to compensate for the lower copper other parts of the country which we intend to explore thor- tion must work as an interconnected unit and not in silos.
MMG-LAS BAMBAS as trucks, shovels, drills, etc., and we grades at the Ferrobamba pit as we get oughly to increase reserves and resources.
aim to extend this control to the trans- deeper and to achieve a sustained pro- What progress has been made with the Chumbivilcas
portation of concentrate and the stor- duction in the coming years. After Chal- When do you expect the Pampacancha satellite deposit negotiations, and what investments does Hudbay have
age points. We currently use a private cobamba, we will continue develop- to begin full production? planned for the region?
4G LTE communication platform in our ment at Sulfobamba pit. Chalcobamba We expect to achieve full production at Pampacancha by Chumbivilcas has 83,000 inhabitants in the province, in a re-
operations and plan to integrate all the provides better copper grades during the end of Q2 2021, but the real benefits of the operation mote location over 4,000 m above sea level. In the region,
operations using this technology since the first years of its operation and it will will be felt in 2023/24. This deposit will overcome the declin- 29 out of 1,000 children do not celebrate their first birthday
the DOC to have an automated data be an open pit mine operation whose ing head grade at Constancia and compensate for the hard- due to the high rate of infant mortality. On the environmental
collection supported by an advanced mineralogy and metal contents are very ness of the Constancia rock. Pampacancha has 40 million side, 62% of the garbage and waste in the region is buried,
analytics platfom to help optimize deci- similar than Ferrobamba pit. tonnes of reserves at 0.60% Cu, which will be blended with burned or dumped into water sources. In other words, the
sion making. We are also conducting a the Constancia production resulting in an average grade of area is in need of tremendous help, and Hudbay is trying to
number of tests to allow stable informa- What are the main goals of MMG-Las 0.40% to 0.45% Cu for our operation, so it will contribute bring in a multi-stakeholder approach that delivers invest-
tion to travel at a very high speed in real Bambas in Peru for the coming years? considerably. ment from many sources. We signed a framework agreement
time. Las Bambas has to incorporate sustain- with the province in the beginning of March 2021, commit-
ability into its operations, which will be Can you elaborate on introducing new technologies at ting to invest PEN 11 million (around US$3 million) this year in
Las Bambas has suffered blockades achieved through several projects. To Hudbay’s mines? social and technical development projects, despite the other
Our Digital Operations that have interrupted the export of achieve these goals, we will invest ap- Waste and ore can have over 30 different characteristics that more than PEN 19 million (USD 5.2 million) the company an-
Center (DOC) has the aim of copper concentrates. What do you proximately US$2 billion in the next five must be considered, including hardness, head grade, con- nually invests in the three districts of its influence area.
think has led to this situation? or six years, as well as obtaining envi- taminants, oxidation, clays, among other factors like mineral- Regardless of who wins the election, sustained investment
operating Las Bambas from ogy, units of compression and abrasion, etc. Waste needs a and development is needed in the Chumbivilcas province,
The blockades are mainly due to claims ronmental permits and social agree-
Lima, controlling the whole of environmental origin related to the ments with the local communities. classification for NA (non-acid generating material) and PAG and this cannot be achieved by one company alone.
value chain, from the mine to transit of the trucks that transport the We will also undergo extensive explo- (potentially acid generating material), Units of compression,
the Matarani port. concentrate, as well as commercial and ration inside the 35,000-hectare land etc. To optimize your production, it is important to know in What opportunities does Hudbay see for growth in Peru,
labor expectations. MLB has a major package we have at Las Bambas, be- real time the specific characteristics of the ore that is going either organically or through M&A?
highway maintenance program from its tween the future Sulfobamba pit and through your processing plant, so the operator can provide Hudbay is always looking to grow in both ways. This involves
operations to the point of transfer, to the current Ferrobamba pit. We have the best metallurgical response possible. Now, imagine if working on a range of projects simultaneously, which each
the train. Likewise, the trucks that work geophysical information in this area the system could recalibrate itself in real time to provide the have different criteria, including operational improvements,
with us must comply with Euro5 require- whose results show interesting anoma- best metallurgical response possible and the system learn- exploration campaigns and feasibility studies. We have
ments and are subject to a rigorous lies in the region, indicating the pres- ing from these responses. 150,000 hectares of concessions in Peru, and option agree-
maintenance program. Both programs ence of copper. Our goal is to drill this Right now, we are taking advantage of the US$4/lb+ copper ments with various companies, so there is no lack of poten-
allow us to minimize dust, noise and area to obtain actionable information price to invest in capital initiatives focused on the optimiza- tial to crystalize opportunities and grow our presence in the
CO2 generation. In the environmental that could lead to further expansion. ■ tion of all the processes from the pit to the port that is help- country. When the timing is right, we will execute. ■

30 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 31
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Gonzalo
Mina Justa has a planned
Quijandría production life of 16 years,
and over this time it should
What progress has been made with the planned expansion at Condestable?
contribute around US$1
The process of certifying the reserves and resources got delayed in 2020, as we
billion if you put together were relying on a Canadian firm and they were not able to visit due to the travel
Corporate Affairs and income tax, royalties and the ban. In Q4 2020 we restarted process with local engineering firm, BISA, and by
Sustainability Director 8% profit distribution among April 2021 the basis of studies for the expansion will be ready.
MINSUR The staged expansion at Condestable will initially increase production from 7,000
workers.
tonnes per day (mt/d) to 8,400 mt/d, and construction for this stage should be
finished in Q3 2021, which will result in a 20% increase in copper production from
the mine. The next stage after this will be to increase production to 12,000 mt/d

Adolfo after we have prepared a new EIA and obtained the necessary permits.

What is the current status of Ariana, and can you elaborate on the com-
What is the status of the commercial production start at
Mina Justa?
initiatives such as public-private partnerships. With current
metal prices, tax revenues will increase, but the authorities
Vera pany’s plan to increase investment in the project by US$15 million to around
US$140 million?
Ariana is subject to a judiciary process right now, which we hope will be resolved
We are completing the commissioning phase with some need to manage these resources efficiently to execute pub-
production of concentrates and cathodes, with commercial lic works. in 2021. There was an additional hearing in August 2020, but the judge has not
production scheduled for the end of June 2021. We have make a decision yet, so we have decided to keep the project suspended for the
two plants to process oxides and sulphides. In the case of What are the company’s investment plans for the San time being. Ariana is a project that SPM will definitely build, as I have always
oxides, we are using a new production process for Peru, Rafael mine considering the strong outlook for tin? maintained, because there is no technical support for any of the claims of those
which is VAT leaching. Another innovative aspect is that, tak- Minsur’s San Rafael mine continues to be the largest single President & CEO who oppose the project. The increase in investment we are considering relates
ing advantage of our proximity to the sea, we are using un- tin producer in the western hemisphere. The main develop- SOUTHERN PEAKS MINING (SPM) to a number of upgrades including a dry tailings deposit. By the end of this year
treated seawater for the leaching process. In the case of sul- ment there has been the B2 project for tailings re-process- we will hopefully be able to restart construction, with production to start by the
phides, we have a conventional sulphide concentrator plant. ing that started production late 2019. The tin grade we had end of 2022. Ariana will be a very low cash cost producer in the neighborhood of
in our tailings was higher than the grade found in any other US$0.50/lb, and will increase production by 15,000 mt/y fine copper equivalent,
How is sea water being used at Mina Justa? new project in the world, and on top of the economics, this about 35,000 mt/y of copper concentrate.
We have a sea water extraction point at our port and a pipe- helped us implement a circular economy project. Before B2,
line that runs in parallel to our sulfuric acid line. Just a tiny we had also implemented an ore sorting technology, which Would SPM consider acquiring another project to add to its portfolio?
portion of the water is desalinated for conventional camp helped us improve production. Now, we continue explora- The current high copper price, led by the astonishing Chinese recovery from the
water use. Water is pumped 41 km from the Pacific Ocean tion in some adjacent areas to San Rafael. pandemic that does not seem to be slowing down, gives us a much more robust
to our operation. case for expansion. This will bring about cheaper capital for brownfield copper
Once Mina Justa is fully optimized, what will it mean fi- projects, and has also stimulated M&A interest. We are looking at properties in
Can you elaborate on your initiatives to promote sus- nancially for the region of Ica and its communities? Peru and Chile, and to a lesser extent Ecuador and Argentina, and we are waiting
tainability in the mining value chain? Mina Justa has a planned production life of 16 years, and for the opportunity to add another asset to SPM’s portfolio. However, right now
As members of ICMM, we are evaluating a number of initia- over this time it should contribute around US$1 billion if you we are focusing more on operating assets rather than exploration or M&A, as is it
tives to reduce our carbon footprint as well as our consump- put together income tax, royalties and the 8% profit distri- the area we can add the most value in the short term.
tion of strategic resources such as water. This is what initially bution among workers. We believe this will be a meaningful
led us to design our process to use sea water. We are also contribution to the Peruvian economy. SPM participated in the TSX Latam Mining Investor Day in August 2020.
By 2022, I would like to see
looking at ways of using more sustainable and renewable Considering the company’s organic growth pipeline and current high copper
energy sources. Do you have a final message about the importance of
Ariana back in construction, price, is listing publicly on the cards?
Mina Justa to Peru? Condestable’s first expansion We are IPO ready. SPM prepared for an IPO in 2017 but the market turned and we
How do you think mining companies in Peru can improve Minsur is a mining company with a long trajectory. From fully completed, and the decided against listing, which was a good decision for us at that moment and in
their public image? being an important producer of tin and gold, we are now permitting process underway
hindsight. We have kept the discipline of being IPO ready, but I do not see it as
The industry has to be aware of its impacts. For instance, becoming a copper producer, and this is taking us to a dif- a priority in the short term for 2021, unless there is a particular bull run for small
Mina Justa is located between two natural reserves: San ferent level. As members of the ICMM, we follow the best
for the second stage of the cap copper producers and it becomes undeniably attractive. That being said,
Fernando and San Juan. So, Mina Justa shows that a mining industry standards and we are commited to reducing our expansion. listing publicly is certainly on the cards further down the line for SPM, in the not
project can operate with total respect for the natural and impact and our carbon footprint. Latin America is experienc- so distant future.
cultural richness around it. Our footprint is totally controlled ing moments of change and a certain degree of political un-
and there is no impact on the natural reserves, and indeed certainty, but our vision has always been for the long term, Where would you like to see SPM by the beginning of 2022?
we collaborate with these reserves to promote tourism in and in this particular case, the current copper price shows I would like to see Ariana back in construction, Condestable’s first expansion fully
the area. We also want to help public authorities to better that our planning was right. Also, we are inspired by being completed, and the permitting process underway for the second stage of the
manage the financial resources that they get from the Mi- able to contribute to a better world, as copper is a key metal expansion. In an ideal world, I would also like at least one more asset in the SPM
ning Canon (50% of the income tax paid annually) through in new technologies and renewable energies. ■ portfolio. ■

32 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 33
FA C T S H E E T Global Business Reports

Copper Production In Peru Average Copper Price


Sources: MINEM / GBR Sources: LME / GBR

Million mt

2.5 $/tm $/lb

2017 6,162 2.80


2.4

2.2
2.15 2018 6,525 2.96

2.0

Variation
1.8
2019-20 (%) 2019 6,005 2.72
-12.5%

1.6
2020 6,174 3.18

1.4

1.2 2021* 9,083 4.18

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 *Until August 2021

Global Copper Reserves


Source: USGS

MINE PRODUCTION RESERVES


RANKING COUNTRY COUNTRY
2020 (KTONS) 2020 (KTONS)

#1 Chile 5,700 Chile 200,000

#2 Peru 2,200 Peru 92,000

#3 China 1,700 Australia 88,000

#4 Congo 1,300 Russia 61,000

#5 USA 1,200 Mexico 53,000

#6 Australia 870 USA 48,000

#7 Russia 850 Poland 32,000

#8 Zambia 830 China 26,000

#9 Mexico 690 Zambia 21,000

#10 Kazakhstan 580 Kazakhstan 20,000

#11 Canada 570 Congo 19,000

Other Countries 3,700 Other Countries 211,000

World Total 20,190 World Total 871,000

34 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

Precious Roque Benavides, chairman of Bue-


naventura, which owns a 43.65% interest
in Yanacocha, acknowledged that the po-
ate conditions to continue mining deeper
and recover additional coarse gold that
was going to waste because it was too
in Peru in 2020, accounting for 9.4% of
the country’s production, according to
MINEM figures. The company’s aggres-

Metals litical situation in Peru may have been a


contributing factor to the postponement
heavy to be brought into the flotation
circuit.”
sive exploration strategy has been key
to its output and is set to continue in the
of the Yanacocha Sulfides development, On February 16th, 2021, Barrick Gold an- years ahead. “Poderosa is currently pre-
but added that there were other factors nounced it had reached an agreement to paring environmental impact studies for
HIGH PRICES ARE OFFSETTING
in play. The technical complexity of the sell its 100% interest in the Lagunas Norte the Las Defensas brownfield project in
A DOWNWARD TREND IN project is one aspect, as the size of the mine in Peru to Singapore’s Boroo Pte Ltd La Libertad. Once the case studies and
PRODUCTION operation could lend itself to bulk mining for a total consideration of up to US$81 procedures have been completed, an in-
methods such as block caving, a more ca- million, plus the assumption by Boroo of vestment of US$68 million will be made
pex-intensive option that can significantly Barrick’s closure liability relating to La- to explore an area of 7,000 hectares,”
Gold and silver production in Peru suf- lower waste disposal requirements. gunas Norte of US$226 million backed detailed Santillana, who estimates that
fered more in 2020 than the other metals Another standout gold development pro- by an existing US$173 million bonding production at Las Defensas will begin in
the country produces, falling 32% and jects in Peru’s pipeline is Buenaventura’s obligation. In 2015, Lagunas Norte was four to five years.
22.5% respectively, according to MINEM San Gabriel, which should be in produc- producing over 500,000 oz/y at an AISC Ignacio Bustamante, president and CEO
figures. The dramatic reduction in gold, tion by 2023, according to Benavides. He of US$500/oz. However, with its reserves of Hochschild Mining, stated: “Brown-
from 4.13 million ounces per year (oz/y) revealed that the permitting process is declining and the transition from oxides field exploration remains the most im-
in 2019 to 3.08 million oz in 2020, and almost complete and noted governmen- to more expensive sulfides, the asset no portant pillar of Hochschild’s strategy,”
silver, from 136.17 million oz in 2019 to tal support for the project: “The authori- longer fitted with the company’s strategy. noting that in 2020, the company man-
105.49 million oz in 2020, can be partially ties always reference San Gabriel when Barrick CEO Mark Bristow said the sale aged to attain additional resources at its
explained by the majority of precious me- speaking about active projects in Peru’s was in line with the company’s policy of Inmaculada mine in Peru and San José
tals (PM) being mined from underground development pipeline,” he said. selling non-core interests to focus on tier- mine in Argentina.
operations, which were impacted more One international gold producer operat- one operations, and for Boroo it offers a “Our aim is to have additional inferred
by Covid restrictions than open-pit op- ing in Peru is South African major, Gold platform into a country looking to expand resources to present to the market by the
erations. However, it also follows a trend Fields. The company experienced a 25% its gold production. Boroo will now have time we publish our mid-year 2021 re-
that has seen PM production in Peru de- drop in gold production at its Cerro Co- the opportunity to extend the life of La- port,” said Bustamante, adding that the
crease for five years in a row. rona mine in 2020, but the operation gunas Norte by accessing satellite resour- company intends to drill two more tar-
Fortunately, 2020 was a banner year for remains hugely profitable, with the low- ces and adapting the infrastructure. gets – Minascucho and San Francisco – in
precious metals prices, with gold reach- est running costs of Gold Fields’ global the second half of 2021.
ing an all-time-high in August, averag- operations. Luis Rivera, Gold Fields’ ex- While Hochschild has been investing in
ing US$1,769/oz for the year, and silver ecutive vice president for the Americas, Growth Through Exploration its Inmaculada and Pallancata properties
approaching the US$30/oz mark for the commented that despite the significant in Peru, it has also been advancing explo-
first time in eight years, averaging over challenges posed by Covid, the company The difficulty in obtaining exploration ration projects in North America through
US$20 for the year. Q1 2021 saw a cor- managed to establish the same produc- permits in Peru, combined with declining its partnerships with Skeena Resources in
rection, as rising real rates caused gold tion rate it had in December 2019 at its reserves and ore grades, has heightened British Columbia, and most recently with
to dip below US$1,700/oz in March, but Cerro Corona mine in December 2020. the need to support brownfield explo- NV Gold in Nevada. When asked whether
a revival in Q2 on the back of rising infla- Having previously completed a feasibil- ration. Brownfield expansions will also political uncertainty in South America is
tion has positioned precious metals for a ity study to increase mine life at Cerro take on greater importance considering increasing the likelihood of Hochschild
promising second half of the year. Expe- Corona to 2030, Gold Fields is currently the lack of large greenfield projects in diversifying its geographical footprint
riencing its best month since July 2020, undertaking a scoping study to extend Peru’s near-term development pipeline into North America, Bustamante re-
gold closed over US$1,900 in May 2021, this to 2034. Rivera explained that by us- after Quellaveco. Free cash flow gener- sponded: “The current political situation
with many expecting new all time highs ing the mined-out pit at Cerro Corona as ated from high metals prices in the last in Peru is a reminder that we cannot put
before year-end. a tailings dam, the operation has gained 12 months is going back in the ground, all our eggs in one basket, and advanc-
While high PM prices are offsetting de- extra space. as producers look to grow via the drill bit. ing agreements with juniors is a strategy
clining production in Peru, the news that Rivera also elaborated on operational Despite reducing its exploration spend- to diversify the company and diversify
the country’s biggest gold mine, the modifications and optimization work ing by 48% in 2020, from US$60 million risk. Indeed, I would say that potential
Newmont-operated Yanacocha, decided at the mine, including plans to recover per year to US$32 million, Peruvian pre- investments outside of Peru have taken
to delay the construction of its US$2.1 bi- the stripping waste in 2021 after activi- cious metals producer Minera Poderosa on more importance due to the political
llion Sulfides project is a blow to the in- ties had been reduced in 2020. The op- (Poderosa) was the company with the context.”
dustry. The underground development of eration also plans to change its grinding highest exploration investment in Peru Bustamante’s words are a reminder that if
Yanacocha, as the mine transitions from circuit and 12-year-old crusher, as well last year. “In terms of greenfield and Peru is serious about reversing the down-
oxides to sulfides, would represent the as implementing a gravimetric circuit to brownfield exploration, we are invest- ward trend in its precious metals produc-
biggest single investment in Peru’s mi- recover additional coarse gold that was ing US$8-10 million a year to find new tion, it must become a more attractive
ning industry in 2021 if given the green going to waste in the tailings dam. Rivera deposits,” revealed Marcelo Santillana, mining jurisdiction, otherwise interna-
light, as well as signaling the move to summarized the aim of the work being Poderosa’s general manager. tional companies will invest elsewhere.
large-scale underground mining in the performed at Cerro Corona: “With these From a production standpoint, Poderosa This starts with incentivizing exploration,
country. modifications we will have the appropri- was the second biggest gold producer and Peru still has a lot to discover. ■

36 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports


INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Luis Roque
Rivera It is especially important to
re-start workshops that had
Benavides Anything that can be decided
by politics in Peru will
require an evaluation of our
to stop due to the pandemic,
competitiveness, comparing
where mining companies,
things such as taxation and
Executive Vice President government authorities, NGOs Chairman
permitting procedures to
AMERICAS, GOLD FIELDS and civil society came together BUENAVENTURA
leading mining jurisdictions
to define the vision of mining in
such as Canada, Australia
Peru for 2030.
and Chile.

Can you give us an overview of Gold Fields’ activities in a present-day mine of the future. It is constructed in an ex-
Peru in 2020? tremely isolated place in a high deserted region in Atacama What are your thoughts on the current political situation do not help in this respect. However, we have to be critical
Gold Fields saw the challenge of adapting to the new rea- at 4,600 m above sea level. From a technological point of in Peru? of ourselves before criticizing others, and as an industry I be-
lity of social distancing, PPEs, different protocols and reg- view, this is particularly challenging, as it is far from the elec- Politicians in Peru are similar to politicians all over the world. lieve we can do better.
ulations. Even though operations slowed down in March trical grid. To solve this problem, the electricity requirement They promise a number of things, but do not realize that
2020, we managed to resume our activity under these new for the project will be met through a diesel plant, and for there are checks and balances in place. In the case of Peru, How could Peru stimulate exploration and reverse the
conditions, learning that it is possible to operate safely dur- the first time, we will install a solar farm, which will initially this means the confirmation of Congress. The Peruvian sys- downward trend in gold production?
ing Covid. Our priorities last year included securing metal cover 5% of our electricity demand and will reach 20% of our tem requires dialogue to reach consensus. A candidate can In Peru, exploration requires as many permits as putting a
production, securing stripping activity and, to a lesser ex- demand in the future. say what he/she wants to do, but turning this into legislation mine into operation, which is absurd - it can take six to eight
tent, securing the cost, as well as looking at other activities Many of our activities in the pit, in the stockpiles and in the is another matter. There are some independent institutions months to get a permit to drill. By comparison, in Mexico it
such as exploration in brownfield areas. The recovery has plant, will be controlled through a remote operational con- in Peru which really work, and one of them is the Peruvian take only three weeks. Mining companies have a responsibil-
been strong, and we have managed to re-establish the same trol center in Santiago. We have already finished 100% of the Central Bank (BCRP), which acts as the economic advisor of ity to convince our authorities that exploration is research – it
production rate we had in the past. In December 2020, we detail engineering, 25% of the project is already advanced, the Peruvian economy. does not have a major impact on nature and it gives you a
reached a similar production level to that of December 2019. and the first metal is expected to come into production in Anything that can be decided by politics in Peru will require lot of information. What we are mining in Peru today are all
Q1 2023. an evaluation of our competitiveness, comparing things such deposits which have outcrops on surface. We have not dis-
Which operational modifications and optimization work as taxation and permitting procedures to leading mining ju- covered a hidden, deep deposit, but worldwide there have
has been done at Cerro Corona? How has Gold Fields been helping local communities risdictions such as Canada, Australia and Chile – countries been a number of world-class discoveries at depth. Peru still
During 2020 we reduced stripping activities. The stripping through the pandemic? that have been more successful than us in attracting invest- has a lot to discover.
waste will be recovered in 2021. We also plan to change the Gold Fields is currently implementing a large oxygen plant in ment. I hope that common sense prevails, and as the private
grinding circuit and our 12-year-old crusher. In addition, we the Bambamarca Hospital in Peru. We have also carried out sector we are actively working with politicians to convince What is the current status of the San Gabriel project, and
are implementing a gravimetric circuit to recover additional several campaigns to promote the donation of oxygen, rap- them that this is the way forward. when could this be moved into production?
coarse gold that was going to waste in the tailings dam. With id testing, and food delivery, and we have worked together San Gabriel is currently at the end of its permitting process.
these modifications we will have the appropriate conditions with the government to encourage social distancing and the To what do you attribute the negative sentiment towards We started the prior consultation process two years ago, we
to continue mining deeper and recover additional coarse use of masks. Gold Fields has also collaborated with educa- the mining industry in some regions? continue having meetings with local communities, and the
gold that was going to waste because it was too heavy to be tional authorities to raise consciousness about the impor- There are a number of reasons why there is negative senti- government keeps supporting its development as part of the
brought into the flotation circuit. tance handwashing and cleanness at home. In addition, we ment towards mining, one of which is expectation, and the economic reactivation after COVID-19. The authorities always
constructed two class room for the local school using local government plays a role in this. I will give the example of Las reference San Gabriel when speaking about active projects
Can you provide details of the scoping study to extend wood, to promote sustainable concepts in our kids. Bambas. When Mr. Vizcarra was Minister of Transportation, in Peru’s development pipeline. We are currently evaluating
the mine life at Cerro Corona to 2034? he went to negotiate with the Cotabambas community and the possibility of using solar power for San Gabriel, which has
We are using the mined-out pit as a tailings dam, which has Where would you like to see Peru’s mining industry by said that government was going to build a paved road, which an ideal location to benefit from such an energy source. The
been extremely useful to gain extra space. Because our the end of 2021? never happened. This has led to years of conflict, with the mi- mine should be in production by 2023.
land properties at Cerro Corona are small compared to the Hopefully, all activities will be resumed by the end of the ning company bearing the brunt of the blame.
space, we need this extra area to place waste and tailings. year. It is especially important to re-start workshops that had Peru is a very centralized country, and many rural community Do you have a final message for the Peurvian mining in-
to stop due to the pandemic, where mining companies, gov- leaders believe that mining is going to replace government in dustry, on the bicentennial anniversary of the country’s
Construction at the Salares Norte project in Chile start- ernment authorities, NGOs and civil society came together their regions, which is not realistic. The lack of management indepence?
ed in January 2021. How significant is this project to to define the vision of mining in Peru for 2030. These dia- skills at the three levels of government – national, regional I would say that Peru has a brilliant future. In these next three
Gold Fields and what is its timeline for development? logues were a useful initiative to establish a solid frame for and provincial – is terrible in Peru. The private sector needs years, the private and public sectors have to work together to
Salares Norte is an important landmark for Gold Fields, as it mining activity and to achieve a consensus between differ- more dialogue to present and convince local communities of take advantage of the opportunities in front of us. We have
is fully owned and funded by our company and represents ent actors. ■ the benefits mining can bring, and government authorities to give opinion and become more involved in civil society. ■

38 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 39
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations FA C T S H E E T

Ignacio Which technological improvements


have been made at Inmaculada?
The most important improvement proj-
the discoveries that we have seen at
both deposits in 2021 as well. Our aim
is to have additional inferred resources
Gold Production In Peru
Sources: MINEM / GBR

Bustamante
Million oz

ect that we have for Inmaculada is the to present to the market by the time we 7
ore sorting facility, which will allow us publish our mid-year report. For the Variation
6 2019-2020
to screen the material using a combina- second half of 2021, we have identified
-32%
tion of different technologies such as two promising targets – Minascucho 5
laser, color and x-rays. We are currently and San Francisco – which we intend to
4
in the process of finishing the engi- drill before year end.
neering and starting the procurement 3
President & CEO 3.08
for this plant, with the aim to be fully Why do you think anti-mining senti- 2
HOCHSCHILD MINING operational by Q1 2022. The plant will ment in Peru exists, and how can the
have a total capacity of 1,800 mt/d. This private sector change this? 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

technology will allow us to increase the News and communication regarding the
grade fed to the plant and improve the mining sector is often negative, since it
mechanization of our mining methods. is associated with illegal mining activi- Silver Production In Peru
It will also allow us to put value to other ties, and people tend to link the image Sources: MINEM / GBR
Million oz
areas of the mine that were not profit- of mining to all this terrible news. As a
150
able before. sector, we need to communicate bet- Variation
ter and educate the population about 140 2019-2020
-22.5%
Where has Hochschild’s recent the positive impact the industry has for
130
brownfield exploration work been the country and its communities. I be-
focused? lieve that the pandemic has highlighted 120

In 2020, we managed to attain addi- many things the mining sector has done 105.49
110
tional resources at both Inmaculada and to support the economy, but there is
San José, and we are very excited about still room for improvement. ■ 100

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Poderosa’s drop in gold production pany in Peru, according to MINEM Gold Average Price (USD/oz)

Marcelo in 2020 was not as severe as that of


other gold producers in Peru. What
was this due to?
figures. Can you explain this strategy
and where will investment in explora-
tion go in 2021?
US$/oz

2,200
Sources: Kitco / GBR

Santillana Although we had good results relative


to other production companies in Peru,
The useful life of a mine is usually es-
timated at three years. Therefore, ev-
2,000

1,800
it was a challenging year. Poderosa has ery year we have to make investments
1,600
a rotation system, where workers spend to replenish the mineral resources that $1,794.15
28 days in the mine and 14 days off. we process. This investment represents 1,400

This system was stopped for about four around US$60 million per year, but in 1,200
months, as workers had to be isolated 2020 we invested US$32 million. De-
General Manager
in the mine to avoid contagion, which spite this, Poderosa has been the com-
Nov 2018 Jan 2019 Aug 2019 Dec 2019 Apr 2020 Aug 2020 Dec 2020 Apr 2021 Aug 2021
MINERA PODEROSA affected our projections, especially in pany with the highest investment in
terms of exploration. We normally do exploration in Peru, with grades of 18
54,000m of drilling each year, but in grams per ton (g t), demonstrating the
Silver Average Price (USD/oz)
2020 we only achieved 48% of this goal. profitability of the company. In terms of
Sources: Kitco / GBR
Also, whereas previously we had two greenfield and brownfield exploration, US$/oz
or three people in the same room, we we are also investing US$8-10 million 32
had to reduce this number to one per- a year to find new deposits. Poderosa
28
son. Our company has accelerated the is currently preparing environmental
construction of new camps with por- impact studies for the Las Defensas 24

table houses (“igloos”), to house work- brownfield project in La Libertad. Once 20 $23.90
ers and isolate infected people; These the case studies and procedures have
16
constructions are expected to be com- been completed, an investment of
pleted by the end of May 2021. US$68 million will be made to explore 12

an area of 7,000 hectares. Our estimate


In 2020, Poderosa spent more on ex- is that we will start operations in four to Nov 2018 Jan 2019 Aug 2019 Dec 2019 Apr 2020 Aug 2020 Dec 2020 Apr 2021 Aug 2021
ploration than any other mining com- five years. ■

40 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 41
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Image courtesy of Nexa Resources

Zinc How did Nexa Resources’ perform in Peru in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021?
The zinc market witnessed The results from Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 were very positive. After lockdown, the
an oversupply of concentrate strict protocols required to operate in Peru resulted in an adaptation period where
before the pandemic hit, no underground mining operation was able to return to 100% capacity. However,
which was later consumed we managed to achieve our third best quarterly result ever in Q1 2021, in part
due to high metals prices, but also due to a process of restructuring the company
by the smelters in China has undergone since before the pandemic. This includes the introduction of new
THE BASE METAL KEY TO
during the outbreak as technology and revision of mining processes that have resulted in lower costs and
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IS
supply struggled, especially higher productivity.
ENJOYING A STELLAR 2021
in South America. At the
What is the status of the Magistral copper development project, and its
moment, there is a supply timeline for development?
deficit as expansion projects There is a lot of talk about a commodities supercycle, and the one commodity
were delayed and no new
mines were built. We expect
Ricardo that is indisputably linked to this cycle is copper, which forms the basis of infra-
structure development and will play a large role in the electrification transition.
Considering this macro outlook, Nexa has a lot of interest in increasing its par-
Zinc production in Peru decreased by
only 5.3% in 2020, totaling 1.33 mil-
this supply constraint to
last several years, which will Porto ticipation in the copper space, with Magistral being our most advanced project.
We finished the detailed engineering and design of the open-pit mine at the
lion metric tonnes (mt), thanks to the positively impact prices. end of Q1 2021. We are now in the final permitting phase, and hope to make a
country’s biggest producer increasing construction decision by the end of the year.
its zinc output by 34.3% (Antamina’s
491,180 mt/y Zn accounted for over - Ricus Grimbeek, What are your views on the current drivers of the zinc market?
one third of all zinc produced in Peru in President & CEO, I believe the fundamentals of the zinc market have never been this strong.
2020). The base metal used to galvanize Trevali Mining President & CEO The priced peaked in 2017 due to a temporary supply shortage, but this was
steel experienced a rollercoaster 2020, NEXA RESOURCES PERU not backed up by the level of demand we are seeing now. Normally demand is
dropping to a 5-year low of US$0.82/lb concentrated into certain regions at different times, but for the first time we are
in March, before rising over US$1.25/lb seeing large volumes being requested globally, including in Latin America. 70%
in December 2020. This upward trajec- of the demand for zinc comes from infrastructure, and governments around the
tory has continued in 2021, with zinc world have pledged to increase infrastructure spending in the wake of the pan-
passing the US$1.38/lb mark in June, demic, so the outlook remains robust for the rest of 2021.
buoyed by the prospect of government a revision of mining processes that have so the outlook remains robust for the
stimulus packages involving heavy in- resulted in lower costs and higher pro- rest of 2021.” What is Nexa’s strategy regarding the sustainable development of commu-
frastructure spending. ductivity at its Cerro Lindo, El Porvenir This sentiment was echoed by Ricus nities surrounding its operations?
Peru’s second biggest zinc producer, and Atacocha mines and Cajamarquilla Grimbeek, president and CEO of Trevali Regardless of where you operate, you need to establish the sustainable develop-
Nexa Resources, saw a 24.2% drop in smelter, explained Porto, who men- Mining, which operates the Santander ment of local communities, and this has to be done by training a base of local tal-
production in 2020, due to its opera- tioned that 70% of Nexa’s innovation is mine located 215 km northeast of Lima. ent which understands the culture. In some ways, Covid presented an opportunity
tions being underground mines, which incremental, focused on improving pro- “At the moment, there is a supply defi- to showcase what the mining industry can do for communities in terms of provid-
were slower to ramp up after lockdown cesses rather than replacing them. cit as expansion projects were delayed ing PPE, oxygen, food and health supplies at a critical time. However, the core of
than their open-pit counterparts due to On the subject of the zinc market, Porto and no new mines were built. We ex- We managed to achieve our Nexa’s strategy is forming partnerships with local stakeholders so they can work
government restrictions. stated he believes that the fundamen- pect this supply constraint to last se- third best quarterly result with us and become part of a project.
Ricardo Porto, president and CEO of tals have never been this strong. “The veral years, which will positively impact
ever in Q1 2021, in part due
Nexa Resources Perú, revealed that the price peaked in 2017 due to a tempo- prices,” reflected Grimbeek, noting that Can you elaborate on Nexa’s focus to promote workforce diversity and in-
company’s focus on innovation helped rary supply shortage, but this was not demand will likely remain solid as zinc is to high metals prices, but crease the participation of women in the mining industry?
Nexa weather the worst effects of the backed up by the level of demand we a raw material in solar panels and essen- also due to a process of Nexa is considerably above the industry average when it comes to workforce
pandemic, and Nexa’s aggressive ex- are seeing now,” he said, observing tial for galvanization and infrastructural restructuring the company diversity, but there is still a lot of progress to be made. As a company, it is hard to
pansion plans in Peru remain intact. that demand is usually concentrated developments, such as roads. communicate with society if you do not mirror society. Therefore we need more
The context has improved significantly into certain regions at different times, Expanding on Trevali’s plans in Peru, he
has undergone since before Peruvians, more workers from local communites, and certainly more women. Hav-
in 2021, with the company achieving its but for the first time Nexa is seeing added: “We are also conducting some the pandemic. ing a majority male workforce from a metropolitan area not only narrows your
third best quarterly result ever in the large volumes being requested glob- regional exploration as well as explora- viewpoint, but also narrows the talent pool you are hiring from.
first quarter of the year, in part due to ally, including in Latin America. tion below Santander to look for a pos- Nexa’s Empodera Group has highlighted issues that have resulted in a number
high metals prices, but also due to a Regarding zinc’s short-term outlook, sible extension of the current ore body. of organizational changes, including increasing maternity leave to six months in
process of restructuring the company Porto analyzed: “70% of the demand Therefore, the mine will be taken on an Peru, with flexibility to work the final two months part time. We are also running
has undergone since before the pan- for zinc comes from infrastructure, and exploration phase by the end of Q1 of training programs at Cerro Lindo and the Cajamarquilla smelter to train female
demic. governments around the world have 2022, and as a result, a study will be operators, and have readapted mine site infrastructure to create a more adequate
Nexa’s restructuring program includes pledged to increase infrastructure conducted to expand the tailings facil- working environment. For the mining sector to become more competitive, we
the introduction of new technology and spending in the wake of the pandemic, ity.” ■ have to attract more diverse talent. ■

42 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 43
MAP Global Business Reports Industry Explorations MAP

Peru's Main Producing Mines


NUMBER MINERAL COMPANY MINE

1 Copper, Molybdenum, Silver, Lead, Zinc Antamina (BHP-Glencore-Teck-Mitsubishi) Antamina TUMBES


2 Copper, Molybdenum, Gold, Silver MMG-Guoxin-CITIC Las Bambas IQUITOS
3 Copper, Molybdenum, Silver Southern Copper Cuajone
4 Copper, Molybdenum Southern Copper Toquepala
5 Copper, Gold, Silver Glencore Antapaccay
6 Copper, Molybdenum Cerro Verde (Freeport-Sumitomo-Buenaventura) Cerro Verde
7 Copper, Silver, Lead, Zinc Nexa Resources Cerro Lindo
8 Copper, Silver, Lead, Zinc Nexa Resources El Porvenir
9 Copper, Silver, Lead, Zinc Nexa Resources Atacocha
10 Copper, Silver, Lead, Zinc El Brocal (Buenaventura) Colquijirca PIURA
11 Copper, Gold, Silver Southern Peaks Mining Condestable
12 Copper, Molybdenum, Silver, Lead, Zinc Chinalco Toromocho 15
13 Copper, Silver, Lead, Zinc Sierra Metals Yauricocha 56
MOYOBAMBA
14 Copper, Silver, Molybdenum Hudbay Minerals Constancia 20 CHACHAPOYAS
15 Gold, Silver Yanacocha (Newmont-Buenaventura-Sumitomo) Yanacocha
21 17
16 Gold Boroo Pte Ltd Lagunas Norte
17 Gold, Copper Gold Fields Cerro Corona CHICLAYO CAJAMARCA
18 Gold, Silver Buenaventura Orcopampa
19 Gold, Silver Caraveli Chacchuille 23
31
20 Gold, Silver Coimolache (Buenaventura-Southern-Espro) Tantahuatay 22
21 Gold, Silver La Zanja (Buenaventura-Newmont) La Zanja 16 24 25
33
22 Gold, Silver Pan American Silver La Arena TRUJILLO PUCALLPA
23 Gold, Silver Pan American Silver Shahuindo
24 Gold C.M. Horizonte Parcoy
25 Gold, Silver Retamas Retamas
26 Gold, Silver Laytaruma Laytaruma
27 Gold, Silver Aruntani Andrés
28 Gold, Silver Anabi Valeria 54
HUARAZ
29 Gold, Silver Apumayo Apurimac 1 HUÁNUCO
30 Gold, Silver Minsur Pucamarca 50
31 Gold, Silver Poderosa Poderosa 43
35 10
32 Gold, Silver Buenaventura Tambomayo 9
8 CERRO DE PASCO
33 Gold Los Andes Peru Gold Isabelita (El Toro) 51
44
34 Gold Yanaquihua Alpacay 40
35 Silver, Zinc, Lead Buenaventura Uchucchacua 52 53
49 41
36 Silver, Gold Buenaventura Julcani 46
37 Silver, Gold Hochschild Inmaculada 48 45 60
38 Silver, Gold Hochschild Pallancata Lima 12 HUANCAYO
39 Silver, Gold Hochschild Arcata
Pan American Silver 13
40 Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper Huarón CALLAO
41 Silver, Zinc Pan American Silver Morococha
36 47 PUERTO MALDONADO
42 Silver, Lead, Zinc Fortuna Silver Caylloma 11
43 Silver, Lead, Zinc Volcan (Glencore) Cerro de Pasco 7 HUANCAVELICA
AYACUCHO
44 Silver, Lead, Zinc Volcan (Glencore) UAE Chungar
45 Silver, Lead, Zinc Volcan (Glencore) UAE Yauli CUSCO
46 Lead, Zinc, Copper, Silver Glencore Yauliyacu
47 Zinc, Lead Trafigura Catalina Huanca 37 ABANCAY 2
ICA 57
48 Silver, Lead, Zinc Casapalca Americana
14
49 Silver, Lead, Zinc Colquisiri María Teresa
28
50 Lead, Zinc Mitsui Santa Luisa
51 Lead, Zinc, Silver Buenaventura Mallay 29 38 5
39
52 Zinc, Lead, Silver Trevali Santander
55
53 Zinc San Ignacio de Morococha San Vicente 26 42
59 18
54 Copper, Silver, Lead, Zinc Raura Raura 34
19
55 Iron Shougang Marcona PUNO
32
56 Phosphate Mosaic-Mitsui Bayóvar
57 Tin Minsur San Rafael
AREQUIPA 27
58 Copper Anglo American-Mitsubishi Quellaveco (under construction) 6
59 Copper Marcobre (Minsur-Alxar) Mina Justa
60 Copper, Silver, Zinc Southern Peaks Mining Ariana (under construction)
58
MOQUEGUA
3
4

30
TACNA
44 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 45
JUNIOR
EXPLORATION
“Exploration is the essence of the mining industry. Mining
companies have a responsibility to convince our authorities that
exploration is research – it does not have a major impact on
nature, and it gives you a lot of information”

- Roque Benavides,
Chairman,
Buenaventura

GBR • Industry Explorations • PERU MINING 2021

Image courtesy of Tier One Silver


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL INTERVIEW

The Junior Sector vorable market conditions saw three new junior IPOs in Peru
in Q4 2020, with Pucara Gold (TSXV: TORO) and Kuya Silver
(CSE: KUYA) going public in October, followed by Element 29
quent changes in government and ministerial positions, it
can be a serious challenge to contend with,” he said.
An illustration of how there is still plenty of room for im-
Guillaume
Reignites Resources (TSXV: ECU) in December. This trend has continue
in 2021, with Tier One Silver (TSXV: TLSV) listing in June, and
provement came from Enrique Garay, president of the
IIMP’s ProExplo 2021 event and SVP of geology for Rio2
Légaré
Forte Minerals, Sombrero Resources, Silver X and Mantaro Limited (TSXV: RIO). “The prior consultation process that
Silver all expected to list in the second half of the year. has been put into place means that permits for a declara-
Guillaume Légaré, head of South America at the Toronto tion of environmental impact take between 18-24 months
HIGH METALS PRICES MEAN DRILLS ARE TURNING Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange (TMX Group), and local communities end up being consulted twice. In
illustrated the uptick in junior activity globally when reveal- comparison, the permits in Chile take three months and in
AND NEW JUNIORS ARE LISTING
ing the annual results of the two exchanges. The number of Canada only two weeks.”
financings on the TSXV and TSX in 2020 increase by 30% in Miles Thompson, president and CEO of Lara Exploration
comparison to 2019, equating to C$2.9 billion equity capital (TSXV: LRA), which holds the Lara copper porphyry JV with
Although the downward trend in exploration expenditure in raised for companies that have mining projects in Latam. In Minsur and the Corina gold-silver JV with Hochschild, ob-
Peru continued in 2020, with a reduction of 37.5% compared Peru, home to the TMX Group’s South American HQ, Légaré served that Peru has a good mining code and a straight-
to 2019, this does not tell the full story. It was a tale of two praised the stability of the country’s mining sector and regu- forward process to register a claim, but to get anything
halves, as the crash in Q2 was followed by a dramatic rise in latory environment. done in the field is much harder. Comparing the Peruvian Head – South America
metals prices in Q3, led by precious metals, before base me- The improved sentiment for juniors was affirmed by Jorge situation to other jurisdictions where Lara also has projects, TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE AND TSX
tals took over. By 2021, copper’s relentless ascent and silver’s Granda, general manager of AK Drilling, who related that his Thompson gave the example of how in Brazil agreements VENTURE EXCHANGE
mainstream coverage had spawned a number of new compa- company’s client portfolio in February 2021 was made up of can be made directly with private landowners, whereas in
nies and a flurry of drill results. 60% juniors and 40% producers, compared to a 70/30 pro- Peru there is a need to deal with various local communities
Since stage two of Peru’s mining reactivation plan allowed ex- ducers/juniors split in February 2020. and authorities that don’t interact and are slow to make de-
ploration activities to restart in July 2020, gold hit an all-time Ivan Bebek, co-chair of Tier One Silver and president and cisions, and everything must go through Lima.
high of US$2,076/oz in August, silver approached the US$30/ CEO of Sombrero Resources, two new Peru-focused juniors Thompson summarized the challenges the Peruvian mining Can you provide an overview of the performance of TSX
oz mark for the first time in eight years, and copper reached spun out of Auryn Resources, has been working in Peru for sector is faced with: “The problem for Peru now is that the and TSXV in Latin America’s mining industry in 2020?
an all-time high in May 2021, trading over US4.75/lb. The fa- over a decade. “A year or two ago, I would have complained reforms necessary to improve its mining climate will be hard Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and TSX Venture Exchange
about the length of time it takes to obtain permits,” he said, to implement due to a distrust in the political class in the (TSXV) had great momentum in the mining sector in 2020.
before observing the shift that has taken place since Covid, country, a divided congress and local communities who Latin America is a very important mining market for us, and
with actions backing up the rhetoric of authorities who have have often not seen the benefits of the taxes and royalties currently represents 36% of all mining issuers on TSX and
vowed to streamline permitting. paid by mining companies.” TSXV. As of December 31st, 2020, there were 410 companies
“One of the most important adjustments the ministry made Speaking shortly before the second round of the general mining in Latam listed on TSX and TSXV, with 1,061 mining
was allowing companies to trench without needing a drill per- election, Steve Zuker, president and CEO of Pucara Gold properties. In 2020, C$2.9 billion of equity capital was raised
mit to support early-stage exploration,” continued Bebek, re- (TSXV: TORO), revealed that Pucara has had discussions with companies that have mining projects in Latam.
vealing that Tier One Silver obtained the FTA permit for its with and received many calls from investors concerned
flagship Curibaya project in a period of five months, on De- about the current situation. “It is hard to get people’s atten- What are the main themes you see impacting Peru’s and
cember 28th, while the country was undergoing an impeach- tion when there are already so many options for investors Latam’s mining sector in 2021?
ment process and dealing with Covid. and when you then have headline risks, the cost of capital In Peru, specifically, mining is the engine of its economic
increases significantly,” he reflected, adding that only those growth. The country has made great efforts to welcome for-
with a greater risk appetite seem to be interested. eign investments through an open and stable mining regula-
Cumbersome bureaucracy must be addressed Now, as Pedro Castillo prepares to assemble his new gov- tory environment, strong fundamentals and stable macro-
ernment, how could the new regime impact the junior sec- economic indicators. Issuers and investors are well aware
Although the good will of some of the Peruvian authorities, tor in Peru? On one hand, early-stage exploration does not of this positive investment landscape in Peru, where invest-
such Jaime Gálvez, to speed up the permitting process has create an iota of the environmental impact of a mining op- ments will be a critical part of Peru’s success in the future.
not gone unnoticed in recent years, it is hard to achieve mean- eration, so those with permits in hand should be able to add There are currently 62 TSX and TSXV-listed mining compa-
ingful progress in a context of constant political change. Re- value through the drill bit. Furthermore, the price action in nies operating in Peru, with 137 mining properties, and we
gardless of the intentions of Peru’s mining ministers, there juniors with Peruvian projects since the first round of the play an active role developing the country’s mineral wealth.
has been little time to implement policy in a country where election in April meant that they were already trading at a Beyond 2021, investors can rely on two essential factors for
the presidency has changed hands five times in less than discount by the time Castillo was confirmed as president. the mining sector in Latin America: qualified human capital
three years. Peru needs a sustained period of stability to at- From an investment standpoint, undervalued assets during and close attention to ESG factors.
tract investment dollars that have migrated to jurisdictions a metals upcycle are attractive and hard to find.
perceived as safer, such as Canada and Australia. However, one should not be dismissive of the threat that Can you elaborate on the opportunities for Latam mi-
Paul Murphy, manager of Mining Plus’s South American of- a candidate who rose to power on the back of anti-mining ning companies to move into a low carbon future?
fice, commented that he had spoken to a number of people rhetoric poses. For the investment community to embrace Peru, with its impressive mineral potential, has the possibility
working in the junior space who have mentioned the chal- a country that had lost competitiveness even under mod- of playing a key role in the low carbon future. For this, it is
lenges and uncertainty with regard to the timing of permits erate governments, the political turbulence that has char- imperative that we see more management teams from Peru
and lack of continuity of the leadership within the MINEM. acterized the country must now settle. Exploration is the and Latin America positioning their companies for future
“These people spend a lot of time developing relationships lifeblood of mining, and Peru is a mining country. The hope growth. TSX and TSXV have the markets that are necessary
and trust with local communities, and when there are fre- is that this will not be lost on the incoming authorities. ■ to raise the capital to finance this growth. ■

48 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 49
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Can you elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the creation of Sombrero Can you tell us about the milestones achieved by Chakana Copper in 2020, in-
Resources? cluding the three new discoveries made at Soledad since drilling recommenced
Sombrero Resources was spun out of Auryn Resources in October 2020 and holds in August?
the Sombrero copper-gold project in southern Peru. We had raised and spent over During the Covid lockdown in Peru, we were able to get the permit approved to drill
C$100 million in Auryn looking for world-class precious and base metal discoveries in the central part of the project area, where we had previously only done surface
and we identified several significant projects in both Canada and Peru, including work. This was a critical milestone, as we were well funded from the Gold Fields
Sombrero, which at the time was considered the flagship of Auryn. To allow each transaction and started drilling some very attractive targets.
project to get the attention and valuation it deserves, we then split Auryn into three, We started at Paloma East, a fairly small outcropping breccia pipe which gets con-
by commodity focus; Fury Gold Mines, Tier One Silver and Sombrero Resources. We siderably bigger at depth. We then moved 150 m to the west and tested another
believe Sombrero Resources is a world-class copper/gold opportunity and anticipate breccia pipe, Paloma West, with a slightly bigger footprint at surface and very high
listing in the second half of 2021. grades. Finally, we moved over to the Huancarama Breccia Complex, which is one of
the targets we were most excited about.
What is the history of the Sombrero project, and what attracted you to it?
Many major mining companies have reviewed the Sombrero project as it sits on the What has been your approach to drilling the new targets at Soledad?

Ivan western half of the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt, where world famous mines such as Las
Bambas, Tintaya, Antacapay and many others are present; however, it was missed.
Sombrero was primarily overlooked because of a thin blanket of volcanic rocks that David
We have always had the belief that these breccias are like fingers on a hand, which as
your go deeper coalesce into one larger Breccia body. Our scout drilling is ongoing,
but we have already confirmed that on the eastern half of the Huancarama Breccia
Bebek sits on the surface. This layer of rock was identified in a government survey as Mio-
cene age, which is not the prospective Eocene aged mineralization that hosts all
the world-class mines about 200 km to the west of Sombrero. However, a geologist, Kelley
Complex, two of the breccias do coalesce at depth, forming a larger breccia body
with dimensions of about 100 m by 60 m in a horizontal extent. This target at Huan-
carama has mineralization open at depth, which we have drilled from surface down
Miguel Cardozo saw the potential through small erosional windows of outcrop that to about 225 m.
had limited rock sampling and returned high-grade copper and gold. He introduced
us to the project and we were able to confirm that the age of the mineralization What have exploration results so far told you about the type of mine Soledad
below the volcanic cover is in fact Eocene and we strongly believe the Andahuaylas- could become?
Co-Founder, President & CEO Yauri belt extends over 200 km west to where the Sombrero project is located. We The vision for Soledad has always been a number of high-grade mineralized brec-
SOMBRERO RESOURCES have now taken over 5,000 samples, completed geophysics and some channel sam- President & CEO cia pipes, vertically extensive and very close together, containing copper, gold and
pling, which returned up to 184 m of 0.57% CuEq. We also acquired some historical CHAKANA COPPER silver, with the ability to mine several of these pipes at the same time. The fact that
drilling data completed by an international steel company that was pursuing the these breccia pipes sit in a hillside with about 500 m of relief is a perfect setting to be
claims for iron at the time, and their holes returned 0.58% copper equivalent over able to get into the mineralized areas by simple development of horizontal tunnels
116 m near surface. to access working faces.
The scale of the mineralization we are seeing at the Paloma area, and the proximity of
What exploration plans do you have at the Ccascabamba and Nioc targets in the breccia pipes, as well as Huancarama’s footprint, means that we can start consid-
2021? ering the potential for small-scale open-pit mining. This would lend itself to a staged
We have received a DIA permit on our Ccascabamba target, which allows us to drill capex approach before moving underground. This creates additional optionality,
from an environmental perspective, and we are now working toward our social per- which is what mining engineers have always loved about this project. You can put dif-
mits. Once fully permitted, our first drill program will include up to 38 drill pads to ferent breccia pipes into production, or multiple zones within a pipe into production.
start testing the 12 km strike length of targets that we’ve identified through surface
work and geophysics. We are looking to obtain access and permits so that we can In January 2021, Chakana announced a C$10 million private placement with
do the same at the Nioc target this year. Gold Fields increasing its ownership interest. Can you elaborate on this transac-
tion?
Sombrero Resources is in Which communities are in the vicinity of the north-western extension of the An- When we announced the financing, we still had C$3.3 million in the treasury, which
dahuaylas-Yauri belt, and to what extent are mining and exploration accepted was enough to fund our current drilling campaign and get to a first resource. How-
the process of applying for a
in the region? The goal is to publish a maiden ever, we recognized that these new discoveries will require substantial infill drilling,
listing on the TSX exchange The two communities of significance are Huancasancos and Lucanamarca, with
resource for Soleded in Q3 and we want to stay aggressive on the exploration side. Gold Fields has been a great
and is working toward meeting whom we have spent considerable time getting to know and supporting through ex- partner from the beginning. They were keen to see us ramp up and accelerate the
tensive community efforts, including federally recognized Agroideas programs that 2021. Once the resource is out,
final conditions prior to an program, and were keen on increasing their equity position from 16.8% to 19.99%.
we have introduced and sponsored. Although it has taken time, we are very pleased we will decide whether we do We see this as validation for the project, the team that we have, and the work that
anticipated listing in the with the rapport we have been able to establish prior to and during COVID. We have a PEA or stay aggressive with we are doing.
second half of 2021. taken the longer route to establish deep ties with the community so we can be more
drilling to expand the resource.
aligned with stakeholders on a long-term, sustainable basis. Which areas are you targeting for the 2021 exploration campaign, and when can
we expect a maiden resource?
What is the financial position of the company, and when do you intend to list For 2021, we have 26,000 m of drilling planned, consisting of 16,000 m of resource/
publicly? infill at the new discoveries, with an additional 10,000 m of new target testing. The
As of today, the company has over US$6 million in its treasury and does not require goal is to publish a maiden resource for Soleded in Q3 2021.
funds. However, we will look to finance prior to listing to fund future drill programs. Once the resource is out, we will decide whether we do a PEA or stay aggressive
The company is in the process of applying for a listing on the TSX exchange and is with drilling to expand the resource. We will also be doing metallurgical and engi-
working toward meeting final conditions prior to an anticipated listing in the second neering studies, as well as expanding our permit to access more targets and explore
half of 2021. ■ underground. ■

50 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 51
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

Exploration Investment In Peru TSX Venture Exchange Statistics


Copper Exploration (by Month)
Source: MINEM
Source: TMX Group

Number of Mining Financings in Peru (TSXV)


2019 2020
US$ MILLION

40
2019 2020 INCREASE
THE JUNIORS LOOKING TO REPLENISH 35
PERU’S COPPER PIPELINE
30
25 26
32
30
31
32 37
24 48 100%
21 28 28
28
A lack of major development projects on the horizon after 25
20
Quellaveco comes into production in 2022 has sharpened 17 21 21
20 21
the spotlight on copper-focused juniors. If Peru is serious 13 14 14 15
13 Capital Raised (C$ million)
about making inroads into Chile’s lead as the world’s number
one copper producer, the country will require more than just 10
brownfield expansions, but significant greenfield discoveries 2019 2020 INCREASE
moving rapidly through the exploration and development
lifecycle.
Chakana Copper (TSXV: PERU) is currently advancing its
Soledad project near Aija, in the Ancash region of the Mio-
cene mineral belt, and achieved a critical milestone during
0

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
48 159 329%
the Covid lockdown in 2020 when it was awarded a permit to commenced in August, the company was able to make three The new kid on the block in Peru’s copper community is Ele-
drill in the central part of the project area. When drilling re- new discoveries; at Paloma East, a small outcropping breccia ment 29 Resources (TSXV: ECU), but the company brings with
pipe which gets bigger at depth; Paloma West, a high-grade it a wealth of experience, including president and CEO Brian
breccia with a bigger footprint at surface; and Huancarama, Booth, previous CEO of Pembrook Copper Corp. E29 was spun
a larger breccia complex with five principal pipes cropping out of project generator GlobeTrotter Resources, taking two
out at surface. new assets to the market, the Elisa and Flor de Cobre projects,
David Kelley, Chakana’s president and CEO, explained that and putting them into a new shell before competing its IPO in
these breccias are like fingers on a hand, which, as your go December 2020.
deeper, coalesce into one larger Breccia body, and the on- Flor de Cobre is a copper porphyry located near Arequipa,
going scout drilling performed has confirmed that two of close to Chapi and Cerro Verde, which until recently had been
the breccias do coalesce at depth on the eastern half of the privately owned. The historic Candelaria resource on the proj-
complex. ect was drilled in the 1990s by Phelps Dodge, but not devel-
Elaborating on the type of mine he envisages at Soledad, oped at the time because it needed to be 1% or better to be
Kelley commented that the scale of the mineralization at the feasible as a leach project, according to Booth, who noted: “In
Paloma area and the proximity of the breccia pipes, as well as today’s world, a 57 million ton resource at 0.67% copper, all
Huancarama’s footprint, means that Chakana can start con- above 200 meters (m) from surface, is very attractive.”
sidering the potential for small-scale open-pit mining, which E29’s other project, Elida, a large property of just under 20,000
would lend itself to a staged capex approach before moving hectares located 170 km northwest of Lima, was drilled by Lun-
underground. He added: “This creates additional optionality, din Mining in 2015. Booth commented on what attracted his
which is what mining engineers have always loved about this team to the project: “When you initially drill porphyries and
project. You can put different breccia pipes into production, want to see their significance, you need to see scale. Lundin
or multiple zones within a pipe into production.” drilled numerous holes that are 500 m to 600 m intersections at
In January 2021, Chakana announced a C$10 million private good grade copper molybdenum silver, which shows that there
placement with Gold Fields increasing its ownership inter- is potential for significant volume.”
est to 19.99%. In February, the South African gold producer Having raised C$6.7 million to further exploration and develop-
transacted with another copper-focused junior, Regulus Re- ment in 2021, Booth outlined the company’s plans for the year,
sources (TSXV: REG), with Regulus signing an option agree- which include releasing a maiden resource at Elida, a new 43-
ment to further consolidate the land position around its An- 101 report to modernize the historic resource at Flor de Cobre,
taKori copper-gold project. and resource extension work around both. This will be followed
In a statement, CEO John Black pointed out that these claims by metallurgical work from the core at Flor de Cobre that will
allow Regulus to layback its current resource estimation pit go towards a PEA.
further than it could previously, which should add resources The macro theme of a future fueled by copper is also making
that are already classified but not within the current con- new management teams revisit old projects, as is the case for
straints of the estimated resource pit. Camino Corp. (TSXV: COR), whose president and CEO, Jay

52 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports


INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Can you explain the circumstances leading to Element 29 Resources’ (E29)


IPO in December 2020?
Jay
E29 has taken two new copper assets to the market. Generally speaking, in our
peer group most companies have one key copper asset.. After the acquisition of
Chmelauskas At Los Chapitos, we are in a
the Elida and Flor de Cobre projects in early 2020, the company completed an unique position to drill towards
IPO in December, raising C$6.7 million to further exploration and development a maiden resource, since
in 2021.
previous drilling campaigns
What is the history of the Flor de Cobre property and the Candelaria dis-
President & CEO have realized very good
covery? CAMINO CORPORATION intercepts of copper such as
Flor de Cobre is a copper porphyry located in the Southern Peru, near Arequipa, DCH-034 with 95 m of 0.85% Cu.
very close to the Chapi and Cerro Verde mines. Until recently it was privately
owned by a family who did not have the means to develop the asset and were
happy to sell at the right time. Candelaria has an historic resource on the project

Brian which was drilled in the 1990’s by Phelps Dodge. It was not developed at the
time because copper grades needed to be 1% or better to be feasible as a leach
project as the copper price was US$1/lb at that time. In today’s world, a 57 million

Booth tonne resource at 0.67% copper, all above 200 meters (m) from surface, is very at-
tractive. In 2021, we will be modernizing this historical resource through a drilling
campaign in and around the existing holes. We expect to get our drill permits in Can you elaborate on the recent investment agreement Plata Dorada is our third asset, but it is still early stage and
Q3 2021 with drills turning shortly thereafter. between Camino Corp and Denham Capital to acquire does not fall into the same category as Los Chapitos and
We have another target on the project called Atravezado, which has a similar sur- the Maria Cecilia Porphyry Complex in Peru? Maria Cecilia, however, we have recently expanded our land
face expression as Candelaria, but has yet to be drilled. This has the potential to We saw an opportunity with Denham Capital, a US$10 bi- position at Plata Dorada after seeing exceptional results in
add additional material for an SX-EW type plant. llion resource-focused investment fund, to acquire a porphy- our surface sampling program. Exploration success would
President & CEO ry district in Peru. It is an asset that Denham had invested lead to an envisioned mid-size high-grade operation at Plata
ELEMENT 29 RESOURCES Can you tell us about the Elida property and the potential you see in this US$28 million into and were looking for a group to take the Dorada.
asset? project forward through the next stage of exploration. We
Elida is a large property of just under 20,000 hectares, located 170 km northwest bought the project outright and own 100%, with Denham What did exploration results from Camino’s fall 2020
of Lima, that was drilled by Lundin Mining in 2014-15. There are five individual becoming our largest shareholder. Denham has the capa- drilling campaign at Los Chapitos reveal about the proj-
porphyry targets on Elida, which has 18 holes drilled on one of these five targets. bility to fund larger transactions and is interested in both ect, and what are the company’s drilling plans for 2021?
Lundin drilled numerous holes with 500 to 600 m long intersections returning building and acquiring, so we intend to collaborate on future Our 2020 drill campaign at Los Chapitos continued to make
good copper, molybdenum and silver grades. The copper equivalent (CuEq) projects. In return, Denham is investing in a management significant intercepts of near-surface copper oxidized miner-
grade is above 0.5%, which is attractive at today’s metal prices. We recently re- team that has a track record of successfully building compa- alization at the Adriana zone (64.5 m of 0.6% Cu including 12
ceived our drill permits and are currently executing the 4,000 meter diamond drill nies that have a large institutional following. m of 1.05% Cu) to add to potential new tonnage for a maiden
program. We expect to have drill results in Q3 2021 with the goal of publishing a resource. Secondly, we have identified areas of significant
maiden resource estimate early in 2022. Which of Camino’s three assets would you consider its alteration and copper mineralization at zones like Lourdes
flagship project? that extend over 1 km2 along our main mineralized Diva fault
A number of projects in Peru have been stalled due to community conflicts. Los Chapitos is currently our flagship property. At Los Chapi- structure. This alteration suggests a large amount of geo-
Where does E29 sit in this regard? tos, we have already conducted over 20,000 meters of drill- logical fluid flow that could potentially host a large deposit
E29’s projects are close to the coast and there are no communities living on ei- ing in a very specific area over the past four years, and our for discovery.
ther project. The Aco community is located near Elida, and we have a very good target for this year is to continue drilling along a strike of the We are permitted to drill the southern extension, extending
With the money we raised, we
relationship with them, which was started with Lundin. We renewed our com- 8 km Diva structure that controls copper mineralization. We approximately 4 km to the south of the Adriana zone. We are
can get to a maiden mineral munity agreement with them for five more years during the COVID lockdown and are in a unique position to drill towards a maiden resource also advancing permits to drill the same geology and Diva
resource at Elida, and a new intend to show the community that they will be involved in the project as a main since previous drilling campaigns have realized very good structure towards the north and expect the permits to be
43-101 to modernize the historic stakeholder. intercepts of copper such as DCH-034 with 95 m of 0.85% achieved by July 2021. Maria Cecilia is also expected to be
At Flor de Cobre, the Candelaria property is largely owned by the government Cu. We are targeting more near surface oxidized copper for permitted in mid-2021. We are fully funded for our explora-
resource at Flor de Cobre, as and a local company. The Atravezado target involves a community which we al- an envisioned low capital SXEW copper operation. However, tion and drilling strategy for 2021 that will start with 6,000
well as doing some resource ready have an agreement with to do the surface work and they have helped us we will also test for primary sulphide mineralization over our metres of drilling.
extension work around both with geophysical labor and camp work. 220 km2 land package.
projects. We planned our drilling campaigns towards more discov- Where will Camino focus its efforts for the rest of 2021,
Where will you be investing the money you have raised in 2021? ery drilling. For instance, Maria Cecilia is an acquisition that and what would you like to achieve by 2022?
With this money we can get to a maiden mineral resource at Elida, and a new 43- comes in a porphyry district with several porphyry centers. In May 2021 we closed an oversubscribed private placement
101 to modernize the historic resource at Flor de Cobre, as well as doing some Two porphyrys have been drilled with over 30,000 metres of for US$7.5 million, which will be used to support our explo-
resource extension work around both projects. Then we can start some metallur- drilling complete. Our interest is to drill the third porphyry ration activities. We have been fortunate to be able to con-
gical work from the core at Flor de Cobre, which will give us information towards center – Maria Cecilia, which we consider to be the heart of tinue advancing our projects throughout the pandemic and
a PEA to get leach recoveries from the project. E29 is currently undervalued com- the porphyry district. We will be conducting 100% of the dis- acquire a new property, and we are on target to start new
pared to its peer group with a lot of catalysts for growth in 2021. ■ covery drilling at this third porphyry, Maria Cecilia, in 2021. drilling campaigns in July 2021. ■

54 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 55
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Chmelauskas, was drawn to the com- New copper juniors to list in 2021 age, which is not the prospective Eocene Why has Forte Minerals Corp decided and which of Forte’s three projects you
pany’s Los Chapitos project because of aged mineralization that hosts the mines to rebrand from Forte Copper Corp would consider as its flagship?
previous drill results from 2017 that indi- Ivan Bebek has been a busy man. Auryn to the west of Sombrero. “However, ge- and go public in 2021? In 2017, Forte Minerals entered into an
cated the potential scale and grade for a Resources spun out three companies in ologist Miguel Cardozo saw the potential Forte Copper Corp was formed in 2016, option agreement with Candente Cop-
copper mine. Speaking of the company’s 2020, resulting in the Quebec-focused through small erosional windows of out- but Forte wanted to stay private while per to purchase 60% of the Don Grego-
flagship Los Chapitos project, Chmelaus- Fury Gold Mines (TSX: FURY) listing in Q4 crop that had limited rock sampling and amalgamating assets. This helped to rio project, with Forte as operators of the
kas noted that over 20,000 meters of drill- 2020, Tier One Silver (TSXV: TSLV) list- returned high-grade copper and gold.” preserve share capital and assemble a JV advancing the permitting, exploration
ing has already been conducted in a very ing in June 2021, and finally Sombrero After confirming that the age of the min- meaningful portfolio before going public drilling, social initiatives and resource de-
specific area over the past four years, and Resources, which intends to list in the eralization below the volcanic cover is in and drill testing. With the copper market velopment.
Camino’s target for 2021 is to continue second half of 2021. fact Eocene, the Sombrero team believes performing the way it has in 2021, and the Don Gregorio could potentially be the
drilling along the 8 km extension of the Sombrero will focus on copper and gold, the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt extends over positive fundamentals moving forward, flagship property, but it is not the one
Diva structure. “Subject to permitting, with Bebek as its president and CEO, who 200km west to where the project is lo- Forte feels it is a good time to go public. which is going to get drilled first due to
we will drill on other targets throughout clarified that the idea behind the spin cated. “We have now taken over 5,000 Forte initially focused on copper porphy- a longer permitting timeline. However, it
our 220 km2 land package,” he added. offs was to give each project the atten- samples, completed geophysics and ries, but as things evolved in Peru, Forte is more advanced than Esperanza and Pu-
On March 30th, 2021, Camino an- tion and valuation it deserves, separating some channel sampling, which returned was able to acquire some prospective carini, as gold and copper mineralization
nounced the company had entered into
an agreement with Denham Capital to
acquire the Maria Cecilia porphyry com-
them by commodity focus.
Considering the Sombrero project sits on
the western half of the Andahuaylas-Yauri
up to 184 m of 0.57% CuEq,” detailed
Bebek, adding that historical drilling data
completed by an international steel com-
Patrick ground in a gold district in Puno that had
been relatively underexplored. Today,
about 75% of the 23,000 hectares Forte
has been encountered on the subsurface
enabling Forte to focus on expanding and
defining a resource.
plex in Peru, adding a third project to
its portfolio. Chmelauskas pointed out
belt on the same trend as Las Bambas,
Tintaya and Antapaccay, why has it re-
pany that was pursuing the claims for iron
returned 0.58% CuEq over 116 m near
Elliott owns are epithermal, high-sulfidation
gold prospects. Therefore, we decided What is Forte Minerals’ timeline for list-
that Denham, a US$10 billion resource- mained undeveloped? surface. to rename the company Forte Minerals ing publicly?
focused investment fund, “has the capa- “Sombrero was primarily overlooked be- Forte Minerals Corp (formerly Forte Cop- Corp, to better reflect the assets and our Forte Minerals plans to list sometime
bility to fund larger transactions and is cause of a thin blanket of volcanic rocks per Corp) was formed in 2016, but decid- focus. in July 2021, on the CSE by way of IPO.
interested in both building and acquir- that sits on the surface,” said Bebek, ex- ed to stay private while amalgamating as- Forte plans to raise up to C$4 million to
ing, so we intend to collaborate on future plaining that this layer of rock was identi- sets. Patrick Elliot, Forte’s president and How did the GlobeTrotters Resource support exploration expenditures planned
projects.” fied in a government survey as Miocene CEO, explained that this was to help pre- President & CEO Group exploration model lead you to for 2021-22 on its Porphyry Copper and
serve share capital and assemble a mean- FORTE MINERALS CORP the Esperanza and Pucarini properties? Epithermal Gold projects in Peru. This will
ingful portfolio before going public and The GlobeTrotters exploration model in- generate sufficient working capital to un-
drill testing. Now the company intends to volves collecting government data, gen- dertake two drilling programs in 2021.
list on the CSE in July 2021, by way of IPO erating algorithms to identify geophysical Considering the time it takes to attain
with Haywood Securities Inc., and plans aster anomalies, and populating thou- permits in Peru, Forte Minerals’ approach
to raise up to C$4 million to support ex- sands of anomalies throughout the Andes. is to work on permitting all three of the
ploration expenditures planned for 2021- It works best in areas without vegetation projects at the same time from the get go.
22 on its porphyry copper and epithermal cover, helping to delineate argillic and Forte has initiated the permitting process
gold projects in Peru, revealed Elliot. sericitic alteration zones. on all three projects and expect to receive
Like Element 29 Resources, Forte Miner- Of the anomalies identified, Esperanza 2/3 by Q4 2021.
als’ Esperanza and Pucarini assets are the and Pucarini were two of the properties
fruits of a decade of generative work with that attracted us the most. Through gov- Do you have a final message about
GlobeTrotters Resource Group in Peru, ernment auctions, GlobeTrotters acquired what makes Forte Minerals an attrac-
where Elliot worked with Richard Osmond Esperanza in 2014 and Pucarini in 2018, tive proposition?
and Manuel Montoya, formerly of Teck and spun them out into Forte. Esperanza Moving rapidly along the line of opportu-
Resources. Forte’s third property, Don is a porphyry copper moly system located nity towards a value maxima is very attrac-
Gregorio, is a JV with Candente Copper, Considering the time it takes northwest of Zafranal, and is drill ready. tive to investors. Significant value growth
and Elliot hopes to have received permits Pucarini was previously a Teck property is generated when early stage explora-
for at least two of his projects by Q4.
to attain permits in Peru, Forte from 2011 to 2015, and therefore well- tion moves towards resource definition,
Describing the potential he sees in the as- Minerals’ approach is to work known to Manuel Montoya. It is a huge while zoning in on target development
sets, Elliot said: “Significant value growth on permitting all three of the land package, where Forte has staked and eliminating the early-stage grassroots
is generated when early stage explora- 12 targets over 16,000 hectares. Forte risk. All three of Forte’s properties offer
projects at the same time.
tion moves towards resource definition, completed a geochemical, geophysical this opportunity, with tremendous upside
while zoning in on target development and geological mapping work program at considering their geological potential.
and eliminating the early-stage grass- Pucarini in November 2020, and will drill Furthermore, these alteration systems are
roots risk. All three of Forte’s properties test the principal target in 2021 alongside large enough to be meaningful to move
offer this opportunity.” a regional surface exploration program on into a development phase if exploration
He also pointed out that the alteration the other anomalies to better define the success is achieved. Most importantly,
systems at Forte’s projects are large targets. Forte will not undergo heavy dilution off
enough to be meaningful to move into the bat, and will only raise what is suitable
a development phase if exploration suc- Forte also owns the Don Gregorio pro- to take the company to the next stage of
cess is achieved. ■ perty. Can you tell us about this asset, the valuation curve. ■

56 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 57
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Precious geology. Thus the positive market reac-


tion to Pucara Gold’s hotly anticipated
IPO (TSXV: TORO) in October 2020,
cara has also partnered with a number
of high-profile companies to develop
other assets in its portfolio. “Over the
copper-gold (I.O.C.G) project. Mark
Sander, Winshear’s president, elabo-
rated on what drew him to Gaban: “The
Metals The Gaban project is the closest upstream
gold project to the giant Madre de Dios
saw the company trading at C$0.83 out
of the gate. However, as is the risk with
course of the next 12-18 months, six of
our eight projects will be working to-
Gaban project is the closest upstream
gold project to the giant Madre de

Exploration goldfield in the Amazonian alluvial plain, and


we believe that at least some of the gold at
greenfield exploration, underwhelming
drill results from its maiden campaign
at its Lourdes project in January sent
wards making a world class discovery,”
stated Zuker, referencing the interest of
Solaris Resources (TSX: SLS) in Pucara’s
Dios goldfield in the Amazonian alluvial
plain, and we believe that at least some
of the gold at Madre de Dios came from
Madre de Dios came from here. the share price crashing. Reflecting Capricho (porphyry copper) and Paco here.”
on the results, Steve Zuker, president Orco (carbonate replacement deposit) Further upstream there are multiple
and CEO, said: “We always knew there assets, and IAMGOLD’s (TSX: IMG) gold projects of significance, includ-
were multiple systems and in touching ongoing drilling at Los Tambos. “If all ing Minera IRL’s Ollachea gold proj-
- Mark Sander, the edge of one of the systems we got three optioned projects are carried to ect, which currently has approximately
MANIPULATION, INFLATION AND
President, three promising intercepts, but the mar- fruition, our partners will invest C$43 1 million oz of reserves at feasibility
OPPORTUNITY Winshear Gold ket expected better. I believe that we million into the ground and make pay- stage, as well as the Crucero deposit
will get the results that we are looking ments to Pucara of roughly C$3.5 mil- with approximately 2 million indicated
for in the future.” lion,” he added. oz of gold. Comparing the potential of
Despite the disappointment, Pucara Another player in Peru’s junior gold seg- Gaban to the more advanced assets in
has two flagship assets and, in 2021, ment is Winshear Gold (TSXV: WINS), a the region, Sander said: “Ollachea is
the company will be concentrating the company that arose from a predecessor still awkwardly held and not amendable
On January 28th, 2021, a Reddit sub- is an 11,000-hectare property that sits in tion agreement, resulting in the cre- bulk of its activities on field and permit- company called Helio Resource Corp. to acquisition or merger, but the Gaban
group called WallStreetBets sent out a a copper porphyry belt hosting some of ation of Silver X. The team, led by CEO ting work at the Pacaska gold-copper that had worked in Tanzania for ap- project is very close and very similar
call to buy silver after the Robinhood Peru’s largest deposits, including Cer- José M. García, executive chairman Luis project. The team is in Peru, working to proximately 15 years. Winshear pivoted geologically. I have the expectation that
trading platform announced it would ro Verde, Toquepala and Quellaveco. Zapata, and lead advisor Paul Matysek, obtain the necessary permits at Pacaska and decided to purchase two Peruvian the Gaban project will grow to at least a
limit purchases of a number of stocks TSLV’s second project, Emilia, sits next intends to ramp up production and to carry out a drill campaign before the assets from Palamina Corp: the Gaban similar size deposit as the Ollachea de-
including GameStop (GME). This ‘short to Tía María and could be described as grow the resource at its Recuperada start of the next rainy season, and Pu- gold project and the Tinka iron oxide posit.” ■
squeeze’, that caused retail investors to an analogue to Cerro Verde – a massive mine, as well as developing the Coriorc-
pile in en masse and drove up silver by porphyry system outcropping along the co and Las Antas projects owned by
almost 20% in just three trading days, coast of Peru that has seen limited ex- Oro X. “The idea with Silver X is to grow
was different to the GME phenomenon ploration work, according to co-found- through exploration, development and
for two reasons. er and co-chair, Ivan Bebek. production, but also through M&A ac-
First, silver has solid fundamentals, Elaborating on the mineralization at tivity, because we want to create a mid-
whether as a safe-haven monetary as- Curibaya, Bebek described it as a fully tier silver producer in Latin America,”
set that follows the price of gold, or as preserved precious metal target on top stated Garcia.
an industrial metal used in the produc- of a large porphyry intrusion, with early Garcia detailed that the Recuperada
tion of solar panels and cell phones. exploration results including 80 sam- mine, which is a former Buenaventura
Secondly, and more ominously for silver ples on surface that run over 500 grams operation, comes with a processing
bugs, a short squeeze on silver pits re- silver up to 298 kilo silver, over a 20 km2 plant, infrastructure and all the social
tail up against the likes of JP Morgan, alteration system, as well as about 60 licenses to operate. Summarizing the
rather than Melvin Capital. samples that run over 2 g/t gold up to company’s near-term plans for the as-
Despite manipulation of the precious 934 g/t gold. set, he added: “In other words, it can
metals markets, illustrated by the Expanding on the potential he sees, be moved back into production quickly
US$920 fine handed to JP Morgan in Bebek stated: “This is one of the larg- and cheaply. We see great potential
September 2020 for the illegal practice est exploration opportunities for a pre- for expanding the resource and scaling
known as spoofing, the outlook for sil- cious metal system that I have seen in production at the mine, and to do this
ver remains bullish. A steady price ap- my 21 years in this business in terms of we have an aggressive drilling program
preciation in response to the impend- abundance of high grade, scale identi- of 30,000 meters planned in 2021.”
ing government stimulus packages and fied through geophysics and proximity
increasing demand for physical silver to world-class deposits on a major mi-
would surely serve the industry better ning trend.” Gold-focused juniors
than any boom and bust mania inspired Latitude Silver was a private company
by Reddit and Twitter. founded four years ago, which eventu- Peru has lacked a leading gold-focused
A new junior poised to take advantage ally found a home in the Recuperada junior in recent years, which is regret-
of silver’s momentum is Tier One Silver district of Huancavelica, and renamed it table now, as the dwindling reserves of
(TSLV), which was spun out of Auryn Nueva Recuperada. On February 11th, producers in the country has coincided
Resources in October 2020, and went 2021, Metals Trading (Peru) PLC (com- with robust metal prices. This does,
public on June 9th, 2021 (TSXV: TSLV). mercially known as Latitude Silver) and however, offer excellent opportunity
The company’s flagship asset, Curibaya, Oro X announced a business combina- for a well-funded junior in a land of rich

58 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 59
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Can you introduce Tier One Silver (TSLV) and provide an overview of the com-
pany’s portfolio?
Tier One Silver (TSLV) is a new exploration company that just started trading on
José M. Can you explain the circumstances
that led to the merger of Oro X and
duction at the mine, and to do this we
have an aggressive drilling program of
the TSXV. It was spun out of Auryn Resources in October 2020. We raised and
spent over C$100 million in Auryn looking for world-class precious and base metal
Garcia Latitude Silver to create Silver X?
Latitude Silver was founded four years
ago with the idea to find opportunities
30,000 meters planned in 2021. We will
also explore the possibilities of deeper
mineralization, to break the paradigm of
discoveries. We succeeded in identifying significant projects in both Canada and
Peru, including three flagship opportunities, and now Tier One Silver has one of in Peru. Looking at old mining districts, narrow-vein mining. We believe that the
them — the Curibaya project. This project has been getting a lot of attention due we eventually found a home in the Re- 600 tonnes per day (mt/d) at the plant
CEO cuperada district of Huancavelica, and we have today has the potential to be
to the incredible high-grade silver that’s been sampled on surface and the large-
scale geophysical targets situated directly below that high-grade. We have also SILVER X renamed it Nueva Recuperada. significantly increased over the coming
identified two additional high potential projects – Hurricane Silver and Emilia. Hur- The combination with Oro X provides years.
ricane Silver is an underexplored region of Peru with exceptional silver grades and two opportunities; it has two interesting
outcropping veins identified in early sampling work. Emilia, which sits next to Tía projects, Coriorcco and Las Antas, but What potential do you see for major
María, could be described as an analogue to Cerro Verde – a massive porphyry just as importantly, Oro X comes with discoveries in the Nueva Recuperada
system outcropping along the coast of Peru that has seen limited exploration work. an outstanding management team. The district?

Ivan What type of mineralization do you have at Tier One’s flagship Curibaya pro-
perty?
idea with Silver X is to create a mid-tier
silver producer in Latin America.
Geologically speaking, Recuperada is
a big epithermal system that has been
mined at a modest scale for silver, lead

Bebek Curibaya is an 11,000-hectare property located in a copper porphyry belt that hosts
some of Peru’s largest deposits, including Cerro Verde, Toquepala and Quellaveco.
What steps need to be taken to put
the Recuperada mine back into pro-
duction?
and zinc since colonial times. In the
district, where Silver X owns more than
15,000 hectares, we have multiple tar-
It is a fully preserved precious metal target, the first major epithermal occurrence
on this belt, on top of a what may potentially be a large porphyry intrusion, which The Recuperada mine, which is a for- gets including more than 100 veins that
we’ve identified through magnetics. Of consequence, the highlights include 80 mer operation of Buenaventura, comes are mineralized. We believe that modern
samples on surface that run over 500 gram silver up to to 298 kilo silver over a 20 with a processing plant, a lot of infra- exploration and production techniques
km2 alteration system, as well as about 60 samples that run over 2 g/t gold up to structure, and all the social licenses to will bring the district back to life, making
Co-Founder & Co-Chair 934 g/t gold. operate. We see great potential for ex- it the next major silver mining district in
TIER ONE SILVER We recently completed geophysics, and identified 750 m of veins and breccia struc- panding the resource and scaling at pro- Peru. ■
tures, as well as a massive mineralized target that’s about 400 m in diameter. This
could potentially be the nucleus that these metals emanate from, situated above a
porphyry target that would start about 500 m from surface. This is one of the larg-
est exploration opportunities for a precious metal system that I have seen in my 21
years in this business in terms of abundance of high grade, scale identified through
geophysics and proximity to world-class deposits on a major mining trend.
Steve Pucara flew out of the gate after its
IPO, but the stock dropped when the
initial Lourdes results were released.
Can you elaborate on the Keyla HSE
gold project and the plans you have
for this asset?

On February 11th, TSLV announced it would undertake a non-brokered private


Zuker What do you think went wrong?
The area we had targeted had all the
Keyla is another high sulphidation epi-
thermal (HSE) gold target, where Pucara
placement for gross proceeds of up to C$10 million. Where will this money be characteristics of gold-bearing mineral- has a very large land position with a
directed? ization, but we did not hit the gold we huge alternation footprint. We are cu-
The capital will take us to the end of the year, allowing Tier One Silver to fund the expected when the assays came back. rrently following up on gold soil surveys
approximately 10,000 m of drilling at Curibaya, where we will target the precious We always knew there were multiple sys- completed in 2019 and aim to do ad-
President & CEO
metal system as well as the potential porphyry targets below. It will also cover initial tems, and in touching the edge of one ditional geological mapping and some
PUCARA GOLD LTD. of the systems we got three promising channel sampling in the near future. We
targeting work at our newly acquired Hurricane and Emilia projects to bring them
The Curibaya project has been to a drill-ready stage as well. intercepts, but the market expected bet- will be working on both Pacaska and
ter. I believe that we will get the results Keyla somewhat simultaneously in 2021.
getting a lot of attention due to Have you noticed an improvement in the climate for juniors in Peru recently? that we are looking for in the future.
the incredible high-grade silver A year or two ago, I would have complained about the length of time it takes to
that’s been sampled on surface obtain permits, however, there has certainly been a shift since Covid. I believe Peru What will the field activities at the Why did Pucara decide to have a dual
understands the importance of expediting project development so Peruvians can Pacaska Gold-Copper project in 2021 listing on the TSXV and the Lima Stock
and the large-scale geophysical
benefit from the wealth created by large-scale mining operations. One of the most entail? Exchange (BVL)?
targets situated directly below important adjustments the ministry made was allowing companies to trench with- Pucara is currently advancing permitting Although Pucara only listed on the TSXV
that high-grade. out a drill permit, supporting early-stage exploration. For Curibaya, we obtained at Pacaska and prepapring a workshop last year, listing on the BVL made sense
our FTA permit in a period of about five months, receiving it on December 28th presentation with the community. We to give local stakeholders an opportu-
during the impeachment and during Covid limitations. are hoping to have the EIA (Drill Permit) nity to invest in great gold projects. To
approved and to commence with drilling illustrate how rare this is, the last time a
What are your feelings regarding the uptick in silver-focused juniors? by late 2021. Meanwhile, there is some Peruvian gold player was listed in Peru
Silver is the best performing equity for an exploration company during a bull mar- surface work we want to do for the gold was 10 years ago with Rio Alto. ■
ket.. Silver has a history of outperforming all precious metals. I would not want to and copper areas where we have had
see silver shoot up too sharply overnight, as this could be short-lived, and we do not compelling indicators from data gener-
need inflated prices to make our project work. ■ ated in 2019/2020.

60 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 61
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

Zinc: Lithium and


Reviving Uranium
An Historic
A NEW PLAYER ENTERS PERU
District
THE CERRO DE PASCO SITUATION

Situated 4,300 m above sea level in the situation, Zadka suggested that the On May 11th 2021, American Lithium upgrade resource classification (mov-
Andes in central Peru, the city of Cerro economic, environmental and health is- (TSXV: LI) finalized a deal to acquire Pla- ing inferred resources to measured and
de Pasco is built around a zinc, lead and sues need to be addressed together as teau Energy Metals and its Peruvian as- indicated). “Recent work has also iden-
silver mine, most recently operated by one package instead of working piece sets – the Falchani lithium project and tified at least two other key target ar-
Volcan. Although mining had brought by piece, as has been happening over Macusani uranium project. Plateau had eas to the west of the Falchani deposit
employment to the city for years, a the past 20 years. “All the water sys- been hit with a double whammy in re- that have the potential to be similar in
legacy of mismanaged assets stemming tems are connected, for instance, so the cent years, as a downturn in the lithium size and scope to Falchani. We will be
back to when the military government open-pit is hydrologically connected market coincided with legal issues re- launching exploration drilling in these
nationalized the mine resulted in high with the stockpile and the tailings.” lating to a number of its concessions. areas over the next several weeks,”
levels of lead pollution contaminating CDPR brought in Bernhard Dold as CTO However, the acquisition promises to he said, before commenting that work
the surrounding environment. Time in 2020, a leading expert on mine clo- breathe new life into two projects that done in 2021 will help American Lith-
Magazine listed Cerro de Pasco as one sure and acid mine drainage. “He has have the potential to diversify Peru’s ium position the project to move into
of the ten most polluted places on earth studied Cerro de Pasco and over 30 sci- mining industry into critical minerals the feasibility process in the first half of
as health issues began to escalate for entific publications on the region, and required for the transition to a low- 2022.
residents and wildlife. the consensus is that the health prob- carbon economy. “With better access Clarke also underlined that the compa-
In 2018, Cerro de Pasco Resources lems will not be fully resolved unless to capital, we believe these assets can ny sees a lot of potential at Macusani,
(CSE: CDPR) went public with the pur- you reprocess waste and move people move quickly through the development suggesting that the amount of third
pose of treating and reprocessing all out of the most affected areas,” related phase and create significant value for party interest they have received in the
the dumps, tailings, mining waste and Zadka, observing that a lot of people in all stakeholders,” stated Simon Clarke, asset in the wake of the transaction is
material resources in the Cerro de Cerro de Pasco want to move, but there CEO of American Lithium. validation of its value. “Uranium is be-
Pasco region, and in November 2019, is currently no economic way for them Indeed, Falchani and Macusani will now ing more and more accepted as a key
announced it would acquire Volcan’s to do so. have far better access to capital, con- energy metal and Macusani is the fifth
Oxidos de Pasco asset for US$30 mil- The company is now looking at partner- sidering American Lithium was the best largest undeveloped uranium project
lion. However, after several extensions ships that involve the government and performing mining stock on the TSXV on the planet,” he remarked, noting
pushed back the deal, CDPR decided external funds such as the multilateral in 2020, moving from under C$0.20 in that there is scope to add additional
not to extend the agreement at the end agencies, and has not ruled out the pos- early April 2020 to over C$4.00 in Feb- resources through further expansion
of October 2020. sibility of purchasing further assets in ruary 2021 to top the annual TSX Ven- drilling at Macusani, which the compa-
Steven Zadka, CDPR’s executive chair- Peru, as they have an operational team ture 50 list. ny plans to do near-term.
man, revealed that the company is now ready to work. The company intends to replicate the Clarke clarified that American Lithium
looking at establishing a partnership Zadka lamented the amount of govern- success it has had at its TLC claystone was committed to utilizing Peruvian ex-
instead. “There are legacy issues that mental changes in Peru, emphasizing deposit in Nevada, and to do this they pertise to develop the projects, which
belong to Volcan and Glencore that the need for Peru to recover ground lost have maintained the core of Plateau’s he believes will help put Peru on the
must be adequately understood and against peer mining countries, focusing Peru-based team, including Laurence map in the area of energy metals and
ring-fenced prior to any agreement,” he on productivity and speed of regulatory Stefan as president, COO and direc- clean energy. Although the relationship
said, adding: “We continue to believe processes to help bring prosperity to tor, as well as over 15 people on the between Peruvian politics and mining
it would be advantageous to Cerro de communities such as Cerro de Pasco. ground, including general manager has been turbulent, the potential to
Pasco for CDPR to reintegrate and oper- “There is an opportunity now to im- Ulises Solis. create jobs and establish a previously
ate the whole mine, as the asset would prove the health situation and econom- Elaborating on the company’s plans for untapped source of resources key to
benefit from a new management team ics in the region, but action must be tak- Falchani, Clarke explained that a drilling a green economy is a tantalizing pros-
looking at the operation holistically.” en, and a qualified neutral entity needs campaign would take place to further pect. ■
Expanding on the complexities of the to take the lead,” he concluded. ■ expand the existing resource and to

62 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports


INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

How does CDPR intend to advance the Cerro de Pasco mine?


Since signing the agreement to acquire the Cerro de Pasco mine from Volcan and
Glencore in November 2019, there have been several extensions pushing back the
transaction. It is a very large mine with legacy issues, and a complex situation. As we What prompted American Lithium to acquire Plateau Energy Metals in
could not align a workable deal to satisfy all parties, we decided not to extend the 2021?
agreement at the end of October 2020. Plateau was hit with a double whammy during the downturn in the lithium space
We are now looking at establishing a partnership instead, as there are legacy issues over the last few years, which coincided with some legal issues they had relating
that belong to Volcan and Glencore that must be adequately understood and ring- to some of their concessions. We started talking to them in December 2020, and
fenced prior to any agreement. We continue to believe it would be advantageous realized the deal made a lot of sense with a strong fit between the companies.
to Cerro de Pasco for CDPR to reintegrate and operate the whole mine, as the asset American Lithium has a strong supportive shareholder base, and Plateau had a
would benefit from a new management team looking at the operation holistically. somewhat fatigued shareholder base, and lacked the capital needed to advance
their development stage projects over the last couple of years. Both Falchani and
What are the main challenges surrounding the mine and the Cerro de Pasco Macusani are at advanced PEA stage and the Plateau team has already produced
community? battery grade lithium from Falchani. With better access to capital, we believe

Steven CDPR, Volcan, Glencore and the Cerro de Pasco community all agree that this is a
unique problem which needs a holistic solution. There are economic, environment
and health issues in play, and they need to be addressed together as one package Simon
these assets can move quickly through the development phase. In addition, Pla-
teau has a very strong technical team, which will help round out our team and
bring more expertise in-house. Falchani is a volcanic tuff with different geology

Zadka instead of working piece by piece, as has been happening over the past 20 years.
All the water systems are connected, for instance, so the open-pit is hydrologically
Clarke
to TLC, but it is also near-surface and shares similarities with a lot of the flowsheet
work we are doing in Nevada which will be directly relevant.
connected with the stockpile and the tailings.
We brought in Bernhard Dold as CTO in 2020. He is one of the world-renowned How will the transition from Plateau to American Lithium work from an
experts on mine closure and acid mine drainage. He has studied Cerro de Pasco, operational standpoint in Peru?
Executive Chairman
and over 30 scientific publications on the region, and the consensus is that the health One of the key attributes of the acquisition is that we are able to bolt on a very
CERRO DE PASCO RESOURCES strong Peru-based team. At Falchani we will shortly be drilling to further expand
problems will not be fully resolved unless you reprocess waste and move people
out of the most affected areas. There is still a lot of value left in Cerro de Pasco, but the existing resource and moving inferred resources to measured and indicated.
it needs to be done strategically, step by step, which is what we propose to do. ■ CEO Recent work has also identified at least two other key target areas to the west of
AMERICAN LITHIUM the Falchani deposit that have the potential to be similar in size and scope to Fal-
chani. We will also be launching exploration drilling in these areas over the next
several weeks. Work done in 2021 at Falchani will help us position the project to
move into the feasibility process in the first half of 2022.

What are your plans for the Macusani uranium project?


Although we are not uranium specialists, we see a lot of potential at Macusani.
Uranium is being more and more accepted as a key energy metal and Macusani
is the fifth largest undeveloped uranium project on the planet. There is also
scope to add additional resources through further expansion drilling at Macu-
sani, which we plan to do near-term. Macusani has seen a significant amount of
work and investment historically and had a C$120 million market capitalization
when it was the stand-alone asset in the company back in 2008/9. We have al-
ready had a lot of third party interest in this asset, which is strong validation of
its current value and long-term potential. Long term we may not be the ones to
We are fortunate to have a lot move Macusani into production, but we want to do more work on it, continue its
development and continue to grow its value to the benefit of the company and
of Peruvian expertise in the all stakeholders.
company to help advance what
we think are first-rate projects Do you have a final message for the Peruvian mining community about
that will help put Peru on the American Lithium’s commitment to develop the Falchani project?
We are fully aware of the need to bring jobs to communities and develop projects
map in the area of energy in a sustainable manner, even more so in a post Covid world, and this is a key part
metals and clean energy. of the corporate culture at American Lithium and was also the culture at Plateau
Energy Metals. All our projects are being developed with a focus on implement-
ing the best environmental practices and utilizing local expertise and workforces
to the full extent possible. Peru has a very strong mining sector, and we are for-
tunate to have a lot of Peruvian expertise in the company to help advance what
we think are first-rate projects which we believe will help put Peru on the map
in the area of energy metals and clean energy. Peru remains significantly under-
explored and we are fully committed to the country, its people, and helping to
develop this potential in the years to come for the benefit of all stakeholders. ■

64 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 65
ENGINEERING,
CONSTRUCTION
&
CONSULTANTS
“Large projects are a multidisciplinary challenge, and
their development must include all the stakeholders; local
communities, governments, clients, and employees, and these
groups cannot work in silos”

- Gonzalo Covarrubias,
General Manager,
WSP Peru

GBR • Industry Explorations • PERU MINING 2021

Image courtesy of MMG-Las Bambas


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Engineering workforce quickly adapted to home of-


fice conditions. In fact, for those famil-
iar with rush-hour Lima traffic, the tran-
A lack of major greenfield projects on
the horizon after Quellaveco, in part
due to the permitting difficulties and
We hope the trend Yanacocha is starting with their large
& EPCM underground sulfides project will be replicated by other
sition to remote operations came as a
welcome development.
social issues faced by miners in Peru
in recent years, has placed a greater
big mining companies in Peru. These projects often have “BISA has moved from a large office emphasis on brownfield work such as The idea to grow BISA’s PMO
fewer environmental impacts which facilitates community in Lima to a work-from-home policy, the Condestable expansion. It has also (Project Management Office)
which we have found has really helped prompted engineering houses to of-
acceptance and permitting. service came from our
the productivity of our workforce,” said fer a wider range of services, such as
Federico Schwalb, CEO of BISA Ingeni- the Project Management Office (PMO) experience at Newmont’s
ESG IS DRIVING CORPORATE
- Alberto Coya, ería de Proyectos (BISA), who revealed that BISA has renewed for a third year Yanacocha project. There
STRATEGY AND M&A GROWTH
General Manager – that the Peruvian engineering company running with Antamina. A PMO helps
used to be a large project
has decided it will not go back to a large provide guidance, raise flags, control
Peru & Regional Manager – LatAm, team with many disciplines at
office environment, but will use a co- costs, and utilize technology to moni-
Stantec working facility with a smaller capacity tor the progress and performance of an the mine, but we still needed
in the future. operation, explained Schwalb, allowing to contract extra help in what
“Even though our revenue dropped 5% the mining company to focus on its core
we called a “salt and pepper”
in 2020, our EBITDA (Earnings Before business of production optimization.
M&A in the engineering and consulting the latest environmental practices and professional development in mining Interests, Tax, Depreciation and Amor- Denys Parra, general manager of Peru- operation, with the mining
space has continued at pace in recent technologies, according to Alexandra regions. “We must continue to observe tization) increased 40% in the same vian engineering firm, Anddes, which company and contractor
years, and in 2020, companies that spe- Almenara, the company’s VP of environ- that Peru is an emerging economy and timeframe due to increased productiv- also has offices in Argentina, Brazil and working together.
cialize in areas of environmental, social ment and sustainability for South Amer- the relationship between the mining ity and reduced costs,” added Schwalb. Chile, spoke of the demand for Engi-
and corporate governance (ESG) were ica. Zimi Meka, Ausenco’s co-founder sector and communities is key to the Companies with a strong local presence neer of Record (EoR) services. An EoR
acquired by multinational firms on the and CEO, affirmed that this area of the success of an operation,” he said, elab- also benefited from having in-country requires a professional engineering firm
back of the incremental rise in demand business is a target for further M&A: orating: “There will be the implemen- expertise, as travel restrictions prompt- to seal drawings, reports or documents
for ESG-related services. "We will be looking to grow our con- tation of critical automation, but not ed mining companies to contract en- for a project, and Anddes has been pro-
In December 2020, Canadian multina- sulting business, in particular in envi- all operations will become completely gineers that could conduct site visits viding such services for Minsur, Glen-
tional services firm WSP entered into an ronmental services, and we are looking digitized as we still need the human el- without having to bring in workers from core and Pan American Silver in Peru.
- Federico Schwalb,
agreement to acquire Golder Associ- closely at potential acquisitions." ement for a lot of mining processes, as abroad. Parra described how EoR services help CEO,
ates, a global engineering and consult- Considering the lack of major green- well as job creation.” One such case was Peruvian copper implement solutions for the sustainabil- BISA Ingeniería de Proyectos
ing firm that provides earth science and field projects in Peru’s pipeline, engi- Alberto Coya, Stantec’s general man- producer Southern Peaks Mining, which ity of operations, noting how they can
environmental services. In a statement, neering firms are also focusing on proj- ager for Peru and regional manager for awarded a contract to BISA to provide allow mining companies to operate and
WSP announced that the acquisition, ect optimization to take advantage of LatAm, suggested that the expected engineering, supervision, project con- monitor their facilities properly, includ-
due to be completed in the first half of robust metals prices. Ausenco recently increase in larger underground mining trols and procurement for its Cond- ing guaranteeing the safety of tailings
2021, ideally positions the company’s completed the design and construction project, embodied by Yanacocha’s estable mine expansion, having pre- dams in the medium and long-term by
strategic environment platform to capi- of Mina Justa, and is now transitioning planned transition from oxides to su- viously worked on the project with an minimizing the risk associated to critical
talize on ESG trends. to support Minsur in the startup of the fides, could help the country’s mining international firm. facilities. ■
WSP has completed more than 120 operation, revealed Florencio Castro, industry from a social standpoint. “We
M&A deals globally since 2006, and Ausenco’s general manager in Peru. hope the trend Yanacocha is starting
Gonzalo Covarrubias, general manager Castro explained the next steps after with their large underground sulfides
of WSP Peru, explained that adapting to the commissioning phase: “In the oper- project will be replicated by other big
the culture of the acquired companies, ation phase we have a group in charge mining companies in Peru,” said Coya,
without affecting their essence, is key to of asset optimization and management adding: “These projects often have
a successful business integration. of maintenance plans. We also have our fewer environmental impacts which
On the Golder transaction he stated: own specialized software called Orien, facilitates community acceptance and
“The acquisition provides us with the which is a cloud-based management permitting.”
ability to become the leading firm in solution that helps to operate and main-
the environmental earth science sector, tain mining assets efficiently.”
which is part of our long term strategy. Franco Pedraz, Worley’s country man- Remote studies and local expertise
We are going to be the largest environ- ager for Peru, related that the company for brownfield expansions
mental and earth science team globally, is currently working on nine projects in
consisting of around 14,000 employees Peru, ranging from definitive feasibility The majority of the mining value chain
in the world.” studies for greenfield copper projects, suffered during lockdown in 2020, but
In 2017, multi-national EPCM company to the expansion of onsite and offsite certain sub sectors were more able to
Ausenco acquired Canadian environ- infrastructure. Pedraz asserted his in- adapt than others. In the engineering
mental consultancy Hemmera, which tention to enhance Worley’s sustainabil- space, the move to remote work was
has been working with the Ausenco’s ity-focused services in Peru and empha- more seamless than for boots-on-the-
South American business to implement sized the importance of establishing ground contractors, as a laptop-based

68 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 69
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Gonzalo Can you tell us the reasons behind the


decision to acquire Golder, and what
this means for the company’s Peruvian
quality-driven reputation, complementing
WSP’s culture and values.
and strong relationships within the co-
mmunities that we operate.
Large projects are a multidisciplinary
Franco framework where we rapidly assess
the carbon footprint of a mine and de-
sign appropriate solutions. Through
Covarrubias operations?
Since 2006, WSP has completed more
Which of WSP’s services have expe-
rienced high demand in the last 12
challenge and their development must
include all the stakeholders; local co-
Pedraz our consulting business, Advisian, we
are heavily involved in the conceptual
than 120 M&A deals globally. In Decem- months? mmunities, governments, clients, and em- redesign of the entire energy mix and
ber 2020, the company announced its Our design and consulting services to ployees, and these groups cannot work in have experience and expertise across
General Manager intention to acquire Golder, a leading en- tackle client challenges have seen an in- silos. Furthermore, how we exploit resour- all renewable energy sources, including
Country Manager – Peru
WSP PERU gineering and consulting firm with a pres- crease in demand. We also have a very ces and develop future mining operations green hydrogen.
ence in over 60 countries. The acquisition robust PMO (Project Management Office) must consider climate change, wealth-
WORLEY
provides us with the ability to become the and we have strengthened this capability creation for communities, and evolving What are some of the projects Wor-
leading firm in the environmental earth in Peru as well. The PMO model is becom- technologies. ley’s Peru office have been working
science sector, which is part of our long- ing increasingly popular with public and on?
term strategy. By combining comple- private clients, and we expect this to gain Do you think the adoption of innova- Worley’s Peru office is currently work-
mentary service offerings and expertise traction in the coming years. As a result of tion has increased during the pandem- ing on nine projects, ranging from de-
in underground and above-ground en- the pandemic, we have been promoting ic, and if so, which technologies have finitive feasibility studies for greenfield
gineering, we are ideally positioned to services to improve the flow of personnel gained traction? copper projects, to the expansion of
advise our clients and help them tackle on and off site, to be more resilient and We often assume that technology means onsite and offsite infrastructure for the
challenges around climate change, envi- mitigate contamination risk in the future. more efficiency and less jobs, but in rea- country’s largest mining operations.
ronmental and social impact, biodiversity, lity, technologies enabling remote servic- Aligned to our sustainability objectives,
environmental rehabilitation, environmen- Can you explain how WSP's consulting es will open the door for a larger talent our ore sorting technologies and dry
tal management and compliance. We are services help to create a long-term re- pool to enter the sector. For instance, op- stack tailings expertise are helping min-
going to be the largest environmental and lationship between project, community portunities will become more diverse and ers reduce their energy and water re-
earth science team globally, consisting of and operation? enable more women to also become part quirements for metals production. We
around 14,000 employees in the world. As an industry, we need to clearly commu- of the mining industry. The adoption of are looking at specific processing tech-
The merger will also help boost our con- nicate why we mine metals – as they are remote technologies also requires differ- nologies that improve metal recoveries
nection with mining clients in Latin Ameri- vital for development; and how we mine ent skill sets, which gives new high-level in existing operations and enable the
ca, as Golder has a strong client-base and metals – by having a responsible mining capabilities to the miners. ■ reprocessing of existing waste streams
How can Worley help mining com- from previous operations for commer-
panies’ to reach sustainability goals cial gain.
and reduce their environmental foot-
print? Do you think the digitalization at
Florencio Can you provide an update of Aus- What were the main findings of Ausen- are also working with many mining compa- At our recent Investor Day (June 2021), mine sites has increased due to the
enco’s activities at Mina Justa, and de- co’s 2020 Sustainability Report? nies to implement the new Global Tailings we launched our sustainability path- pandemic?
Castro & scribe how the company’s services have
evolved in the last year?
AA: Ausenco’s 2020 Sustainability Report is
the first that the company has produced,
Standard. ways, which focus heavily on decarbon-
ization and water stewardship, both of
Many miners currently use building in-
formation modelling (BIM) at evolving
Alexandra FC: Ausenco recently completed the de-
sign and construction of the Mina Justa
and therefore represents an important
milestone. Its aim is to compile all our
Can you give examples of Ausenco’s en-
vironmental and geotechnical solutions?
which are fundamental aspects of how
we bring value to our customers and
levels (3D, 4D and 5D). However, in the
next five years the industry will likely
Almenara project, which is currently in ramp up
phase. Our role now is to support the cli-
sustainability efforts in different projects
and areas of the company, and with this
AA: On the environmental side, Ausenco
offers a wide range of services related to
the communities in which we work and
live.
progress to 6D and 7D models as a min-
imum. Data from real-time and historic
FC: VP – Peru ent in the startup and operation. Despite constitute a baseline for our commitment permitting, including environmental im- Water has a spiritual significance in sensors installed on the physical asset
AA: VP Environment & the difficulties posed by the pandemic, we in the future. Once we understand all the pact assessments (EIAs), compensation Peru, and we are currently developing will allow miners to create a ‘digital rep-
Sustainability – South America managed to carry out this project on time independent sustainability initiatives that plans, concession permits, environmental water stewardship solutions for some lica’ of their mine. This is a simulated
and within the approved budget. From the we have within the company, we can start monitoring, and closure planning. What of the country’s largest mines. We ob- model of their operations and a work-
AUSENCO
point of view of design and execution, it working on more specific, unified and com- sets us apart is that we have the capacity to serve the United Nations’ sustainable ing representation of the physical asset.
has been remarkable due to its complexity, pany-wide measures. provide an integral service of engineering, development goals and are committed Here sustainability, commissioning and
and it has followed the same path as other environmental and social services to any to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. efficient transition from construction to
successful copper projects Ausenco has What are your clients’ main concerns project at any stage of their life cycle. Aus- We also help our customers reduce or operations can come into play.
carried out, including our work at Constan- from an ESG standpoint? enco also provides services related to wa- eliminate waste through lean project We must continue to observe that Peru
cia in Peru. AA: Permitting is our Peruvian clients’ ter management and water balance. Lately, approaches and data driven insights, is an emerging economy and the rela-
Despite Covid, Ausenco has been present biggest concern. Additionally, clients are we have also been supporting clients with enabling smarter solutions to be devel- tionship between the mining sector and
in different phases of several projects, es- increasingly requesting assistance to ad- digital solutions and alternatives to present oped and implemented more rapidly communities is key to the success of an
FC pecially in the study phase. Ausenco has dress ESG and to comply with Interna- project information through virtualizations than the mining industry has driven in operation. There will be the implemen-
a wide portfolio of projects in Peru, and tional Finance Corporation (IFC) standards. in a way that it is easy to understand for the past. tation of critical automation, but not
we view the future with optimism as we Another big question that companies are all the stakeholders. This is futher comple- The displacement of diesel by electri- all operations will become completely
believe several projects will eventually ad- raising is how to address climate change mented with our asset optimization, pipe- fication in open cast and underground digitized, as we still need the human el-
vance towards construction encouraged by and become net zero, even though this is lines, transportation and logistics capabili- mines is another area where short term ement for a lot of mining processes, as
AA metal prices. not required by Peruvian regulations. We ties. ■ benefits are possible, and we have a well as job creation. ■

70 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 71
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Mining ages, water levels and seismic informa-


tion, to help meet an increased demand
for technical proposals.
has evolved in recent years, Botts spoke
of how the management of environ-
mental, health, safety, social and tech-
social management and community
relations, which is focused on controls
and risks. Magne outlined the two main
tential of a region is number one when
looking for projects, but it should be
closely followed by the ease of doing
In 2020, AMC formed an advisory divi-
sion to provide specialized services in
areas such as performance diagnos-
Consultancies On the subject of what companies
should be aware of when looking to
nical aspects within the mining industry
are growing beyond just compliance
social concerns of PwC’s clients: “The
first is related to the controls around
business and the ability to move a proj-
ect forward in a country. “In a general
tics, strategy optimization, geometal-
lurgy, and value engineering, which
invest in Peru, Samaniego reflected: and economics. “Issues such as carbon the procedures regarding giving funds sense, Peru ticks most of the boxes for the company has been experiencing
“Peru offers several advantages for the footprint reduction, climate change to local communities, as there have investors. It is extremely well endowed high demand for since their launch.
mining industry, starting with a great and renewable energy sources must be been fraudulent activities during these with mineral wealth and a good place Discussing the optimistic outlook for
NAVIGATING SOCIAL AND geological context, highly qualified evaluated and factored into the life of kind of transactions The second con- to do business, but even so, I expect metals, McCann suggested the indus-
mining professionals and adequate lo- mine plans, as well as integrating the cern is related to tax implications with some investors are put off by the per- try should be cautious to not repeat
REGULATORY COMPLEXITIES IN A
gistic and supply facilities, besides the mine with the needs of local communi- regard to community relations, as some mitting challenges, especially for ear- the mistakes of the previous upcycle
DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT long mining tradition in the country.” ties.” community expenses can be deducted ly-stage projects.” when a number of companies chased
On the regulatory side, he noted that On the topic of social bottlenecks that for tax purposes and some cannot.” Another Australian-headquartered mi- metal prices. “Mines need to really
Peru has comprehensive environmen- have slowed down project develop- He added that PwC provides services ning consultancy, AMC Consultants, understand the cycle and develop a
tal regulations, but permitting and law ment in Peru, Botts listed the number which identify and then evaluate the ef- has worked in Peru for the likes of Gold thorough strategy optimization pro-
enforcement are not effective, because one priority as effective communica- fectiveness of these controls. Fields, Las Bambas, Hudbay, Marcobre cess instead of a scenario optimization
There is value to be gained from con- the related bodies do not have enough tion: “Mining companies should engage Orlando Marchesi, country senior part- and Glencore, according to Francis process. Complete strategy optimiza-
sulting local expertise, particularly in qualified personnel. “Hence an EIA can with local communities as early as pos- ner at PwC Peru, expanded on the McCann, general manager of AMC’s tion helps reduce risks by positioning
dynamic, unpredictable environments take up to two years to be approved by sible and promote dialogue regarding issue: “There is a link between risk Toronto office. Acknowledging that oneself to be relatively stable across
such as a country which has had five the authorities,” he observed, warning the community’s long term vision and controls and tax, because in order to Peru presents some challenges due the price cycle so as not to be reliant
president in less than two years. Fur- that companies active in Peru need to how a mining project could support this deduct social responsibility expenses to political instability over the past on one scenario,” he explained, con-
thermore, the potential changes to treat the social aspect very carefully. vision; in other words, involve the stake- you have to be able to show beyond couple of years, McCann believes the cluding that strategizing in such a way
legislation that could be brought in by Steve Botts, president of Santa Barbara holders in project planning instead of reasonable doubt that the expenses are country is attractive for service compa- means that one can take advantage
the newly elected Castillo government Consultants (SBC), has over thirty years’ trying to impose the project.” A sense incurred in the communities where the nies due to its geological endowment of the peaks, while protecting oneself
will require careful consideration and experience in the mining industry, hold- of buy-in and support from local stake- mine is located.” and wide range of mining companies from the lows, which will inevitably
navigation. In the mining business, this ing positions such as VP and manag- holders will come if communities can Why does the complexity surround- producing a breadth of work. come in a cyclical business. ■
value has been illustrated by recent ing director of Tahoe Resources Peru, see the economic benefits of the proj- ing social licensing for mining projects
M&A, as the growth of the consulting general manager of Marcobre, and VP ect, and if it is clear that the project will in Peru exist, and what could be done
arms of engineering and EPCM houses sustainability for AngloGold Ashanti not negatively impact the environment, by the private sector to improve the
has been directed at specialized consul- Americas. In 2011, Botts created SBC he added. process? Marcial García, partner and
tancies, particularly in the ESG sphere. to provide mining clients with consult- Pablo Saravia Magne, partner and mi- mining lead at EY Peru, observed that
One of the leading global mining con- ing expertise in the areas of corporate ning leader at PwC Peru, revealed that many of the companies in Peru that
sultancy firms, SRK, has been hiring strategy, mining life-cycle and safety, over the last four years, the company’s struggle with social licensing have been
Peruvian talent specialized in data han- all incorporating ESG considerations, a portfolio of services has expanded as around for decades, and sometimes
dling, according to Antonio Samaniego, theme that has grown exponentially in the industry was presented with new have a bad reputation due to legacy is-
director of SRK Consulting Peru. This the decade since. challenges and risks. One of PwC’s sues or because they are located in a
includes data surrounding satellite im- Elaborating on how the topic of ESG main service demands in Peru has been region where there has been historical
conflict between mining and communi-
ties. “On the other hand, companies
which have entered the Peruvian market
recently have been successful in obtain-
ing their social license to operate,” he
noted, affirming that establishing good
relationships with the community from
the start is key to accelerate the pro-
cess. “Peru has all the conditions to be a
very attractive destination for mining in-
vestment,” reflected García, listing rich
geology, untapped exploration poten-
tial, low cost of production, low power
costs and a well-trained workforce as its
advantages, “but addressing the social
and permitting issues is paramount for
the country to fulfil its potential.”
Paul Murphy, manager of the South
America region for Australian mining
technical services provider, Mining
Plus, opined that the geological po-

72 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 73
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

When we last spoke in August 2020, political situation and some limitations How have mining processes been adapted to place a greater emphasis on
Covid had restricted a lot of the field due to the pandemic (such as delays in worker health and wellbeing instead of just injury prevention?
work. How have things evolved since the vaccination process) have limited Most mining companies have done a good job in terms of managing occupation-
then, and which of SRK’s services the growth of activities and investment al health; however, the Pandemic was a real wake up call to the entire industry,
have been in high demand? of junior mining companies in Peru. Ad- and we noticed a much greater demand for our occupational health expertise
There has been little activity related to ditionally, as part of M&A processes, we and services. For example, in pre-pandemic times, it was relatively easy to sched-
field works, mainly because most of the have done technical and economic due ule workers on different turnarounds and shifts. The Pandemic brought about a
constraints to accessing the sites are still diligence for banks and mining compa- sharpened focus on all aspects related to the movement of employees; not just
in force. We have continuously searched nies, which implicates junior companies at mine sites, but also while workers are at home with their families. Remote work
for alternative strategies, such as the commonly. has also advanced, such as mine dispatch centers from home offices, and I be-
implementation of advanced video con- lieve this trend will continue even when the virus is under control.
ference tools, the use of remote sen- Can you tell us about your partici-
sors and satellite info, and works with pation with the Global Mining Pro- What advice would you give to companies in Peru regarding social bottle-
drones. In parallel, we have needed to fessionals Association (GMPA), and necks and permitting?
hire qualified staff in the handling of SRK’s expertise when it comes to tail- The number one priority in terms of managing the social aspects related to mi-

Antonio these tools and to improve our IT infra-


structure. In the last months, we have
been busy mostly with works related to
ings management?
In Peru we are advancing on the Global
Action on Tailings (GAT). This initiative
Steve ning is effective communications with stakeholders. Mining companies should
engage with local communities as early as possible and promote dialogue re-
garding the community’s long term vision and how a mining project could sup-
Samaniego project evaluation, bankable reports,
geotechnical assessments, mine closure
has been developed under the GMPA
sponsorship. Our idea is to propose
Botts port this vision - in other words, involve the stakeholders in project planning
instead of trying to impose the project. At the end of the day, the communities
plans, and big data processing. We have strategies for an adequate tailings build, and governments have the final say, and without their approval you will not be
noted an increment of requests for pro- management and close. The SME, a able to start operations even if you have permits, as we have seen in the cases
posals as mining companies are catch- GMPA member, is working on a tailings of Minas Conga, Tambo Grande and most recently, Tía María. A sense of buy-
ing up with work from the past. handbook that should be published in and support from local stakeholders will come if they can see the economic
Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, over the last months of 2021. The hand- benefits of the project, and if it is clear that the project will not negatively impact
Director 2020 ended up being quite a good year book will cover new topics that we need President the environment.
SRK CONSULTING PERÚ for SRK. We did a good job retaining to look at when looking at tailings man- SANTA BARBARA CONSULTANTS Exploration and mine permitting in Peru present a similar challenge that also
and recruiting talent and had good re- agement, such as climate change. requires proactive communications; conversations with the regulators should
sults in Peru. be started early and intentions outlined clearly. Permit applications should be
What advice would you give to mining prepared professionally and the project proponents should be willing to meet
Can you give us examples of some companies looking to invest in Peru with the regulatory authorities and communities so they fully understand the
of the technical study work SRK has about how they should prepare for project. It is important to have realistic expectations regarding the permitting
been doing in the last year? the early stages of a project? timeline, as the permitting process can be bureaucratic, complicated and highly
We are focused on the development of Peru offers several advantages for the unpredictable, and in addition, the process has been further complicated by the
technical reports according to S-K 1300 mining industry, starting with a great Pandemic.
regulation, which will be mandatory for geological context, highly qualified mi-
all NYSE listed mining companies after ning professionals and adequate logis- What would you say differentiates Santa Barbara Consultants from some of
January 2022 to support their reported tic and supply facilities, besides the long the bigger mining consultancies?
mineral resources and reserves. We con- mining tradition in the country. Santa Barbara Consultants is a team of “miners helping miners”. A majority of
sider that this regulation is one of the The energy supply has improved over our team has worked for mining companies and have grown into the consulting
most strict and demands a high techni- the last years, in terms of capacity and At the end of the day, the space. This gives us practical expertise related to both mining operations and
cal level for its preparation. SRK Peru is cost, however, a number of challenges projects, in addition to hands on technical experience in managing the chal-
communities and governments
supporting three world-class compa- on other infrastructure fronts, mainly the lenges faced by mining companies in Latin America.
We have noted an increment nies in this process in collaboration with ports, roads and rails, continue. have the final say, and without
of requests for proposals Denver (USA) and Belo Horizonte (Brasil) On the regulations side, Peru has a com- their approval you will not be How are you planning on growing the company in the coming years, and
as mining companies are offices. In SRK Peru, we have also been prehensive environmental regulation, able to start operations even if which areas of the business do you see as having good potential for growth?
involved in mine closure plans for some but permitting and law enforcement is Santa Barbara Consultants is always looking for new talent, especially for profes-
catching up with work from you have permits, as we have
of the very large gold operations. not effective, because the related gov- sionals that have hands on experience in mining projects and operations. We are
the past. ernment entities do not have enough seen in the cases of Minas very selective concerning the people we choose, not only from the point of view
resources, hence an EIA can take up Conga, Tambo Grande and most of qualifications and experience, but also finding people that match our values
Have you seen more activity in the to two years to be approved by the au- recently, Tía María. and fit with our culture.
junior segment considering the high thorities. The management of environmental, health, safety, social and technical aspects
metals prices? Finally, companies need to treat the so- within the mining industry is growing beyond just compliance and economics,
We have seen more activity from the cial aspect very carefully in Peru. and issues such as carbon footprint reduction, climate change and renewable
junior segment, and we have been Taking into consideration all aspects, I energy sources must be evaluated and factored into the life of mine plans, and
working on a number of PEA studies consider Peru is still one of the most at- integrating the mine with the needs of local communities. We believe that these
for juniors in Peru, as well as some pre- tractive countries for investment in the areas offer tremendous opportunities for growth in the coming years, supported
feasibility studies. However, the current mining industry. ■ by the robust outlook for metals usage in the green economy. ■

74 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 75
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Francis Marcial Paul Environmental &


McCann García Murphy Tailings Management
General Manager – Toronto Partner and Mining Lead Manager – South America
AMC CONSULTANTS EY PERU MINING PLUS

In the wake of the Brumadinho tragedy in 2019, the Inter- also moving more towards lowering risks profiles – instead of
national Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) conducted a having one massive structure with an extreme consequence
multi-stakeholder review with investors and the United Na- classification, analyzing the impact of a couple of smaller
tions Environment Programme (UNEP) that resulted in the structures with lesser classifications.”
Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, launched Peruvian mining contractor Pevoex has also seen an uptick in
in August 2020. demand for tailings work, particularly for tailings dam expan-
The investigation led by the Investor Mining & Tailings Safety sion projects, according to general manager Rómulo Mucho.
Initiative revealed that around a tenth of tailings dams – 166 “These projects are highly technical as they involve a critical
of the 1,635 dams studied — have had safety issues in the facility with associated risks, as seen with the dam failures in
past. Considering there are over 3,500 tailings dams globally, Brazil in recent years,” said Mucho, who spoke of the strict
the challenge at hand will require buy-in from all parties, and criteria for projects including Quellaveco, for which Pevoex
Which of AMC’s services have been Which fiscal incentives has the gov- Can you elaborate on the different mi- not just the major ICMM members. Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of is a subcontractor of the company building the tailings dam.
in high demand over the last 12 ernment introduced to stimulate ex- ning methods suited to different scale the ICMM, affirmed that the Council’s main priority is to con- Mucho added that the industry is adopting solutions like fil-
months? ploration in recent years? underground projects? tinue enabling the global industry to take up the new Global tered tailings, for instance at Cerro Lindo, but the cost of such
During 2020 the company officially The VAT early recovery system for ex- The mining method is primarily dependent Industry Standard on Tailings Management, for which a Good
formed an Advisory division to pro- ploration projects is an incentive that is upon the geometry and scale of the ore Practice Guide as well as Conformance Protocols have been
vide specialized services in areas such very attractive to investors. Everything body. Most experienced mining profes- launched in 2021. “Our ambitious goal is to find solutions
as performance diagnostics, strategy bought in Peru is subject to VAT at a rate sionals will have a reasonably good idea that will significantly reduce or directly eliminate tailings in
optimization, geometallurgy and val- of 18%. If you have an investment proj- as to the appropriate mining method for a the first place,” he added.
ue engineering. These services have ect of over US$500,000, you can apply deposit, but the mining method tradeoff is The Investor Mining & Tailings Safety Initiative was estab-
been in high demand since their official to the early recovery system and you are always critically important, as every deposit lished by a group of asset owners and fund managers includ-
launch. refunded the VAT. This is an incentive is different, and you can either make your ing the Church of England Pensions Fund, the New Zealand
to promote greenfield projects in Peru life very easy, or very difficult depending on Superannuation (NZ Super), as well as Swedish and Dutch
To what extent do you think the pan- and the rationale behind the system is the mining method you select. Speaking in pension funds. The current group now controls over US$24
demic has accelerated the implemen- that you use the money to re-invest in a general sense, if you have a vein deposit, trillion in assets, according to Adam Matthews, investment
tation of digital solutions in the mi- operations. Over the last few years, no mining methods such as variants of cut team director for the Church of England Pensions Board, and
ning industry? other incentives have been approved and fill or a long hole stoping would likely co-chair of the Investor Mining & Tailings Safety Initiative.
There has been a digitalization trend and no significant new legislation has be appropriate. For a larger disseminated He stressed that “investors do not invest in a vacuum” and
within the mining industry for years, been passed. deposit such as a copper porphyry, a bulk sector-wide reform is necessary if mining companies expect
which has been accelerated by the pan- underground mining method such a block to retain investment.
demic. We are seeing that some com- How do you think Peru could pro- cave would likely be appropriate, espe- At the forefront of this reform are the engineering firms and
panies are faster to adapt and adopt mote itself as a more stable mining cially if the deposit is relatively low grade. services related to mining waste. Dan Etheredge, general
than others. In my opinion, technology country? With respect to the bulk mining methods, manager of Klohn Crippen Berger’s (KCB) South American
is great, but technology just for tech- We have a lower cost of production there really needs to be a change in mind- office in Lima, revealed that 2020 was one of the most active
nology’s sake does not necessarily sup- compared to other countries in the re- set for those not experienced in bulk un- years ever for the engineering firm that specializes in tailings
port or add benefit. You have to think gion and lower power costs than Chile. derground mining, because the scale and management, and credited the Global Tailings Standard for
about technology strategically, how We have well-trained professionals in capex required for these types of opera- generating more awareness on the subject. Etheredge com-
you want to use it, and if it can be used the industry such as engineers and geol- tions is far greater than other underground mented that the bulk of KCB South America’s projects are
to the extent that it provides you with ogists. Peru has all the conditions to be mining methods. Large scale bulk under- tailings related, such as seismic hazard assessment updates
the right information. I believe that a very attractive destination for mining ground mining operations are more like and site selection studies, and commented on how clients
technologies that support automation, investment, but addressing the social large open-cut projects with respect to the have started taking a more long-term approach in their think-
remote operation of equipment and and permitting issues is paramount for capital profile, where US$1 billion could be ing.
iROC type centers are areas where the the country to fulfil its potential. ■ spent on the project before you generate “For example, they have 10 years capacity left on their exist-
industry can get the most value for in- any revenue. As such, it is critical to get it ing facility and want to know what their options are moving
vestment ■ right the first time if you are to embark on a forward – do I go to a new facility, or do I raise the dam of
project such as this. ■ the existing facility?,” said Etheredge, adding: “Thoughts are

76 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 77
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

solutions make them more applicable to projects with lower Amphos 21 was recently acquired by the RSK group. What does this acquisition
volumes. mean for the company?
When it comes to the design of modern tailings facilities or Tailing dams suffer a lot from pore pressure This has been excellent news for us, as it confirms the great trajectory of our company
upgrades to existing facilities, water use is at the crux of the and allows us to be part of a strong group with a powerful presence in Europe and
and the soil can become extremely
matter. The previous mainstream method of tailings manage- internationally. The group works in areas related with the environment and has services
ment, subaqueous deposition as used at Brumadinho, is be- saturated. Drainage geocomposites, in which were not yet inside our portfolio.
ing replaced by dry stacking, a method which permits the conjunction with other geosynthetics, line RSK is a very flexible group which respected our structure and working style, therefore,
recovery of the maximum amount of recycled water but re- the bottom of the dam to reduce any pore our structure has not changed, our management team remains the same, we have not
quires more capex. changed our brand and we have become integrated under RSK’s international division.
pressure which could affect the stability of
Amphos 21, the Spanish company acquired by RSK Group on The strategy of the group is to grow organically with its brand and inorganically with
December 28th, 2020, covers a wide range of services inside the structure. The Brumadinho dam disaster companies that can complement its service offering. Growth in mining in Latin America
the water cycle including environmental studies and how wa- in Brazil is the best case to promote this is part of the company goals for coming years.
ter is integrated throughout the life of a mine. solution, as the main fault that occurred was
Eduardo Ruiz, general manager of Amphos 21, expanded on Which services are you planning to introduce in Peru’s mining sector?
a number of the long-term projects the company is currently
a lack of proper drainage. RSK Group has a strong experience working in areas related with the environmental
involved in in Peru: “We are working in dewatering activities
for Antamina, in tailings reuse, and in the dewatering process
of Minsur’s tailings facility. Not only do we work in consulting
- Francisco Pizarro, Eduardo assessment, water cycle climate change, renewables, digital transformation and remote
sensing. It also has huge expertise on environmental remediation, which is closely relat-
ed to our day-to-day activities such as mine closure or the management of environmen-
Composites Commercial Director –
and engineering, but also in the design of solutions so we
can provide engineering, procurement, and construction for
Latin America,
Elydan
Ruiz tal liabilities. We believe we will be able to incorporate many of these services in Peru.

clients.” Can you give us details about some of the current projects you are working on?
Amphos 21 recently won the Smart Catalonia Challenge I would mention those related with essential activities, which helped us greatly during
competition for using technology based on machine learn- the pandemic; examples on this are dewatering activities for Antamina or associated to
ing to improve the management of water quality, noted Ruiz, tailings reprocessing for Minsur. Also closure activities and optimization of waste (acid)
remarking that the company is currently applying this type of water for some of our key clients such as Buenaventura group. Not only do we work in
technology in a similar project in Peru. ficient product. “Tailing dams suffer a lot from pore pressure General Manager consulting and engineering, but also in the design of solutions so we can provide engi-
The issue of mining waste is growing incrementally as mines and the soil can become extremely saturated. Drainage geo- AMPHOS 21 PERÚ neering, procurement and construction for clients.
increasingly extract lower grade ore. Such a large-scale composites from Elydan, in conjunction with other geosyn-
problem requires cross-industry R&D to generate solutions. thetics, line the bottom of the dam to reduce any pore pres- Amphos 21 was recently awarded the 1st prize of the Smart Catalonia Challenge.
French company Elydan, with broad experience in providing sure which could affect the stability of the structure.” Can you elaborate on the importance of R&D for the company?
solutions for landfills across Europe and Latin America, is now Using the example of Brumadinho, where the main fault that Amphos 21 has always had a strong focus on research, development and innovation
bringing its experience to the mining industry, according to occurred was due to a lack of proper drainage, Pizarro em- which comes from Spain, and since the beginning, we have been linked to European
Francisco Pizarro, Elydan’s composites commercial director phasized the value of geosynthetics to solidify mining sites investigation programs. We are proud that we recently won the Smart Catalonia Chal-
for Latin America. Pizarro explained how Elydan’s drainage structures. He revealed that Elydan is currently doing a year- lenge competition for using technology based on machine learning to improve the
geocomposites can replace part of the soil or rocks that are long test trail of 1,000 square meters of drainage for a tailings management of water quality. We are currently applying this type of technology to
used for drainage in tailings dams, leach pads or any solid dam in Chile, with the possibility to install 100,000 square improve our services in a pilot project in Peru.
structure that can suffer from saturation, with a thin but ef- meters of the solution once the trial has been successful. ■ We believe the development of machine learning, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of
Things is where we should head, in order to improve the safety of mining operations
and to reduce costs. At Amphos 21, we aim to be early implementers of these technolo-
gies into the water cycle, and even develop these technologies if possible. We have
We recently won the Smart made investments in this sense for several years, and fortunately, we have sustainable
Catalonia Challenge competition clients who trust us to carry out pilot projects.
for using technology based on
What are the company’s goals for the coming years and what growth potential do
machine learning to improve you see in Peru?
the management of water Mining is a large part of Peru’s economy and there will be great opportunities for growth
quality. We are currently in this sector, especially if the country manages to continue on the path it has followed
applying this technology to for years of attracting foreign investment. There is significant potential to optimize wa-
ter processes in the mines, and new technologies will help with this. Amphos 21 has
improve our services in a pilot experienced constant growth for many years, even in 2020, and we expect to continue
project in Peru. growing, providing solutions to the mining sector. After our company’s acquisition by
RSK, there is great potential to develop and incorporate new services and product lines
in Peru.
Amphos 21 was born with a vocation to innovate. We have many years of experience
and this gives us an excellent learning curve. In addition, clients are always at the center
of our activities: we listen to them, understand their problems, and help them with the
development of the solutions they need. Our aim is to be their long-term partners and
create value for them. ■

78 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 79
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

How was 2020 for Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) in South America?
Surprisingly, 2020 was one of KCB’s most active years ever, and we surpassed our
plans and budgets that were made pre-Covid. We were in that weird position
Construction and Scaffolding operators are the key component
where nobody likes to turn away work, but we had to be truly selective as we could
not accommodate all the requests. We have been actively hiring, but the market is
Contractors of the projects, both in terms of meeting
the project calendars and in terms of being
competitive.
Because of the work KCB did in response to the recent high-profile dam failures, exposed to Covid. So, we had to reformulate
our profile in Brazil has expanded significantly and we have received more work, our training program to a new five-level
including dam break studies and risk reviews and assessments. program, where theory-based courses are
In August 2020, the Global Tailings Standard was launched. Do you think it
done virtually.
has improved the state of tailings management?
The launch of the Global Tailings Standard was great for the industry and for KCB as ON THE FRONTLINE IN A REMOTE WORLD: - Jorge Reátegui,
well. The company is considered at the top end of tailings engineering consultan- THE EVOLVING ROLE OF CONTRACTORS General Manager,
cies and the standard has raised our profile, as we have always been an advocate
Layher Perú
Dan for tailings design and management stewardship. The majority of companies, espe-
cially the multinationals, are taking tailings more seriously with a more conservative
approach.
Etheredge What type of tailings projects has KCB been working on in South America,
and what are clients currently asking for? The challenges posed by Covid have complicated construc- work has given it the necessary expertise to develop under-
The bulk of KCB South America’s projects are tailings related, including seismic haz- tion projects and presented logistical headaches for contrac- ground mining projects. “OHL has developed a tunnel un-
ard assessment updates, site selection studies for new facilities, tailings technology tors with large workforces. For instance, Tom McCulley, CEO, der the tailings dam of Antamina of approximately 2 km, and
trade-off studies, and dam raise designs. People are starting to take a long-term of Anglo American Peru, revealed that the company has to do has carried out collection works on the leaks under the dam,
approach in their thinking. Thoughts are also moving more towards lowering risks around 4,000 to 4,500 Covid tests per week at its Quellaveco together with all the ancillary facilities of the tunnel itself,”
General Manager – South America profiles – instead of having one massive structure with an extreme consequence operation, currently under construction in Moquegua. The explained Ramones.
KLOHN CRIPPEN BERGER classification, analyzing the impact of a couple of smaller structures with lesser clas- industry response had been to transition, where possible, to
sifications, or changing tailings technologies to thickened or filtered tailings, for remote operations, such as Las Bambas’ recently inaugurated
example, to reduce risk. Digital Operations Center (DOC) in Lima.
KCB has been working with the full range of clients between juniors, intermediates Where does this transition leave the frontline workers and
and majors. Hochschild has been a client of ours for years and we continue to do how is their role evolving? Eduardo Bennett, CEO of South
a significant amount of work for them, both on new facilities and closures. When a American mining contractor STRACON, elaborated on how
new client approaches us, we look at their policies and standards to establish if we collaboration between mining companies and service provid-
can set up a working relationship. ers can benefit both parties. “The capacity to load and haul
materials is impossible to do remotely,” he said, continuing:
What are the benefits of dry tailings deposits compared to the traditional “This may be our role in the future of mining, and I believe
subaqueous deposition method? that in the next few years all of the in-person mining opera-
Traditional tailings is a slurry, and there are a significant number of considerations tions will be handled by service suppliers as partners of mi-
– seepage, filtration, spillways, excessive storm events, etc. are all potential risks ning companies.”
that need to be managed. There is definitely less risk with a dry stack facility. For Bennett mentioned that STRACON has been promoting its
example, runout, if it were to occur, is going to be significantly less with a dry stack services in many different countries in Latin America, but has
With advancements in not seen any significant possibilities for major greenfield pro-
deposit, obviously depending on the size and profile of the facility, but up to a
technology, companies can couple kilometers as compared to the 100+ km potential of a conventional tailings jects in the next few years. The company is therefore focused
improve not only design facility. Although the capex is usually higher, the risk profile of a dry stack deposit on brownfield projects, earth moving and dam construction
is significantly lower. services. Emphasizing the need for the industry to improve its
standards and criteria, but also
process, Bennett stated: “The future of mining is related to
take into consideration closure When is the best time for companies to consider tailings issues? two main aspects – technology and creativity. In my opinion,
scenarios way before they get The best time to consider tailings is before the mine is built. If you have a mine with one of the challenges for the next few years will be how we
to that point. dozens of years of useful life, you really need a roadmap for the future. It will be can adopt and fully integrate new technologies into opera-
beneficial to have a long term planning group looking at various scenarios which tions to be more efficient.”
can then be analyzed from various perspectives – technical, financial, and social. In In summary, he said that it is not about how many tons of ore
planning ahead, you can do a multiple accounts analysis of what your options are can be moved, but rather about how an operation can be as
and have a significantly better plan and idea moving forward so that you do not productive as possible.
have to make snap decisions. With advancements in technology, companies can Mining represents approximately 30% of OHL’s (Obrascón
improve not only design standards and criteria, but also take into consideration Huarte Lain) total sales each year, detailed Mariela Ramones,
closure scenarios way before they get to that point. Considering all scenarios in business manager of OHL Peru. The construction company
advance enables you to select the best option and you are not forced into picking has worked on large-scale projects for Las Bambas, Quellave-
a less optimal alternative. ■ co and Antamina in recent years, and believes its tunnelling

80 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 81
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Image courtesy of AESA

Eduardo auxiliary equipment. In my opinion, one of


the challenges for the next few years will
be how we can adopt and fully integrate
sites. We believe that brownfield projects
will be in high demand in terms of mas-
sive earth moving and dam construction

Bennett these new technologies into operations to


be more efficient. Secondly, it is about how
services. STRACON is also discussing the
possibility of partnering with companies to
creative mining participants can be to find develop electromechanical works, one of
CEO new opportunities for win-win results. It is the essential pillars of brownfield projects.
STRACON not about how many tons of ore can be
moved, but rather about how an operation Do you think the adoption of mining
can be as productive as possible. The aim innovation has accelerated due to the
is to make operations as low cost and prof- pandemic, and if so, which technologies
itable for all parties involved. A few years have gained traction?
ago, relationships were mainly contractual, Although the development of new tech-
but today, there is a new concept of col- nologies has been delayed due to the pan-
laboration between mining companies and demic, the adoption of existing technolo-
suppliers. gies has accelerated. We are seeing more
mining companies that willing and capable
Considering the lack of major greenfield of running operations remotely, such as
projects on the horizon after Quellave- Quebrada Blanca and Escondida in Chile.
co, how does a mining construction con- Remote operations is not only a conse-
tractor grow in Peru? quence of the pandemic, but also a way in
What are the main themes you see cu- STRACON has been promoting its services which overall safety and accuracy is being
rrently impacting the dynamic between in many different countries, mainly in La- increased. On the other hand, the capacity
suppliers and mining companies? tam, and we have not seen any significant to load and haul materials is impossible to
The future of mining is related to two main possibilities for major greenfield projects do remotely. This may be our role in the
aspects – technology and creativity. OEMs in the next few years. Therefore, we have future of mining, and I believe that in the
such as Caterpillar, Volvo, and Komatsu been proactive and creative in develop- next few years all of the in-person mining
are developing autonomous and remote ing our own capacity and expanding the operations will be handled by service sup-
controlled technologies for trucks and company’s offering for traditional mining pliers as partners of mining companies. ■

Scaffolding specialist Layher has is to professionalize this segment,” he incorporate into the welding process- Can you introduce Calidra and explain support that has been developed through-
worked with Quellaveco, Mina Justa,
Southern Copper and Toromocho on
concluded.
Another service company in the
es. “For example, in order to create
isometric plans in pdf, we use Auto-
Martín its evolution in Peru and Latin America?
Calidra is a lime (including calcium oxide,
out our 120 years of experience.

Can you elaborate on Calidra’s main mi-


the construction phase, as well as the
Talara refinery, detailed general man-
ager Jorge Reátegui. He remarked that
construction space to have worked
at Quellaveco and the Talara refin-
ery is Perú Piping Spools (PPS), which
CAD or Spoolgen.”
Solidifying the foundations of the mi-
ning projects worked on by contrac-
Barrios a dry powder commonly known as quick-
lime) manufacturer and solutions provider,
which was founded 120 years ago by a
ning clients and product portfolio, and
explain what type of processes your
social distancing has restricted work- specializes in fluid transmission lines, tors and construction firms requires an group of Mexican investors. Today, with an products apply to?
force capacity, but noted that Layher’s spool manufacturing, piping and en- array of construction materials, includ- annual production of 4.5 million tonnes, Calidra is currently among the top three
multi-directional Allround scaffolding gineering services. Eduardo Vera, ing calcium oxide, a dry powder com- Executive Director we are the number one lime manufacturers lime producers and sellers in Peru. Our
system has the advantage of being the PPS’ sales manager, affirmed that monly known as quicklime (lime). Cali- CALIDRA in Latin America. Our most important mar- portfolio includes mainly quicklime, and
lightest solution in the market, allow- both greenfield and brownfield mining dra, founded by Mexican investors 120 kets include Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, we supply our products primarily in bulk.
ing for better transportation and work- projects are important for PPS: “They years ago, is the biggest lime manufac- Argentina, Chile, and Peru, and we also We work mostly in medium and small mi-
force management. “We are also using require new pipelines for the transpor- turer in Latin America, with an annual plan to start activities soon in Ecuador. ning but are increasing our participation
lifting solutions to reduce the need for tation of fluids such as water, air, fuel, production of 4.5 million tonnes. We entered the Peruvian market in 2012, in large mining as well. In terms of large
personnel. The impact of Covid has pulp, and minerals.” Martín Barrios, Calidra’s executive di- where our initial activities involved the mining companies, our main strategic part-
favored the introduction of these lift- Pedro Ipince, the company’s general rector, discussed the company’s evo- construction of an oven for lime fusion. Ac- ners include Minsur, Chinalco, Hudbay,
ing systems, so clients have seen an manager, stated that PPS has managed lution in Peru: “We have broken two tual operations started in 2015, and since Buenaventura and Aruntani Group.
increase in productivity,” he added. to become the main manufacturer of important paradigms in the Peruvian then, we have consistently delivered our We have broken two important paradigms
Layher plans to move into new spools in Peru in only five years, due to market; first, large mining companies products and services to the Peruvian mar- in the Peruvian market; first, large mining
20,000-square meter offices in Lima in having the largest spool manufactur- are already considering having more ket, specifically to the mining, construc- companies are starting to request lime
2022, as well as opening a warehouse ing plant in Latin America and focus- than one supplier of lime as it is critical tion, steel, foundry, and water treatment directly from providers. Second, we have
which will triple capacity, revealed ing on technology. “PPS uses different to an operation.” As a second point, sectors. developed an advanced logistics system
Reátegui, in addition to consolidating types of software for the process of Barrios added that Calidra has devel- Calidra is known for providing a com- in the national market that has enabled us
the company’s presence in Iquitos and spool manufacture,” he said, explain- oped an advanced logistics system prehensive value offer, as apart from our to have a privileged position in the whole
introducing modern construction sys- ing that the technology is chosen ac- that has enabled the company to sup- product, we have an immediate response country, being able to overcome long dis-
tems in remote areas. “Our purpose cording to client needs how it can be ply efficiently over long distances. ■ capacity and offer remarkable technical tances. ■

82 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 83
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Pedro Ipince How has PPS evolved in the last year


and what is the importance of the mi-
needs and which we can incorporate in
our welding processes. For example, in
Underground particularly in Peru’s prevalent narrow-
vein underground mines, social distanc-
ing is a real challenge. On the bright
the benefits that a migration of person-
nel out of the work front can produce
by expanding productive hours in the
& Eduardo ning sector for the company?
PI: PPS was severely affected by the
order to create isometric plans in pdf,
we use AutoCAD or Spoolgen.
Contractors side, nothing spawns innovation like
necessity, and the pandemic has accel-
mining cycle and increasing safety with
the use of remote and/or automated

Vera pandemic; we had to interrupt our ac-


tivities from March to May 2020, and re-
starting them was extremely challeng-
EV: PPS has developed a database to
be able control large projects, which
allows us to have traceability of the ma-
erated the development and adoption
of technology in underground environ-
ments.
equipment.
Another of Peru’s main underground
contractors, INCIMMET, has been ex-
ing. The number of workers had to be terials we receive, the spools we manu- SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES Gianflavio Carozzi, CEO of Peruvian panding its business in Colombia in
reduced from 350 to 285 and our sales facture, the person who welded each HAVE ACCELERATED INNOVATION underground mining contractor AESA, recent years, as well as working domes-
levels suffered a 20% decrease in com- spool, etc. This way we can keep clients suggested that the willingness of mi- tically for clients including Nexa Resour-
parison with 2019. We managed to re- informed about the state of their proj- ning companies to implement new tech- ces, whose Cerro Lindo operation is Pe-
PI: General Manager main afloat thanks to the government’s ect in a semi-automatic way, providing nologies to achieve greater productiv- ru’s biggest underground mine. On the
EV: Sales Manager aid plans. Mining remains the most im- them with updated reports. ity is now much higher as a result of the subject of innovation, Eduardo Cossio
PERÚ PIPING SPOOLS portant sector for PPS and represents pandemic. “The obligated migration to Chirinos, INCIMMET’s CEO, stated that
around 70-80% of our activities. How- How does PPS differentiate itself The underground segment of the mi- remote work brought down important he believes the pandemic has acceler-
ever, our participation in the modern- from its competitors? ning industry has been growing glob- paradigms and opened up our minds ated the desire to change, but there is a
ization project of the Talara refinery has EV: PPS is only five years old but has ex- ally – a natural progression as the low to change. This, together with safety big difference between willingness and
diversified our focus. tensive experience and is an extremely hanging fruit of open-pit ore bodies concerns regarding a concentration of an actual action plan.
EV: Mining projects, both brownfield reliable spool manufacturer. Our expe- depletes and miners are forced deeper. people, encouraged mining operators “You first need a desire to invest in infra-
and greenfield, are extremely important rience has come mainly from our work However, 2020 represented a spanner to reduce the personnel footprint at the structure before you take on the imple-
for PPS, as they require new pipelines at the Talara refinery where we have in the works for underground mining, mine site,” he said. mentation of technology,” said Cossio,
for the transportation of fluids such as worked with different thicknesses, di- which suffered more than its open-pit Although the move to remote work for reflecting that mining contractors need
water, air, fuel, pulp and minerals. ameters, and materials. In addition, PPS counterpart as social distancing mea- some positions started as a necessity, to look for a balance, because they do
can export to countries such as Chile, sures meant operations took longer to Carozzi suggested that mine operators not own the mine or make investments
Can you give an overview of PPS’s which is a very competitive market. We ramp back up. In a confined space, and are now evaluating more aggressively into IT infrastructure for the entire mine.
product offering? have worked with clients such as Fluor
PI EV: PPS offers safe, high-quality fluid and Ausenco with very demanding
transmission lines, from the point of ori- technical specifications.
gin to the arrival point. More specifical- PI: PPS has also been involved in the
ly, we offer spool manufacturing, piping enlargement project at Cerro Verde,
and engineering services. PPS currently which has given us great expertise, and
has a strong focus on manufacturing we have been involved in most piping
products according to the technical projects across Peru to different ex-
specifications of our clients. tents. Workers at PPS also have great
experience in the metal-mechanical in-
Who are PPS’s most recent and rel- dustry. Personally, I have participated in
evant clients in the mining sector? 100% of the large projects involving the
EV PI: PPS has recently participated in a manufacture of spools in Peru since the
project at Quellaveco, which we carried first one in Antamina.
out with Fluor’s engineering from San-
tiago, and in the modernization project What are the company’s main goals
of the Talara refinery. The contract for and objectives for 2021-2022, and its
this project was awarded to Grupo Co- strategy for growth?
bra and to Graña y Montero. PPS was EV: For 2021-2022, we want to consoli-
Mining projects, both subcontracted by them for the manu- date ourselves in Chile, where there are
facture of spools. Another important five projects to be developed. We also
brownfield and greenfield, are project has been the modification of have plans to grow in Ecuador, which
extremely important for PPS, the tailings line in Antamina, and a proj- is likely to become more open with
as they require new pipelines ect with Aceros Arequipa, with IDOM’s the arrival of the new president, and
for the transportation of fluids engineering. in Colombia. PPS worked recently with
Ausenco in Las Bambas, Peru, and they
such as water, air, fuel, pulp What technologies does the company have been assigned a project in Mexi-
and minerals. apply for the manufacture of spools? co, so we would like to participate with
PI: PPS uses different types of software them on this. In the long term, our goal
for the process of spool manufacture is to expand progressively to the whole
and we always search for the latest Latin American region and to become
technology according to our clients’ eventually a world-class player. ■

84 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 85
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

Gianflavio With that in mind, he explained how


INCIMMET’s innovation strategy is fo-
cused on the short and medium term
Carozzi An important challenge will
be to ensure an appropriate
needs of its clients, without neglecting
the big trends in the long term. Justi-
transition from a conventional fying this strategy, INCIMMET believes
this is how tangible and realistic prog-
use of equipment and staffing ress can be made at a mining opera-
of operations, into a more tion.
CEO
specialized and remote and Paul Murphy, manager of the South
AESA American region for Mining Plus,
automated operation.
echoed the sentiment that Covid has
accelerated the adoption of techno-
logy at underground mine sites: “Situ-
ations where companies are forced to
embrace certain technologies, such
as during this pandemic, are often the
catalysts to show first-hand that there
To what extent has the implementation of technology at develop this project through a joint venture with Redpath Mi- are different, and often better ways of
underground mine sites been accelerated by the pandem- ning. In doing so, we are bringing to the table our capacity to doing business.”
ic? develop projects safely in Peru and to generate economic de- Elaborating, Murphy added: “For ex-
The willingness to implement new technologies to achieve velopment in the mining operators’ surrounding communities, ample, one of the benefits of automa-
greater productivity is now much higher. The obligated migra- with world class operational standards, new technologies and tion is to keep people out of harm’s way
tion to remote work brought down important paradigms and the capability to develop large scale projects. We believe this preventing physical injury, but more
opened up our minds to change. This, together with safety to be an attractive platform for potential clients and hope that recently a primary driver for automa-
concerns regarding concentration of people, encouraged mi- it will leads us to more opportunities for world class projects in tion has been to reduce the number of
ning operators to reduce personnel footprint at the mine site. the region in the years ahead. people in certain environments.”
The migration of some of these positions out of the mine site Mining Plus’s parent company, Austra-
started as a necessity, now mine operators are evaluating more What would you say are the main long term challenges for lian underground mining contractor
aggressively the benefits that a migration of personnel out of underground contractors in Peru, and what could be done Byrnecut, is targeting growth in the
the work front can produce by expanding productive hours in to mitigate or resolve them? Americas after establishing its repu-
the mining cycle and increasing safety with the use of remote In the long term, I see two important challenges. One is to tation as a leading contract miner for
and/or automated equipment. transition from a transactional relationship with customers into large-scale underground projects in
a strategic partnership that aligns both parties better to im- Australia and Africa, according to Greg
How does AESA prepare workers for the current busi- prove the management of risks and to work symbiotically in Jackson, managing director of Byrne-
ness environment to ensure productivity while maintaining the best interest of the mine. For example, planning tends to cut Offshore.
health and safety? be an area of opportunity to improve in underground mining, The company has a partnership with Pe-
We used new virtual training tools and increased the use of but when done correctly it can achieve much higher resource ruvian contractor, San Martín, in prepa-
diverse communications methods. We implemented more fre- utilization rates and productivity. ration for the transition to larger under-
quent, illustrative and emotional campaigns, and developed Another important challenge will be to ensure an appropriate ground operations that is taking place
new communication channels and platforms like SMS, online transition from a conventional use of equipment and staffing in South America. The poster child for
video platforms and virtual reality. A detailed daily leadership of operations, into a more specialized and remote and auto- such projects in Latam is Codelco’s
routine was also key to have a closer and more effective lead- mated operation. Upskilling and reskilling of the workforce will Chuquicamata, which started under-
ership presence with our workforce. be key, and we as contractors play a very important role in ground operations in 2019 to exploit
ensuring an effective implementation and proper transition. the remaining resources located below
What potential do you see for growth in Peru as more op- the current ore deposit until 2058.
erations transition underground? What do you think are main themes that will shape the The majority of Peru’s iconic mines in
Peru has a huge untapped potential for new projects, as well underground mining industry in 2021? recent years have been open-pit oper-
as operations that can extend mine life through exploration or Drawing a parallel to what our priorities for 2021 are, health ations, such as Antamina, Las Bambas,
by transitioning from open-pit to underground. To fulfill this and safety remain the number one focus. Secondly, to perform Cerro Verde and Toquepala. Under-
potential, we need a better alignment between citizens and on our contracts no matter what challenging external factors ground mining still represents a large
the political establishment in order to value and understand we may face. Thirdly, we intend to recover the company’s portion of production in Peru, but that
the importance of mining to the national economy while gen- growth path again. Last but not least, we need to search for generally comes from medium-sized
erating national pride about our mining know-how and perfor- productivity gains for us and for our clients’ benefit, which operations such as El Brocal, Cerro Lin-
mance. We also see potential in achieving synergies by servic- means reviewing and improving our processes, investing and do and Condestable.
ing both underground and surface mining needs. adopting new tools, bringing down paradigms as it happened Mining methods that drive down costs
One very important and anticipated project is Yanacocha Sul- during the pandemic, and developing the communities within and allow for bulk mining lower grade
fides, in which AESA is participating in the bidding process to the area of influence in which we operate. ■ material, such as large open stopes, sub

86 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports


INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

level caves and block caves, are Byrne-


Can you elaborate on INCIMMET’s experience in mine backfill? cut’s specialty, and Jackson elaborated CREATING INTEGRAL
We are trying to create valuable content demonstrating INCIMMET’s extensive experi-
ence in the mine backfill field, as a part of our integral solution value preposition. We
on the type of opportunities he sees in
the Americas: “Yanacocha in Peru, tran-
SOLUTIONS FOR MINING
have provided EPCM services for mine backfills since the very early stages of the com- sitioning from oxides at surface to sul- EXCAVATION
pany, providing not only the operation of the backfill, but also the engineering and fides underground, or Newcrest’s Red
construction of the plants. A good mine backfill system accelerates production, which Chris in Canada, which could be a large
is particularly advantageous considering today’s metal prices. Importantly, you cannot block cave, are examples of the type of
UNDERGROUND MINING
achieve optimal productivity at a mine if you do not have a proper mine backfill system, > Vertical excavation
deposits that lend themselves to bulk
and INCIMMET can help companies identify the best solutions for their challenges and > Shotcrete for vertical excavation
mining methods.”
tailor this to the specificities of their mine. > Mine development
The planned construction of the New-
> Ore exploitation
mont-operated US$2 billion Yanacocha
What are some of the standout projects INCIMMET has worked on in Colombia > Mine backfill (hydraulic / paste / cemented / cemented rock fill)
Sulfides project marks the start of un-
and Peru? > Cable Bolting
derground mining on a greater scale in
> Shotcrete for mine development
Eduardo INCIMMET’s most recent contract is with La Paz Emerald mine owned by Fura Gems in
Colombia. Thus far, it has been a very interesting experience with several challenges, as
gemstones are different to precious or base metals, and it requires a change of mindset
Peru. However, the news that the cons-
truction decision had been delayed, in
part because of political uncertainty, is
> Ancillary services
> Underground and surface civil works

Cossio about how to mine. This project has motivated us to broaden the scope of projects we
take on. We are also involved in vertical development operations for Continental Gold’s
Buriticá mine in Colombia, constructing shafts for ore and waste passes..
a blow to the industry.
This also raises the question of how
> Hauling and transport

Chirinos In Peru, INCIMMET is the only contractor working on the Orcopampa and Tambomayo
projects for Buenaventura, where we provide integral solutions such as mine develop-
the underground industry could grow
under a Castillo government? On one
hand, mining companies and banks
ment, mine backfill, rock support and ore production. Nexa Resources’ Cerro Lindo, the may be reluctant to invest in large-
biggest underground mine in Peru, is also one of the standout projects INCIMMET has capex projects, depending on whether
CEO been working on for several years. We are also doing long haul drilling for Nexa. Ad- anti-mining rhetoric results in meaning-
INCIMMET ditionally, we have been conducting an engineering project for Cori Puno, a gold mining ful changes. On the other hand, small
company in Peru that also has an operation in Colombia. and medium-sized underground op-
erations, which have been Peru’s bread
Do you think the implementation of new technologies at mine sites has been ac- and butter, generally involve less envi-
celerated because of the pandemic? ronmental impact than larger open-pit
You first need a desire to invest in infrastructure before you take on the implementation projects. While it is still too early to tell
of technology. As a mining contractor we need to look for the balance, because we do how the following months and years will
not own the mine or make investments into IT infrastructure for the entire mine. The play out, companies which focus on im-
pandemic accelerated the willingness to adopt, but that does not mean that you will provements through the use of techno-
reach industry 4.0 in 2021. INCIMMET’s innovation strategy is focused on the short and logy can at least guarantee to maximize
medium term of our client needs, without neglecting the big trends in the long term. We productivity from their current opera-
believe this is how tangible and realistic progress can be made at a mining operation. tions.
In the quest for greater productivity,
As a contractor, how do you maintain safety standards whilst working across differ- Wilder Ruiz Conejo, general manager
ent mining environments for different clients? of JRC Ingeniería y Construcción, spoke INCIMMET PERU - Headquarters
For many years INCIMMET has been reinforcing its safety systems and philosophy, while of the work JRC has done with Bue- Av. Manuel Olguín 211 Office 1401 - 1404
adapting to the specific needs of clients. However, since we began working with DuPont, naventura's innovation department: “In Santiago de Surco - Lima 15023
Long term relationships are we changed our mindset to start working with one standard. Even though we thought addition to remote control equipment, Telephone Number: +511 714 7300
not only key for profitability in that we were already one of the best contractors regarding safety, we found significant we have been working to incorporate
space for improvement, and with the efforts we have put in over the past three years we INCIMMET AREQUIPA
the point of view of the mining multipurpose equipment with which
Calle Ferrocarril Nº. 413 Tingo, Cercado de Arequipa
have been able to reduce injuries by 98%. Moreover, in May 2021, we won a prize in an we can carry out up to three activi-
contractor, but also for clients, international contest for best practices in safety by ISEM. ties almost simultaneously, ostensibly INCIMMET COLOMBIA
as it takes some time to fully reducing the exposure of our workers Av. El Poblado Nº. 5 A – 11, Oficina 805 – One Plaza Business Center
learn how each mine can be What would you say are the benefits of maintaining long term relationships be- and allowing us to cover key positions Medellín, Antioquia - Colombia
tween contractors and mining companies?
optimized. in any project where we currently have
Long term relationships are not only key for profitability in the point of view of the mining difficulties due to the pandemic.”
contractor, but also for clients, as it takes some time to fully learn how each mine can be
More information:
JRC has undergone a process of expan- comercial@incimmet.com
optimized and for the efforts that you put in to show results. Contractors are anonymous sion and internationalization since 2019, www.incimmet.com
in the quarterly production results of mining companies, but at least 50% to 60% of the when it entered the Mexican market
success in the production relies on the contractor. We are in a very complex business and with Fresnillo PLC, related Conejo, and
without long term relationships, we cannot be sustainable. Contractors such as INCIM- is now looking at opportunities in coun-
MET have a lot of knowledge and experience to provide to clients, and through collabo- tries such as Colombia, Ecuador and
ration we can all achieve success. ■ India to continue its growth. ■

88 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports


INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

When we last spoke at PDAC 2020,


Byrnecut was looking to diversify
from its strongholds in Australia and
technologies that have advanced dur-
ing the pandemic include looking at
fault find on equipment, and doing re-
Wilder Ruiz How has the company coped with the impact of the pandem-
ic?
Africa by making inroads into the
Americas. Can you comment on the
mote technical installations where the
expert cannot be brought in from out-
Conejo Like all Peruvian companies, we experienced many inconvenienc-
es to which, together with our clients, we had to give an immedi-
progress made? side. I think mining will always require ate response. However, we when a mining project stops, it is not
We are participating in an active tender a certain level of face to face interac- possible to resume actions normally, but rather, it is necessary to
in Peru for a large underground project tion, particularly for new projects and restart almost from scratch, and this exacerbates the situation. In
due to move into construction by the new clients, but if high-level expertise General Manager addition, we were affected by infections, which had an impact on
end of 2021. Byrnecut is still active with can be given remotely to solve techni- JRC INGENIERÍA Y CONSTRUCCIÓN our work teams. Between September and October of the same
San Martín, our partner in Peru, looking cal issues at mine sites it will make a big year, we operated at 90% of our capacity. Currently, although we
at other opportunities in South Amer- difference from a productivity and ef- are already working at 100%, the pandemic continues to be a
ica, particularly in Peru, Ecuador and ficiency standpoint. daily challenge that we must face in the best way to always take
Colombia, including a project for Nexa How has JRC Engineering and Construction (JRC) evolved in care of our people.
Resources. To what extent has the pandemic im- recent years and why did you decide to change the brand in

Greg In North America, we have shifted our


near-term focus from the US to Canada,
as a number of tender processes in the
pacted your business as an interna-
tional contractor with a large work-
force?
2021?
We have evolved a lot and have applied our own experiences
to the market. After working on several underground mining
What new technologies have you been working with recent-
ly?
We work closely with Buenaventura's innovation department, one

Jackson US were delayed due to Covid. Byrne-


cut is involved in the tender process for
It has meant a lot of work, especially
from an administration perspective.
projects since 2000, in 2010 we were presented with a great chal-
lenge when Sociedad Minera El Brocal, for whom we had been
carrying out underground excavation work since 2006, entrust-
of our main clients, jointly seeking to incorporate autonomous
teams, among other improvement actions. In addition to remote
Newcrest’s Red Chris mine in British We have really appreciated the sup- control equipment, with which we have already worked for several
Columbia, and we recently picked up a port of our workforce, having to work ed us with the responsibility of operating the Colquijirca mine years, we have been working to incorporate multipurpose equip-
job for Evolution Mining at its Red Lake longer rotations, and in some cases not comprehensively. This was the beginning of our current business ment with which we can carry out up to three activities almost
mine in Ontario. We are mobilizing a being able to leave the country they model. Today, we are in charge of four comprehensive opera- simultaneously, ostensibly reducing the exposure of our workers
small team to undertake a develop- were working in for up to four months. tions, among other projects. One of the main pillars in our com- and allowing us to cover key positions in any project where we
Managing Director ment improvement project at Red Lake, We have had to adjust their work ros- pany are people. Therefore, our approach is focused on human currently have difficulties due to the pandemic. ■
BYRNECUT OFFSHORE and if successful, this will be rolled out ters on site to give them more time off management, so that employees feel valued and part of a great
further into an underground explora- while at the camp. This situation has family that turns 21 years old this year (2021).
tion decline. We are also in conversa- also created more opportunities for In 2019, we entered the Mexican market, where we currently have
tion with Newmont regarding a similar Byrnecut’s local workforces, and our two projects. That same year, we were awarded, for the first time,
project at its Musselwhite mine. focus on expats training local capac- an open-pit project. This meant the expansion of our business ar-
ity over the years has paid off. During eas and the beginning of our international expansion. All this has
Why do you think the Australian in- the pandemic we have also utilized the strengthened our company and now we want to project JRC as
dustry currently has such a strong reach of the Byrnecut Group, in particu- a global and dynamic brand, taking into account our experience
reputation for underground mining lar Mining Plus, leveraging their people and value in the execution of comprehensive underground mines.
contractors? on the ground in regions such as North
Economic forces drove the industry and South America. Who are JRC's main clients and what standout underground
in Australia to move from the owner/ projects have you worked on?
miner model to the contract mining Considering current metals prices Among our main operations, we are currently working with
model earlier than the Americas, and it and the outlook for commodities, do Quenuales, from the Glencore Group, both in underground and
became the norm. This led to a greater you expect more bulk mining pro- surface mining activities. We are also present in El Brocal and
focus on innovation in Australia, that jects with large tonnage to get the Chacua with Buenaventura, in Trevali Mining’s Santander mine
Byrnecut is still active with San and in Ticlio, for Volcan. Together with our clients, we have been
perhaps the traditional, multi-genera- green light in the coming years?
Martín, our partner in Peru, tional mining community in the Ame- Absolutely, and that is why we are so facing the challenges generated by the pandemic.
looking at other opportunities ricas were more reluctant to embrace. excited about opportunities in the In most of our underground operations, we cover all services, in-
cluding the extraction and hauling of the material to the process-
in South America, particularly Americas in the coming years. This is
In 2020, Byrnecut became the first Byrnecut’s specialty – large-scale mi- ing plant. We will look out for opportunities that may arise for us
in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, in the short and medium term, as experts in the integral execu-
company to trial tele-remote opera- ning methods that drive down costs
including a project for Nexa tion of Sandvik’s development drills and allow for bulk mining lower grade tion of underground mines and massive mining methods.
Resources. at OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill mine. material, such as large open stopes,
Which technologies have advanced sub level caves and block caves. Pro- How has your experience been in the international market?
during the pandemic? jects such as Yanacocha in Peru, tran- We managed to enter Mexico in 2019 and despite the arrival of
Improving efficiency to make use of sitioning from oxides at surface to sul- the pandemic, this process did not stop. In a joint effort with the
the 24 hour day was a trend before the fides underground, or Newcrest’s Red mining company Fresnillo PLC, we did our best to take care of our
pandemic, to make up for the time lost Chris in Canada, which could be a large people. This first expansion allowed us to position ourselves in
during shift changes. Our work with block cave, are examples of the type of international markets and gave us the opportunity to look at new
Sandvik at OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill deposits that lend themselves to bulk opportunities in other markets such as Colombia, Ecuador, and
mine is an example of this. Some of the mining methods. ■ India, which are very attractive countries for the mining sector.

90 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 91
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Raise Boring
“We designed and have a patent on a
semi-automated raise boring machine
called the SMB 400 SR, and a bigger
technology offers considerable benefits
in terms of safety and speed, regardless
of the operation’s size. In robotics-led op-
Belisario
and Shotcrete model called the SBM 700 SR. The slot
raise (burn holes) that mines use for pro-
erations, risk is minimized and efficiency is
increased.”
Tijero The market still sees Master
Drilling as a drilling company,
duction are now being done by raise bor- Sattler explained that the speed of pro-
but these days we are really a
Specialists ing machines, which allows for less explo-
sives and therefore less waste,” detailed
Blattner, who noted that this brings down
cesses is key, especially for mines that rely
on small tunnels, because it can contribute
directly to profitability. “Laser technology
technology company.
MECHANIZATION IS INCREASING the cost, improves efficiency and set up also optimizes operations because it de- General Manager – Peru
SAFETY AND REDUCING WASTE time, and makes human contact as mini- termines the best processes for a given MASTER DRILLING
mal as possible. “This renders diamond volume and area and helps verify the cor-
drilling and all other forms slot arising infe- rect width of drilling,” he added.
The amount of small to medium-sized un- rior to the SBM-400SR system,” he added. For Master Drilling, the South African
derground mines in Peru has created a sub- In recent years, Robocon has become multinational, raise boring equipment
segment in the industry where companies a more vertically integrated business to and support services account for all of its What is Master Drilling’s current footprint worldwide, venturing into more unchartered territories. Therefore, raise
active in Peru have established a leading provide a full range of services related business in Peru, according to Belisario and how significant is the Peruvian market for the com- bore drilling machines must be able to drill deeper, faster
position in the development of machinery to shotcrete, including technology such Tijero, general manager. The company is pany? and more accurately. To ensure that rod handling is easy
and services for narrow-vein operations. as slick lines – a piping system that helps a pioneer of horizontal raise boring (HRB) Master Drilling has a presence in more than 19 countries, and quick with the minimum human intervention to reduce
Traditionally, raise boring’s purpose is for transport concrete within a mine. technology, developed to replace drill with 26 offices worldwide. The Peruvian market is extreme- risk, all our machines are automated (with pipe handlers &
ventilation of the exhaust of diesel-driven On the topic of innovation, Enrique Sat- and blast activities, which can danger- ly important to us. From our Peruvian offices we are also feeders) and a control panel provide readings to the opera-
equipment within mines. However, Tumi tler, Robocon’s CEO, spoke of how the ous. “HRB technology is used to create managing Ecuador, Colombia, and Guatemala, with Brazil, tor.
Raise Boring has developed the raise bor- introduction of laser technology has been horizontal excavation between two exist- Mexico and Chile having their own offices and general man-
ing process to put it into the production an important focus for Robocoon: “We ing tunnels in an underground mine. It is agers. We pride ourselves on tailoring solutions to meet In March 2021, Master Drilling announced a 40% invest-
field, initially because Nexa Resources specialize in the operation of small ma- mostly used for ventilation shafts from the the specific conditions and geographical challenges faced ment in data-driven mine management solution compa-
needed it for slot raising, according to chinery and laser technology is an excel- surface to underground, but also assists in by our clients. ny, AVA Solutions. What were the reasons behind this
general manager, Marc Blattner. lent complement to this. Wet shotcrete providing access for personnel or material transaction?
underground,” explained Tijero. Who are Master Drilling’s main clients in Peru in 2021? The market still sees Master Drilling as a drilling company,
He added that, compared to convention- Our client portfolio contains the main mining companies in but these days we are really a technology company. We are
al methods of excavation, HRB is safer, Peru. Our current active clients include Volcan, where we innovating and focused on delivering top quality services at
quicker, there are no explosives used, no have worked at their Chungar, Andaychagua and San Cris- the most competitive costs. The AVA acquisition is aligned
rock fractures associated with blasting al- tobal mines. We also provide services to Sierra Metals’ Yau- with the idea is to change the company’s profile from being
lowing more accurate excavation, the op- ricocha mine, Minera Bateas’ Caylloma mine in Arequipa, seen as a drilling company to now being seen as a techno-
eration is autonomous, and the solution is Trafigura’s Catalina Huanca mine, and the Casapalca mine logy provider. We are continuously looking for new techno-
more cost-effective. in center of Peru. We have been involved in different pro- logy solutions that make sense to our business and are for
Tijero pointed to the trend of mines mov- jects with Buenaventura and we are currently in operation at the benefit of our customers. AVA has excellent fleet man-
ing deeper underground that requires their Uchucchacua project. We are developing Hochschild agement solutions that are easy to install, cheap and fast.
raise bore drilling machines that can drill Mining’s Inmaculada mine.
deeper, faster and more accurately. “To At the moment, raise boring equipment and support servic- In terms of challenges and opportunities, how would
ensure that rod handling is easy and quick es account for all of our business in Peru, but the company you compare Peru to other mining jurisdictions?
with the minimum human intervention to is expanding from Peru with exploration drilling services. In terms of our specific market, there is increasing local
reduce risk, all our machines are auto- competition that drives us to take another look at our strat-
mated (with pipe handlers & feeders) and Master Drilling is a pioneer of horizontal raise boring egy. This is one of the reasons why Master Drilling wants to
a control panel provides readings to the (HRB) technology. Can you elaborate on how HRB dif- be perceived as a technology provider that offers innova-
operator,” he added. fers to traditional raise boring, and what type of opera- tive solutions to the market. We want to challenge the status
Montali S.A., the international raise mi- tions it suits? quo to provide
ning and shaft sinking contractor, works Master Drilling’s HRB solution was developed to replace our clients with specialized, adaptive, one-stop drilling solu-
with the likes of Buenaventura, Poderosa, drill and blast activities, which are aggressive and can be tions.
Sierra Metals and Hoschchild Mining in harmful. HRB technology is used to create horizontal ex-
Peru. Yrán Ludeña Santana, Montali’s cavation between two existing tunnels in an underground Why do you think Master Drilling’s method of working
general manager, detailed the compa- mine. It is mostly used for ventilation shafts from the surface adds value to mining clients?
ny’s wide range of underground services to underground, but also assists in providing access for per- We service our clients by conceptualizing, developing and
in Latin America, which include ground sonnel or material underground. Compared to conventional delivering the equipment they need, with a firm focus on
control, underground construction, infra- methods of excavation, HRB is safer, quicker, there are no ongoing support and continuous portfolio innovation. This
structure development and underground explosives used, no rock fractures associated with blasting, starts with the design and manufacturing of our products,
rehabilitation. “We are specialized in ex- you get more accurate excavation, the operation is autono- and extends to training, high operating quality and con-
cavating raise climber chimneys using Ali- mous, and the solution is more cost-effective. tinued maintenance. We provide operational support and
mak equipment,” said Santana. ■ The general trend is that mines are getting deeper and are complete project management for all our drill rigs. ■

92 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 93
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Enrique Yrán Ludeña are underexplored, one of them is Peru. This brings the certainty
that there will be a lot of work to do within the mining industry
for many years to come. Peru has reserves for the next 30 to 50

Sattler The impetus of the market has


been favorable and we have
Santana years, which represent a very attractive opportunities for both
national and international companies to provide their knowl-
edge and implement technologies that are not yet being used
been able to produce positive
in the region. The mining industry is evolving significantly fast
results despite challenges to which brings certainty of growth opportunities and work stability.
supply chains and temporary
CEO
closures. Can you elaborate on Montali’s commitment to social re-
ROBOCON General Manager sponsibility and the main initiatives you have regarding local
MONTALI PERU communities?
Being a Peruvian company with experience in many places in
Latin America, we want to bring the best to our communities
in the region. We have developed different models of educa-
What are Montali’s main mining services, including raise bor- tion for both the communities that we are involved in, as well
How was 2020 for Robocon? small tunnels, because it can contribute directly to profitability. ing and shaft sinking? as in our own workforce. We also hire our employees from the
2020 was a challenging year, as was the case for many busi- Laser technology also optimizes operations because it deter- Montali offers a wide range of underground services in Latin communities to involve them in our operations and empower
nesses in Peru, because we had to pause operations for three mines the best processes for a given volume and area; it also America which include ground control, raise boring, shaft sink- them to develop knowledge and become technical specialists.
months due to the enforced lockdown. We had to implement helps verify the correct width of drilling. ing, underground construction, infrastructure development, and This allows them to earn salaries which enable them to provide
new protocols such as working from home and stricter sanitary underground rehabilitation. We are also specialized in excavat- a quality life for their families and further educate the younger
measures; but fortunately today (February 2021), we have re- How is Robocon becoming a more vertically integrated ing raise climber chimneys using Alimak equipment. We are a generation. Education and developing know-how within the mi-
turned to pre-pandemic production rates. We noticed demand business to better serve clients? unique partner for the mining industry. We pride ourselves on ning industry is very important for the future of the industry. As
increases in Q4 2020 related to base and precious metals price We offer the provision of all the services related to shotcrete. being resilient, responsible, bringing excellent solutions and a mining contractor, Montali is moving in a direction where we
increases and our clients’ needs to ramp up production. In a For example, transporting the materials, implementation, services to our clients. can provide the most value for our clients, our suppliers, our
context of uncertainty, the companies with the strongest back- construction and maintenance. This allows us to have a bigger employees and especially our communities. ■
bones are able to surpass difficult times and come out stronger. impact. We also partner with other service providers to insure Considering the current context where in-person interaction
our partners have a seamless experience. Finally, Robocon of- is complicated, how are you staying close to clients?
What are some of the main projects Robocon has worked fers services of training for operators – we extend the stan- The pandemic has accelerated the use of technologies, such as
on in the last two years? dards of quality that characterize our workers to third parties. digital and electrical tools, which Montali is very familiar work-
The projects Robocon participates in tend to have long time- We want to become a point of reference for shotcrete in Latin ing with, even before the pandemic. We are always looking to
frames: we retain the majority of our partners and focus on America. bringing the most efficient solutions to every challenge we face
recurring business for key clients including Pan American Sil- An important area where we collaborate with clients is in the and this time was no different. The pandemic has provided the
ver and Buenaventura. The impetus of the market has been monitoring of tunnels, as well as in material consulting. Ro- opportunity for increasing the adoption of remote-working and
favorable and we have been able to produce positive results bocon offers pre-manufactured equipment and maintenance digital communication tools, what ended up increasing com-
despite challenges to supply chains and temporary closures. services. munication with our clients. Now, working remotely has actually
For example, maintenance of equipment has been particularly increased communication as there are now more virtual meet-
difficult due to issues sourcing parts. However, the mechani- Which jurisdictions outside of Peru do you see as having ings between us and the clients than there would have been
zation of shotcrete in small tunnels, merging from dry to wet high potential for growth? in person. Digitization technologies are increasing productivity
shotcrete, remains in high demand as a service working with Mexico, Colombia and Chile are three markets we are focused by fostering a closer relationship between service provider and
the mine or integrated with a contractor. on. Bolivia has interesting geological potential, however, due customer through virtual communication platforms.
At Pan American Silver’s Huarón and Moroccan mines we are to the political context it is now more challenging. For Robo-
utilizing robotics for tunnel construction. Projects such as these con, business development is determined by where our clients To what extent do you think political instability in Peru could
require large investments; for example, the manufacturing of choose to take us. For example, Pan American Silver wants us affect the country’s mining industry?
equipment and testing. For that reason, we have faced some to work in their Mexican operations, and long-term relation- Politics plays a major role in the mining industry, especially with
challenges related to health protocol procedures and closures. ships with international mining companies will lead to oppor- regards to attracting international investment. We still believe
However, we are striving to move ahead and 2021 has started tunities further afield. that Peru is a great country capable of thriving despite facing dif-
on a positive note. ficult times due to the uncertainty the political situation brings.
What are Robocon’s main objectives for the next 12 Peru is extremely rich in mineral resources, has an educated
Can you explain the benefits of some of the new innova- months? workforce, and has strong institutions doing good work regard-
tions in the shotcrete market, including laser technology? Service provision is a business of slim margins therefore clo- less of political turbulence, which is not new in the country. We
Introduction of laser technology has been an important focus sures can have a drastic impact on our balance sheet. Risk is need to continue working towards offering stability to attract
for Robocon. We specialize in the operation of small machinery very high and our aim is to minimize the possibility of business global investors to the mining industry, which will contribute to
and laser technology is an excellent complement to this. Wet interruptions by ensuring we accommodate very thoroughly the growth of the economy.
shotcrete technology offers considerable benefits in terms of to health protocols and continue to provide the best quality
safety and speed, regardless of the operation’s size. In robot- service to our clients. We want to execute the contracts negoti- What opportunities do you see in Peru’s mining industry in
ics-led operations, risk is minimized and efficiency is increased. ated last year; equipment maintenance and the manufacturing the coming years?
Speed of processes is key, especially for mines that rely on of new equipment will be two key areas. ■ There are strong countries with extremely rich resources which

94 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 95
EQUIPMENT &
TECHNOLOGY
“Autonomy brings numerous benefits, such as a faster
production cycle, as we can increase speed in a safer
environment and maximize the trucks’ utilization. Also, the
performance of the trucks is optimized”

- Gonzalo Díaz Pró,


General Manager,
Ferreyros S.A.

GBR • Industry Explorations • PERU MINING 2021

Image courtesy of Ferreyros S.A.


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

Image courtesy of Anglo American

OEMs Focus on 2021 is a landmark year for KMMP,


marking the company’s 25th anniver-
sary in Peru and Komatsu’s 100th anni-
Productivity versary, while its subsidiary, Cummins,
celebrates 10 years in Peru. Erick Ruiz,
director of the mining division at Cum-
mins Peru, explained how the QSK 78
engines the company supplies have
DEMAND HAS BEEN ABUNDANT IN 2021, BUT A LACK evolved in recent years: “The biggest
difference between the earlier QSK78
OF GREENFIELD PROJECTS RAISES CONCERN
version and the new MCRS technology
is the engine’s fuel injection, which gen-
erates more efficiency and provides ad-
ditional cost savings for our customers
The market for mining trucks is a good barometer of the Metals involved in the energy transition, most notably cop- (5%+ in terms of fuel consumption).”
health of the industry. A fundamental component in the ex- per, represent an enormous opportunity for OEMs in Peru. Frank Lazo, Cummins’ general manager
traction and movement of ore, OEMs have been making hay This is exemplified by Caterpillar’s Peruvian distributor, Fer- in Peru, elaborated on some of the new
while the sun is shining in 2021. reyros, which won multi-million dollar contracts to provide technology the company has been uti-
The perfect storm of pent-up demand combined with all- equipment for the two standout copper projects in Peru’s lizing: “Preventech, a remote monitor-
time-high copper prices saw Caterpillar’s (NYSE: CAT) share recent development pipeline; Mina Justa and Quellaveco. ing technology, allows our operations
price more than double from June 2020 to June 2021, as the As of June 2021, Ferreyros had sold 27 trucks to Anglo Ameri- team to continuously monitor Cummins
company surpassed a staggering US$130 billion market cap. can for Quellaveco, of which 16 units are already on site, re- engines and ensure levels of produc-
At the annual Alliance Bernstein Strategic Decisions Confer- vealed Gonzalo Díaz Pró, Ferreyros’ general manager. Eight tivity.” Lazo also gave the example of
ence on June 2nd, Caterpillar’s CEO, Jim Umpleby, men- of these trucks are currently operating autonomously, with Cummins digital communication kit,
tioned that he sees “a very long and healthy cycle” in mining, no driver, with four running manually, and the rest being as- currently under development locally in
driven by the energy transition. sembled and prepared for autonomy. However, the compa- Peru, which provides real time video,
nies expect that after a year of operation, all 27 trucks will run images and audio from the technicians
autonomously. perspective to the end user.
When the trucks are fully operational, there will be numerous While mines such as Quellaveco can be
benefits. Díaz Pró elaborated: “a faster production cycle, as seen as emblematic of the direction the
we can increase speed in a safer environment and maximize industry is headed, the reality for most
the trucks’ utilization. Also, the performance of the trucks is Peruvian mines is that diesel-powered
optimized.” He added that worldwide experiences with Cat equipment currently offers a more cost-
autonomy have shown results of 20% to 30% improvement in effective option, and still represents the
productivity, and considering the scale of the operation, Díaz majority of vehicles. However, the tran-
Pró stated that Quellaveco will be at the vanguard of large- sition to electric vehicles is being made
scale autonomous mining in the Americas. through hybrid equipment. Giorgio Mo-
Tomás Martínez, CEO of Komatsu-Mitsui Maquinarias Del soni, general manager of John Deere
Peru (KMMP), revealed that the company exceeded its sales and Wirtgen Group distributor, Ipesa,
target by 15% in Q1 2021, a trend that has continued in Q2. outlined the range of hybrid equipment
Acknowledging that there were concerns from clients about his company offers, including loaders
the election result, Martínez affirmed that the mood re- and excavators with technology that al-
mained optimistic: “Although unfortunately there is not much lows the recharging of batteries during
perspective for greenfield investment in the short-term, we braking or rotation motions.
hope to see sustained brownfield investment and exploration In 2020, Ipesa expanded its heavy mi-
investment considering the outlook for copper.” ning machinery fleet from one to three
On the subject of technology, Martínez remarked that machines in Peru, including two 90-ton
KMMP’s main focus has been to maximize the reliability and Hitachi 870 machines for the Shougang
productivity of its haulage fleets. He highlighted a range of iron-ore mine south of Lima, and a third
solutions including remote assistance and remote condition- machine to a gold project in Cajamarca.
ing monitoring, which permit the digital maintenance man- Mosoni also highlighted the company’s
agement of the fleet and increase uptime. “KOMTRAX is focus on innovation for non-traditional
Komatsu's remote monitoring system that lets you monitor equipment for the transportation of
all the essential information about your Komatsu equipment materials: “For example, Ipesa has a
directly on your computer. Immersive Technologies kits (sim- Japanese all-terrain machine called Mo-
ulators for operators training) and Komvision help increase rooka, a rubber track vehicle that allows
safety and productivity, allowing the operator to have 360 for greater flotation which works in tin-
degree vision and prevent collisions.” mines for Minsur.” ■

98 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports


INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Gonzalo Giorgio
Díaz Pró Ferreyros and Caterpillar are
proud of being the first in
Mosoni With over 17,000 square meters
for parts and equipment, our
logistics center has tripled
deploying autonomous trucks
IPESA’s spare-parts availability
in the country. Peru is in the
and has centralized our
General Manager awakening of a new era in Co-CEO
machine dispatch.
FERREYROS S.A. mining. IPESA

How was performance impacted by sion for the company, because our center has tripled IPESA’s spare-parts
the pandemic in 2020? focus within mining has traditionally availability and has centralized our ma-
Overall, 2020 ended up being a great been with support equipment; mostly chine dispatch. It has reduced delivery
To what extent have you seen de- all 27 trucks will run autonomously. cle used in Australia, and has also been year for IPESA, which, considering the material movement during the pre- time from the moment of purchase by
mand for mining equipment evolve Quellaveco will be at the vanguard of introduced to the electrical 794 trucks conditions, was surprising even to us. construction phase of the mine as well about 40%, and doubled our machine
in the last 12 months? large-scale autonomous mining in the seen at projects such as Quellaveco As we moved out of the lockdown in as general road maintenance. Addi- warehousing capacity. The reduced
The second half of 2020 was positive, Americas. Ferreyros and Caterpillar are and Quebrada Blanca. Today, almost July and August, the recovery was tionally, we have focused on innovation lead times and greater inventory ca-
with each month from July better than proud of being the first in deploying 400 trucks are operating with Cat much faster than expected, and we and non-traditional equipment for the pacity has greatly benefited our clients.
the previous one. 2021 has continued autonomous trucks in the country. Peru Command globally, which is a result ended up growing 15% in 2020 in com- transportation of materials. For ex-
this trend, with mining companies look- is in the awakening of a new era in mi- of customers committed to boosting parison to 2019. During the pandemic, ample, IPESA commercializes Morooka Why do you think the integration of
ing to produce as much as they can, ning. their productivity through automated the agricultural sector was one of the equipment, a Japanese rubber track agriculture and mining is important?
and the industry has become accus- Autonomy brings numerous benefits, operations. Cat trucks running in Peru, few sectors that was allowed to con- carrier that allows for greater flotation. The greatest challenge the mining in-
tomed to working safely and efficiently such as a faster production cycle, as including units with a 400-ton payload, tinue operating. Since our company is These machines are currently working dustry faces in Peru is its relationship
around Covid. Our shops today (June we can increase speed in a safer envi- can be converted to autonomous ve- not only a machine provider but also in the San Rafael tin mine with Minsur. with local communities. The country
2021) are almost full and some of them ronment and maximize the trucks’ uti- hicles. I’d also like to highlight that we a service provider for this sector, we Finally, Wirtgen surface miners contin- is traditionally suspicious of large for-
are running double shifts because cus- lization. Also, the performance of the are in the process of implementing au- were able to continue operations on a ue to revolutionize traditional mining as eign corporations and governments,
tomers are pushing for more, which is trucks is optimized. Worldwide expe- tonomy in underground mining in Peru, limited basis throughout the pandemic, they avoid the blasting step in the mi- so rather than leaving the integration
partly a result of the high copper price. riences with Cat autonomy had shown with a R1700 LHD unit, using Cat Com- providing services and parts to essen- ning process. process up to the authorities, the bur-
In 2020, Ferreyros made a large invest- results of 20% to 30% improvement in mand technology. tial sectors in Peru. den is on private companies to bridge
ment in its parts depot in Lima, rebuild- productivity. At the end of the first lockdown, gov- How is IPESA participating in the this divide. At IPESA, we have always
ing the facility to give us 40% more Ferreyros is a large employer and ernment and private investment had transition from diesel machines to worked closely with local communities,
capacity. This was completed early this Can you tell us about Cat Command collaborates in many mining pro- a quick turnaround, so we saw an im- hybrid and electric equipment? and provide them with training so they
year, and has enabled growth through hauling technology from Caterpil- jects. In your opinion, how important portant increase in machine spending There is a desire to move towards elec- understand the benefits of potential
faster cycles and more storage. Invest- lar’s MineStar platform, and explain is the economic ecosystem that mi- in the second half of the year. Business tric equipment, but Peru is slightly be- added business when it comes to mi-
ments such as this are long term and how this allows mining companies to ning creates in Peru? results accelerated going into Q4, and hind because of the greater cost that ning operations.
characteristic of the way Ferreyros has adopt autonomy? We support the mining industry as a 2021 has started on the same trajecto- this technology demands at the mo-
operated as the company approaches The backbone of Caterpillar’s autono- key driver for improving the welfare of ry. Despite the tragedy, the pandemic ment. In mining and construction, IPE- Moving forward, what is IPESA’s
its 100 year anniversary in 2022. mous solutions is the MineStar suite, Peruvians. By taking advantage of the has allowed us to solidify business re- SA has a variety of hybrid equipment; strategy for growth in the mining
which was introduced to Ferreyros’ richness beneath our feet and inside lationships with our most important specifically, John Deere front loaders industry?
How will the Cat 794 AC 320-tonne portfolio more than 10 years ago. our mountains in an environmentally- clients. and excavators. On the Wirtgen Group The mining sector is currently dominat-
trucks at Quellaveco benefit the op- Originally this was designed to obtain friendly way and by paying taxes, we side, our Kleemann equipment (crush- ed by a handful of equipment provid-
eration in the long term? data from equipment to analyze how can generate wealth which benefits Which of the mining equipment IPE- ers) come with electric generators and ers, and we do not believe that this is in
Ferreyros has sold 27 trucks to Anglo the machines are performing, and then many people directly and indirectly. SA distributes has been in high de- engines in conjunction with the tradi- the best interest of mining companies
American for Quellaveco, of which 16 evolved to include a fleet management For one person working at a mine, mand in recent months? tional diesel engine. or the local communities. Our goal is to
units are already on site. Eight of these system and high-precision technolo- there are eight who produce goods IPESA started expanding its mining ser- consolidate IPESA as a viable and more
trucks are currently operating autono- gies. Therefore, we now have a com- or services around them. Mining rep- vices in 2020. In terms of heavy machin- IPESA’s new logistics center in Lima productive alternative to these legacy
mously, with no driver, with other four prehensive technology portfolio, which resents 60% of Peru’s total exports. ery, we tripled our presence by adding was inaugurated in September, providers, by demonstrating the value-
running manually, and the rest being includes Cat Command. This allows us Mining companies also promote the two 85-ton Hitachi ZX-870 excavators. 2019. What extra capacity does this add of our machinery, our world class
assembled and prepared for autono- to control the machine, and important- best practices in terms of sustainabil- These are currently working in Shou- give the company, and how does this service, and continuing to work closely
my. At the moment, both autonomous ly it is OEM agnostic, valid for Cat units ity, safety and productivity, and we as gang’s Marcona iron-ore mine south of benefit clients? with local communities. ■
and manned trucks are operating at the and other brands. It started with the solutions partners accompany them in Lima, and in gold mines in Cajamarca. With over 17,000 square meters for
mine site, but we expect that next year, Cat 793 truck, a mechanical drive vehi- their goals. ■ This is an important footprint expan- parts and equipment, our logistics

100 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 101
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Tomás As operations reopened, how did the


performance of KMMP improve in Q4
2020 and Q1 2021?
large mining projects. KMMP has opened a
new ecofiendly branch in Arequipa, and im-
plemented an electronic laboratory, as well
cles via a remote controlled drone system.
The UAVs collect data which helps to man-
age the safety and precision of Komatsu’s
Ángel pers, from hundreds of kilometers away,
both from an office and from the opera-
tor's home, who exercises a supervisory

Martínez The reopening of mining activities ramped


up in the second half of 2020, without
as a machine shop in Callao facilities which
have allowed us to internalize service work
and other brands equipment, allowing the
operator to become more efficient. All of
Tobar activity.

reach pre-pandemic levels. Q4 represen- and therefore reduce costs and lead times. these technologies fall under the umbrella How is Epiroc helping customers in the
tated a strong rebound in the areas of cons- of ‘One Komatsu’, the companies phi- digitalization process, and how is this
CEO truction and machinery rentals, and KMMP Can you explain how the technology losophy to integrate operations instead of being adopted in Peru?
General Manager –
KOMATSU-MITSUI agreed a number of contracts with mining Komatsu offers improves uptime, safety working in silos. In this area, I can highlight the impor-
companies, meaning we finished a chal- and productivity? Andean Region tance of Mobilaris, our information man-
MAQUINARIAS DEL PERU
lenging year strongly. In Q1 2021 we fin- We offer a range of solutions including re- 2021 is a year of significant anniversaries EPIROC agement system, which allows us to iden-
ished 15% above our sales target, and this mote assistance and remote conditioning for KMMP and its associated companies, tify the position of people and machines
upward trajectory has continued into Q2. monitoring – Remote care and Miencare – as well as for Peru. On that note, do you within the underground mine. The sys-
Although there is concern from our clients which permit the digital maintenance man- have a final message for our readers? tem generates alerts, in case a problem
about the impact of the election, there are agement of the fleet and increase uptime. 2021 is the 25th anniversary of KMMP, the arises, and allows optimizing travel times
still positivity in the industry stemming from KOMTRAX is Komatsu's remote monitor- 100th anniversary of Komatsu, and the 10th inside the mine. System monitoring can
the high metals prices, particularly copper. ing system that lets you monitor all the anniversary of our subsidiary Cummins. be done from a surface control room and
essential information about your Komatsu Along these 25 years, KMMP has become troubleshooting is mostly done remote-
Where has KMMP focused its invest- equipment directly on your computer, and a strategic partner to its clients, recognized ly. This represents a huge step forward
ments in the last 12 months? Immersive Technologies kits (simulators for as a leading company that provides the for the sake of the safety of people and
KMMP’s main focus is to maximize the reli- operators training ) and Komvision help in- highest quality equipment, technology and equipment.
ability and productivity of haulage fleets. In crease safety and improving productivity, services. It is important to mention, regarding the
2020, we field tested trucks for two impor- allowing the operator to have 360 degree Peru has a tremendous opportunity to digitalization process in Peru that Epiroc
tant mining clients which resulted in a con- vision and prevent colisions. double its copper production by 2030. We mining equipment that is arriving in the
tract for the provision and service support Komatsu’ SMARTCONSTRUCTION is a must take advantage of this, and create a country equipped with Certiq techno-
of new equipment. In 2021, we are final- package of solutions which help and im- climate which fosters mining investment logy for capturing operation and mainte-
izing the details for two more field tests for prove the service and performance of vehi- and sustainable development. ■ nance data, is growing day by day. This
growth reflects, both in the number of
To what extent has the pandemic ac- machines equipped with the Certiq sys-
celerated autonomous technology at tem and, above all, in the quantity and
Can you provide an overview of Cum- ensure it functions at the highest levels of Inc. For example, Preventech, a remote mine sites, and which technologies precision of the decisions that our mining
Frank Lazo & mins’ role and evolution in Peru’s mining
industry over the last years?
efficiency and productivity, delivering the
uptime required to meet customer expec-
monitoring technology that allows our
operations team to continuously monitor
does Epiroc offer in this regard
The pandemic has been an accelerating
customers can make, based on the data
provided by the machine and transmit-

Erick Ruiz FL: Cummins Peru joined the KMMP fam-


ily in 2011, contributing its knowledge
tations. This is our main priority. Cummins engines in the mining industry
and ensure levels of productivity. Another
element in the transition of mining com-
panies towards increasingly autonomous
ted in real time to screens in the mine
control room. As a significant fact, during
and excellence to further enhance cus- Which products have been driving the example, currently under development operations. The prevention protocols 2020 we have established a basic Con-
tomer value and support. Our products company’s growth? locally, is our communication kit, which aimed at limiting the transmission of trol Room at our headquarters in Lima in
and services are present in many sectors, ER: The QSK 78 engine has evolved in re- would provide real time video, images and the virus have led to a reduction in the which, in coordination with our custom-
with mining being the most representative cent years, from the conventional QSK78 audio from the technicians perspective to capacity in offices and workplaces and, ers, we can monitor the activity of our
FL: General Manager business in Peru, followed by Automotive, to the QSK 78 MCRS. The biggest differ- several individuals locally or globally. Fur- therefore, new means and locations have machines and carry out analysis of the
Commercial Marine, Construction, Oil & ence between the earlier QSK78 version thermore, product innovations such as the been necessary so that workers, not only data provided by them.
ER: Director of the Mining Division
Gas and several other key markets. In the and the new MCRS technology, is the en- MCRS technology, which looks to enhance administrative but also operational, can Another element to consider is that we
CUMMINS last 2-3 years we have evolved significantly gine’s fuel injection, which generates more engine performance and create additional comply with their work, in a safe way and have projects in surface mining, in which
in the mining industry, along with the de- efficiency andprovides additional cost value to customers is also a key example of in a controlled environment. conventional machines have begun their
velopment of the country’s mining projects, savings for our customers (5%+ in terms technological solutions introduced. Both in surface mining and in under- migration process towards increasing
including but not limited to expansions of of fuel consumption). We are very excit- ground mining, the number of projects levels of automation, using our systems.
existing projects, as well as new projects ed about this engine and look forward to Moving forward, what is Cummins’ strat- that include different levels of automa- In these cases, we closely follow the tech-
which are currently awaiting approvals growing the MCRS population in Peru. egy for growth in the mining industry? tion of our equipment has grown, very nological transformation projects of our
to move forward. Cummins works mainly, FL: For the strategy in mining, QSK78 and significantly, during the pandemic, not customers and we have already been
although not exclusively, with open-pit mi- How important is innovation for Cum- QSK60 MCRS engines are being intro- only in those that require new drilling able to witness the first Pit Viper in Peru,
ning clients, and our goal is to contribute mins? duced in several operations and we hope machines, but also in retrofit projects for operated from our customer’s office, in
to further enhance their efficiency and pro- FL: Innovation is very important and a key their performance will lead us to new existing machines, incorporating remote remote operation mode.
FL ductivity through product reliability and driver to ensure competitiveness mov- opportunities in the future. In terms of and even autonomous operation func- Experiences like these generate the in-
excellent operational support. ing forward. Cummins Peru is constantly services, our efforts continue focused on tionalities into said machines. terest of new customers who can verify
ER: Cummins offers a wide range of prod- looking to innovate and further introduce ensuring the best support to customers As an example, the Level 6 of Automa- that this breakthrough technology works
ucts to the mining sector, including trucks, technology that complements our prod- with training and development initiatives, tion or Total Autonomy of our production well here in the countries of our Andean
ER shovels, and engines. For us, the engine is ucts and services, mostly technological technology enhancements and innova- drilling equipment in surface mines, al- region, with technology and available
the heart of the truck, therefore we must developments coming from Cummins tion.■ lows us to operate our well-known Pit Vi- networks. ■

102 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 103
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Underground companies become more productive,


he said: “Our latest implementation
involves 3D technologies where our
the joint venture DSI Underground Ven-
tilation Systems, and Leigh spoke en-
thusiastically about the progress made
Carlos
Mining equipment is able to map a 3D view of
what it has in front of it. Through this,
and client reception of the new prod-
uct line. When asked how demand for
Leigh
Equipment Our latest implementation
the manipulation and handling of the
equipment becomes more automated
and precise and therefore there is less
ventilations could be impacted by all-
electric mines, he responded: “Ventila-
tion is not just about the way in which
involves 3D technologies possibility of error.” we inflow air to compensate for the use Regional CEO – Latin America
Echevarría went on the underline the of diesel in a mine… The main purpose DSI UNDERGROUND
where our equipment is importance of designing equipment is to maintain ventilation and speed up
THE IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATION able to map a 3D view with the operator in mind: “We are cog- the cycles after the burst, and this will
TO INCREASE SAFETY AND of what it has in front nizant of the fact that we do not want to not change with the incorporation of
of it. Through this, the overwhelm the operator with electronic electrical machinery. There might be a In December 2020, Triton announced it This, combined with the best design and
EFFICIENCY
gadgets and practicality is thus key.” reduction of fan diameter and pressure, would sell DSI Underground to Sandvik. the best people, results in a very good
manipulation and handling One of the Peruvian pioneers of under- but ventilation will always be neces- When will this deal close, and what will quality finished product.
of the equipment becomes ground mining innovation is Resemin, sary.” this mean for DSI’s operations in Latin
more automated and which has gained international recog- On the topic of the relationship be- America? How do you see demand for ventilation
precise and therefore there nition for its specialist equipment suit- tween ventilation and electrification, We expect the deal to close early in the systems being impacted by all-electric
Incorporating innovation in an under- ed to narrow-vein operations. James Soren Canepa, general manager of second half of the year 2021, which is mines?
ground mining setting is more of a chal- is less possibility of error. Valenzuela, Resemin’s CEO, says his Peruvian ventilation specialist Airtec, closer than what was anticipated when the Ventilation is not just about the way in
lenge than in the spacious environment company differs to the big OEMs as it explained that the focus in electric acquisition was announced. DSI will then which we inflow air to compensate for the
of an open-pit operation. Nevertheless, does not focus on full automation, but mines will shift from monitoring die- be part of Sandvik Mining and Rock Tech- use of diesel in a mine, but also the capac-
the need to introduce technology in rather ease-of-use for the operator. He sel emissions to monitoring strata gas nology. The integration plan is already in ity to speed up cycles after the burst. The
underground operations has arguably elaborated: “Full automation can make emissions, dust and heat. “Mines are place, but it will take some time to prop- main purpose is to maintain ventilation and
been more critical during the pandem- - Alonso Echevarría, machines less “confident” or reliable, getting deeper and are having to deal erly incorporate the business and we will speed up the cycles after the burst, and
ic, as strict social distancing rules have Executive Director – Latam, because it requires a lot of sensors, and with higher strata temperatures and probably not see any important changes this will not change with the incorporation
limited the amount of workers allowed JH Fletcher and Co. narrow vein underground mining is the relative humidity. Worker heat stress is in our structure and the way in which we of electrical machinery. There might be a
in a mine. worst environment for this due to the becoming a constraint to production do business in short term. We will maintain reduction of fan diameter and pressure,
Ángel Tobar, Epiroc’s general manager corrosion, humidity and dust.” and large, expensive chilling plants are our operational and commercial activities but ventilation will always be necessary.
of the Andean Region, observed an Discussing the company’s latest innova- required to bring the working zones which has made DSI a leader in the Latin
increasing interest from clients in new tions, Valenzuela gave the example of into compliance.” American market. Sandvik is a strong glob- In March 2021, DSI Underground ac-
technologies, especially automation, the Dual Jumbo Resemin launched in Reflecting on the reality today and out- al entity which we are proud to be a part quired the training and VR company
digitization and interoperability. “In 2020 after a trial in Kazakhstan, which look for the foreseeable future, Canepa of and allows for new synergies, opportu- Edvirt. Can you elaborate on this trans-
previous years automation and digiti- performs both face drilling and roof pointed out that as electric-powered nities, and expectations for both our busi- action?
zation, both for equipment and pro- bolting. He also revealed that in 2021, machines enter into the underground ness and our people. We will still be able Edvirt is a global leader in technologies
cesses, had been advancing at a steady Resemin has requested a patent and mining space, fleets will be made up to make our own decisions, but now have and softwares related to training, which
pace, but as a result of the pandemic will launch a brand new system to per- of both diesel and electric equipment. the weight of a big OEM behind us to de- benefits our work in developing intelli-
both have become an urgent need in form scaling with a jumbo. “Normally “Within this mix of equipment, distri- velop products, services, and technologies gence. Through virtual training platforms,
order to keep people protected.” with Orica-Exsa at Nexa’s El Porvenir this is a hazardous practice because bution of the air will be dependent on more thoroughly, favoring our customers. we can create cost and time saving oppor-
Tobar noted that the uptick in demand and Cerro Lindo operations, according falling rocks destroy the machine, but where those vehicles are located under- tunities for customers, plus safety. Edvirt is
had not only come from those that re- to Franklin Pease, general manager of Resemin’s new T-Pointer system will re- ground. A strong, advanced, smart ven- What progress has been made regard- creating the softwares and hardwares to
quire new drilling machines, but also in Normet Peru. “Mechanization is a con- duce this risk.” tilation system will be required.” ing the DSI Underground Ventilation proceed on a new path of virtual training.
retrofit projects for existing machines, stant process and it is a road of no re- In December 2020, Sandvik announced Maintaining air quality is another im- Systems JV, and what are the benefits
incorporating remote and even autono- turn. Once you have mechanized a pro- it would acquire DSI Underground, with portant consideration for mining opera- on this product line? Have you seen the digital side of DSI’s
mous operation functionalities into the cess, you will not go back to the manual the deal set to close in the second half tions. To this end, Atlas Copco has seen Tremendous progress has been made and business gain traction?
equipment. “As an example, Level 6 alternative,” explained Pease, noting of 2021, when DSI will become part of high demand for oil-free compressors, the reception of this product line has been DSI considers itself an innovation com-
Automation or Total Autonomy of our that mechanized equipment requires Sandvik’s Mining and Rock Techno- according to Vicente Trenado, general incredible, even more than we expected pany focused on digitalization, which is an
production drilling equipment in sur- less people, is safer, more efficient, and logy division. Carlos Leigh, DSI Un- manager, of Atlas Copco Peru. “Oil-free when we started with the project. We feel important part of our progress and vision
face mines allows us to operate our lowers costs. derground’s regional CEO for Latin air compressors are a unique techno- that we have the responsibility to offer our for the future. We are starting to see the
well-known Pit Vipers from hundreds of JH Fletcher & Co, a US-based equip- America, clarified that the company will logy that maintains air quality,” said customers the best quality products and digitization trend taking form in our Latin
kilometers away, both from an office or ment manufacturer, is currently in- maintain the independence of its oper- Trenado, observing that this demand services at the best possible prices, and we American operations, most notably with
from the operator's home.” volved in three underground projects ational and commercial activities which is linked to the increased demand for have achieved it through DSI Underground the WMS (Warehouse Management Sys-
Finnish OEM Normet has been focused in Peru, according to Alonso Echevarria, have made it a leader in the Latin Amer- oxygen plants. He added: “Atlas Copco Ventilation Systems. We are the only com- tem) that will be installed in our Chilean
on mechanizing underground equip- the company’s executive director for ican market, but now with the weight of has also collaborated with the solidarity pany in the region, which is producing plant soon. The WMS allows us to struc-
ment for many years. Recent projects Latam. Elaborating on how JH Fletch- one of the major OEMs behind it. initiative Respira Peru which is building fabrics (main raw material), specifically for ture inventory in a much better way, offer-
include the mechanization of the charg- er’s third iteration of its data analytics Before the Sandvik transaction, DSI Un- oxygen plants throughout the coun- the mining industry, which has given us a ing full traceability from mill to mine for our
ing process for emulsion explosives and digitalization solutions help mining derground and ABC Canada launched try.” ■ higher quality of raw material to work with. customers. ■

104 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 105
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Franklin
What are some of the standout pro-
jects you have worked on in the last
two years, and which of your servic-
this new standard, so the challenge is
to incorporate all the processes, little
by little, to the mechanized workflow.
Construction Another of the Swedish OEMs involved
in the space, Volvo, has implemented in-
house service agreements with mining
José Antonio Heredia, manager of Divemo-
tor’s trucks division, spoke of the company’s
decision to standardize its vehicles with

Pease es and equipment have been in high


demand?
The charging of the explosives is one
of the processes that is still pending, so
and Ancillary companies in Peru that cover qualified la-
bor, spare parts stock, driver training, fleet
superior technologies to those required by
Peruvian legislation. “While Peru requires
Our focus has always been on shotcrete
spraying in underground mining opera-
tions, and we have strengthened our
we see an important window of oppor-
tunity there. Equipment management, connectivity and lube trucks,
detailed Tobias Sigerstad, managing direc-
tor of Volvo Group Peru. “This portfolio has
compliance with the Euro 4 set of rules
in terms of fuel emissions, we decided to
incorporate the Euro 5 regulation in our
position thanks to the trust of custom- an entire logistics support platform through whole portfolio, including in our Mercedes
ers like JRC, AESA and Robocon. What are Normet’s principal objec- A COMBINATION OF PRODUCTIVITY our dealers’ network that is strategically Benz and Freightliner vehicles, meaning su-
General Manager
We continue working on new solu- tives in Peru for the next two years? located near the mining projects, which perior fuel efficiency.”
NORMET PERU tions such as the mechanization of the We will continue with the mechaniza-
AND FUEL EFFICIENCY IS DRIVING allows us to have a timely response from Heredia added that Divemotor has also
charging process of the ANFO. In this tion of processes such as emulsion THE MARKET our in-house warehouses installed in the invested in technology to reduce repair
respect, we have projects ongoing for charging, scaling or even the shotcrete mines,” he said, adding that Volvo also has and maintenance time, and has achieved
Orica-Exsa at Nexa’s operations in El application, and then a step further will Four months of operational paralysis made a platform for the automatic replacement of 1,000 hours between intervals of oil and
Porvenir and Cerro Lindo. Additionally, be the logistics processes, including 2020 a year to forget for Peru’s mining in- spare parts. filter changes, allowing for greater vehicle
we have carried out trial tests in other the supply and movement of goods dustry, as well as for the construction and Sigerstad explained that Volvo’s wide range utilization. To illustrate the fuel efficiency of
units with bulk emulsion loading. and people within the operation. An- ancillary vehicles companies that support of construction and ancillary equipment has its vehicles, Heredia gave the example of
other area of focus will be the strength- mining companies. However, as operations been customized to Peruvian conditions, in- the fleet of 20 trucks with Euro 5 techno-
To what extent has mechanization ening of our after-sales support. Finally, ramped up in Q4 2020 looking to make up cluding high altitudes, varied temperatures, logy that Divemotor provided to logistics
increased in underground mining in another pillar over the next years will be for lost time and a surge in metals price in and corrosive terrain. He also mentioned operator Ransa. “After two years of op-
Peru, and which processes are still the collaboration with and training of 2021, the context has changed dramati- that in 2021 the company has advanced its eration, the results have been impressive;
yet to be mechanized? our clients on the new technologies, so cally. development of autonomous vehicles for while we guarantee 5% of fuel savings with
Mechanization is a constant process electronics become an ally and not an “Today (March 2021), we are invoicing the long-haul transport segment, and has respect to the average that they had in their
and it is a road of no return. Anything issue for them. ■ twice as much within our mining operations started to develop fuel hydrogen cells on fleet from other brands, they are achieving
that is not mechanized is left outside as we were this time in 2020,” revealed Os- the path to zero emissions. around 10%.”■
car Jaern, CEO of Scania Peru, attributing
the turnaround in fortune in part due to the
resumption of mining activity, but also to
fleets becoming older and therefore requir-
ing more service.
Have you noticed optimism return to In 2020, Scania delivered 77 vehicles to the
James the market since Q4 2020?
Certainly. Now we are working almost
machines less “confident” or reliable,
because it requires a lot of sensors and
they fail because underground mining
subcontractor Dinet, which operates three
underground mines – Nexa’s Cerro Lindo,

Valenzuela at full capacity and have had many or-


ders for equipment. Demand has been
particularly strong from Peru, Mexico,
is the worst environment for them due
to the corrosion, heat, humidity, dust,
etc.
and Pan American Silver’s Huaron and Mo-
rococha.
Discussing how Scania’s solutions con-
Russia, Colombia, Brazil, Zambia and In 2020, Resemin launched the Dual tribute to more efficient, sustainable op-
India. Jumbo, which performs both face drill- erations, Jaern provided details of the
ing and roof bolting. This is the most soon-to-be-launched 10 x 4 Heavy Tipper,
CEO Can you explain the benefits of your disruptive jumbo launched in the last Scania’s largest vehicle with a gross vehi-
RESEMIN S.A. machines in a narrow vein under- 40 years. cle weight of 71 tonnes, a payload of 48
ground mine? In 2021, we have requested a patent for tonnes, five axels and a V8 engine. “The V8
Before the MUKI, Resemin’s most suc- a brand new system to perform scaling engine allows the vehicle to have as quick
cessful range, there wasn’t a machine with a jumbo. Normally this is a hazard- of a cycle time as smaller vehicles. The high
fitted to work properly in Narrow Vein. ous practice because falling rocks de- payload and quick cycle time increases op-
This was a groundbreaking innovation stroy the machine, but Resemin’s new erating capacity and reduces the number
for narrow vein mining, and remains T-Pointer system will reduce this risk. of vehicles required by the customer, thus
very popular today. What milestones would you like Re- cutting on costs.”
What do you think has been stimulat- semin to achieve by 2022? On the aftermarket side, Jaern highlighted
ing the interest in Resemin’s equip- We would like to Resemin’s long-hole the company’s full service contract offering
ment? drilling rigs and face drilling rigs to where Scania assumes the risk of anything
Resemin offers what I would call dis- match the success of our roof bolter. breaking and gives its customers a 90-97%
ruptive machines, that are unique in the My main wish, however, is outside of uptime guarantee. “We are taking the risk
market. The simple design and ease of Resemin; I would like Peru to establish out of the contractor’s operation and put-
use is attractive for underground op- good institutions and a strong econo- ting the risk onto us since we believe we
erations. The big OEMs talk about au- my to lead us through this challenging are the best at maintaining Scania fleets,”
tomation, but full automation can make period. ■ he added.

106 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 107
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Oscar Tobias Can you give examples of some of Volvo’s latest technological advance-
ments and how they add value?
Our leadership in transportation technology is driven by three main pillars: au-
Jaern In 2021, we are focusing Sigerstad tomation, connectivity, and electrification. Nowadays, we have a commercial au-
tonomous transport solution in Brönnöy, Norway, with 6 FH trucks that transport
on expanding into the limestone from the mine to the crusher.
underground, mineral Low noise levels and zero emissions are part of our priority. Volvo has been de-
outbounds and passenger veloping new clean transport solutions for many years now, not only with cleaner
diesel solutions but also with other ones like biodiesel, CNG, hybrid and fully
CEO transport segments of the
Managing Director electric solutions. Our ambition is to have at least 35% fully electric vehicles sales
SCANIA PERÚ mining industry. by 2030, to sell 100% fossil free Volvo Group vehicles from 2040 and to be CO2
VOLVO PERU
neutral by 2050.  
With more than 1 million connected customer assets, we have the largest num-
ber of connected commercial vehicles and machines in the industry. Connectivity
is essential to our goals in order to increase efficiency and minimize environmen-
tal impact, as well as making our roads safer.
Volvo Trucks presented its first electric in 2018, a connected and autonomous so-
lution named Vera, designed for repetitive assignments in logistic centers, facto-
ries, and ports. This year, we also started to develop fuel hydrogen cells to have
zero emission but also autonomy in the long-haul transport segment.
How has demand picked up for Sca- very popular and we can customize this We will soon be launching Scania’s 10
nia in the last 12 months, and what robust product to mining customer’s x 4 Heavy Tipper, which has five axels What are the company’s key targets and objectives to achieve by 2022?
are some of the standout projects specific needs. and a V8 engine. This is Scania’s larg- Volvo has strong brand awareness and customer satisfaction among customers
the company has worked on? In terms of service, we firstly try to fully est vehicle with a gross vehicle weight and operators within trucks. This is something that motivates us incredibly and
In June 2020, when things started understand what the customer wants of 71 tonnes and it offers a high payload makes us strive towards designing and producing a better product for our cus-
gaining coherence and mines started and needs. We offer a full service con- of 48 tonnes. The V8 engine allows the tomers and also continue the development of our competent dealer network. ■
opening again, Scania came back with tract where we assume the risk of any- vehicle to have as quick of a cycle time
full speed. This was partly due to all thing breaking and give our customers as smaller vehicles. The high payload
the activity in the mining operations a 90-97% uptime guarantee. We are and quick cycle time increases operat-
space, the fact that we had managed taking the risk out of the contractor’s ing capacity and reduces the number of
to deliver more vehicles into our mining operation and putting the risk onto vehicles required by the customer, thus
operations, as well as a part of the fleet
becoming older which required more
service. This has generated a situation
us since we believe we are the best at
maintaining Scania fleets.
cutting on costs.
Scania has already put an electrical
heavy vehicle on the market for distri-
José Which solutions have been in high demand from Divemotor´s mining divi-
sion recently?
where we are today (March 2021) in-
voicing twice as much within our mining
operations as we were this time in 2020.
Can you explain how Scania’s service
solution incorporates finance?
In terms of financing, the operating
bution purposes, but it is not yet com-
pletely ready for the mining industry. Antonio All sectors, and especially the mining sector, are constantly looking to improve
their activities through better management, efficiency and cost control. This
is precisely Divemotor´s business model; we seek to maximize the utilization
One of Scania’s main milestones is the
delivery of 77 vehicles to the subcon-
tractor Dinet, which is operating three
lease set up has been really popular.
We offer a residual value in a future
point of time, which takes the risk off
What are the company’s principal ob-
jectives for 2021?
Growth continues to be key for Sca-
Heredia of vehicle equipment, and achieve the highest possible reliability, efficiency,
and the lowest possible operating costs through technology and innovation,
while providing excellent after-sale support. All these solutions have been in
mines – Cerro Lindo, Huaron and Mo- the customer in terms of reselling the nia. We managed to reach 9.3% mar- Manager – Trucks Division high demand especially after quarantine, as businesses are looking to recover
rococha. All of these are underground vehicle as there is already a fixed cost ket share in 2020, and have a goal to DIVEMOTOR their pre-pandemic operating levels. Divemotor’s vehicles also guarantee 5% of
mining operations, which is a new area with a competitive interest rate. The increase this to 12% for 2021. Looking fuel savings through the application of new technologies, and this has also been
Scania is entering with our Heavy Tip- asset is also on the balance sheet of at what we have been delivering in the extremely attractive to clients in the mining industry.
per. Our existing flagship projects in- Scania finance and therefore not on the first quarter of 2021, we are already
clude the Shahuindo mine and the El sheet of the customer, which is benefi- above that target. In the mining seg- What are Divemotor´s main objectives in Peru’s mining industry for the
Brocal mine, where we have seen sig- cial for contractors as they have a fixed ment specifically, we managed to grow next two years?
nificant growth. cost instead of a depreciating invest- our market share in 2020 to become Divemotor´s growth is oriented towards the mining sector. This industry is be-
ment. one of the top three players of our sub- coming gradually more aware of the importance of how their concentrate is
What are the benefits of Scania’s ve- segment in the industry. In 2021, we are transported to the ports where it is shipped, and how the supplies that mines
hicles to mining clients? Can you elaborate on the latest Sca- focusing on expanding into the under- need to operate, such as lubricants and explosives, are transported into the
Scania’s main differential is the com- nia solutions that contribute to more ground, mineral outbounds and pas- sites. This is why we are currently experiencing strong growth in our vehicles for
plete solution we offer to the customer sustainable operations? senger transport segments of the mi- road transport, which incorporate very innovative solutions in terms of design
in terms of product, service and finance. For 2021, we have clear targets to re- ning industry. We also want to continue and equipment. For instance, Divemotor has developed a specialized vehicle
Looking at the product, Scania’s Heavy duce emissions focusing on gas solu- delivering on the development commit- for rural areas to operate in places such as the southern mining corridor, where
Tipper solution, which offers the high- tions. Scania has a large portfolio of ments of the UN global pact, of which there is an intensive use of vehicles to transport concentrate to the ports. In ad-
est payload and highest uptime com- gas-driven engines that can be placed Scania is the only heavy vehicle manu- dition, we intend to grow in terms of support vehicles that operate inside the
pared to other vehicles in the market, is in our vehicles. facturer in Peru that is a member. ■ mine. ■

108 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 109
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Equipment Raúl How have bottlenecks such as the rising costs of logistics impacted de-
mand for FUCSA’s products?
Due to the rise in the cost of logistics, some foreign products became more
Components Ferrero expensive, which might lead to the market looking more towards local pro-
duction. At the start of the pandemic, shipping and exporting was still easy if
you could get to the port. Today, it has become more difficult as the price of
containers has escalated five-fold and it is tough to find one. With regards to
FUCSA’s exports, we are still consistently delivering on time as we put in the
extra planning.
IMPROVING AND UPGRADING General Manager The pandemic lead to the closing of some mines, which affected the demand
for our products. However, mining companies were busy with maintenance
MINING MACHINERY FUCSA
operations while they could not produce, which resulted in FUCSA having a
FUNDICIÓN CHILCA S.A. backlog of orders when we restarted operations.

Can you provide an overview of the products FUCSA offers to the mining
In the last five years, new mining op- industry?
erations (including Las Bambas in 2016), FUCSA has four furnaces, six smelting kettles, three molding lines, boring ma-
expansions (Toquepala in 2018), and Image courtesy of Bosch Rexroth chines and vertical lathes, as well a fully equipped laboratory, which means
developments such as Mina Justa and that we can make various products at the same time. The products we en-
Quellaveco, have resulted in an expand- OEMs such as Resemin, for which it sup- purchasing power globally in 2021, ac- gineer for the mining industry include components for earth moving equip-
ing fleet of mining vehicles in Peru. This plies components for mobile transport cording to Luis Flores, general manager ment such as crawler shoes and idler rollers; mill liners and crusher cones and
has offered a wealth of opportunities machines and loaders. of Austin Peru. He commented that the mantles; pump parts and an array of other castings. Although our business is
for companies specialized in equipment “In comparison to open-pit mining, un- company’s Peruvian sales in 2020 and mainly directed to OEMs and large mining companies, we can adapt to the
components. derground mining needs more hydraulic 2021 have been concentrated principally needs of any client. By means of this software, we shape quality and increase
While the pandemic stunted this growth, equipment per tonne produced. This is in the southern region, working with cli- efficiency, which defines filling parameters, solidification, residual stress and
pent-up demand and high copper prices especially relevant for mobile equip- ents such as Las Bambas, Southern Cop- the metallographic structure. ■
have contributed to a strong rebound in ment, such as drilling equipment,” ex- per and Marcobre.
2021. “Mining companies were busy with plained Kai Rothgiesser, Bosch Rexroth Explaining the ROI customers can expect
maintenance operations while they could Peru’s general manager, who added that using Austin’s equipment components,
not produce, which resulted in FUCSA the service needs are also higher in un- head of business development for Peru,
having a backlog of orders when we re- derground mining because of rough con- Santiago Guillermo, noted that clients
started operations,” related Raúl Ferrero,
general manager, of Fundición Chilca
(FUCSA), a Peruvian foundry which pro-
ditions.
Nasdaq-listed Astec Industries is best
known as a leading manufacturer of
have obtained 12% to 15% more pro-
duction profit through the use of Austin’s
customized truck bodies. Elaborating on
Kai Rexroth’s service center in Arequipa opened in November 2020. What were the
reasons behind building the center?
We already had some sales representatives in the region, but the new location will push
vides items for both processing plants
and mobile equipment.
FUCSA’s portfolio of products includes
equipment for asphalt road building
and aggregate processing, however, the
company also supplies a wide range of
how the equipment adds value, he said:
“We optimize the weight of the truck
bodies in accordance with the require-
Rothgiesser the service and repair activities in an important region for Peruvian mining. Previously,
clients would send parts for repair to Lima, but the facility in Arequipa makes things more
convenient and will allow for greater uptime.
components for earth moving equipment mining products, including underground ments of the mine. The key is to develop
such as crawler shoes and idler rollers, equipment, high-frequency screens, the specific engineering and build truck Can you tell us about some of the new technologies Rexroth is working on in the
mill liners, crusher cones and mantles, cone crushers and jaw crushers. Carlos bodies that are exclusive for each opera- area of energy saving?
pump parts and an array of other cast- Fonseca, regional managing director tion and each client, bearing in mind that General Manager – Peru Rexroth is developing sensors measuring the energy consumption of motors, for exam-
ings. Ferrero explained how its software of Astec LatAm, was hired to start the climate conditions, density and operators REXROTH ple, whereby data is sent via clouds to the workplace of the customer. We then develop
allows for maximum production process company’s Latin American operations are not the same despite using the simi- an interface together with the customer which serves their needs. It is the same principal
control and design optimization: “By in 2019, where the mining industry ac- lar equipment.” as our conditioning monitoring, following up on industry KPIs such as temperature or
means of this software, we shape qual- counts for Astec’s biggest client base. Valves, that regulate, direct or control the vibration.
ity and increase efficiency, which defines Fonseca used to be general manager of flow of a fluid, are another key compo-
filling parameters, solidification, residual Komatsu’s Peru and Colombia mining di- nent of mining equipment. Carlos Alva, Where would you like to see the company by 2022?
stress and the metallographic structure.” vision, and acknowledged the competi- general manager of ABSISA, the valve We are very optimistic about 2021, and the company is aiming at around 25% growth in
Discussing opportunities for suppliers of tive market for underground equipment. and flow control specialist, elaborated Peru this year. I expect the current market dynamics to continue growing at a high rate for
mining equipment components, Rexroth, He mentioned the key to success is hav- on the company’s services, which include the next few years, as the outlook for metals prices is strong. Peru has now learned that
a German hydraulic drive specialist that ing robust, well-engineered products, preventive and corrective maintenance the country cannot close down, and the industry is much better prepared for a second
forms part of the Bosch group, sees po- as well as having extensive knowledge and the detection of flaws: “We assist cli- wave than it was in March 2020.
tential for growth in the underground on the ground. “For instance, Canadine ents in the selection of the right valves,
space, according to Kai Rothgiesser, has been our distributor in Peru for over according to norms and to the param- Why should a mining company choose Rexroth as a partner?
general manager of Bosch Rexroth Peru. 30 years, so they have deep knowledge eters of application, and our technicians Companies should make a bet on technology and digitalization. They are doing that, but
Rexroth currently participates in under- about the products.” analyze all the relevant indicators of each it is something which must continue, because it is a trend which is not going away. In this
ground mining operations through con- Australian equipment provider, Austin, valve, including temperature, pressure regard, Rexroth is a very strong partner, with experience abroad, state of the art techno-
tractors such as AESA and INCIMMET, or has seen a promising uptick in mining and airtightness.”. ■ logy, and a technically-sound team. ■

110 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 111
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

Image courtesy of MMG-Las Bambas

Comminution American operations, mentioned that


remote monitoring and remote techni-
cal support have become paramount,
tivity, but can also lower the opex of an
operation. As companies reap the free
cash flow from all-time-high copper
and Material particularly during the Covid. Martin
Engineering’s remote monitoring so-
prices, the capex decision to invest in
new equipment has become more ap-

Handling lutions are currently available for its


primary belt cleaner products, but will
soon be applied to other product lines.
pealing.
Aceros Chilca is working with its cus-
tomers to provide cast steel liners for
To illustrate the potential cost savings crushers and SAG or ball mills, allowing
of Martin Engineering’s conveyor belt the company to maintain significant vol-
cleaners, Schmal related: “One of our umes while developing its alloys. “We
customers revealed that they used to are currently working in a strategic re-
INCREASING RECOVERY TO spend 10 times the money to actually lationship with ours bars supplier to
REAP THE BENEFITS OF HIGH clean their equipment compared to develop balls that are specific to each
what they invested in our products to type of mineral and mine site, looking
METALS PRICES
prevent cleaning.” to increase our customers’ productivity
Schmal went on to emphasize how the and decrease their cost of operation”,
company’s solutions focus on protect- explained Rafael Ravettino, general
ing workers from injury or illness, elimi- manager of Aceros Chilca.
Optimizing recovery is one of the highest return on invest- On June 30th, 2020, Finnish giants Metso and Outotec final- nating wasted motion and energy use, He explained that the industry has mi-
ment (ROI) steps you can take at a mine. Furthermore, recov- ized their merger to create Metso Outotec, combining the and to move as much product as pos- grated from smelted to forged balls in
ery is sustainable – it produces more metal at better utiliza- product offerings of two global leaders in technology and sible in the system per given length of the last years, which are more wear re-
tion rates. In a country where permitting new projects is a services for the mining and metal refining industries. The time. sistant, reliable, and can process more
growing challenge, and in a context of thriving metal prices, doubling of Metso Outotec’s share price in the 12 months One of the Peruvian players in the seg- ore. Aceros expects to expand produc-
companies involved in the processing and handling of ore are preceding the merger is an indication of the current strength ment, Tecnomina, managed to increase tion this year and, in 2022, to merge its
particularly valuable. of the service industry. its earnings in 2020 despite the distur- plants in Chilca and Lima into one new
Fernando Samanez, Metso Outotec’s VP mining equipment bance of the strict lockdown in Peru, ac- and centralized foundry plant in Chilca
sales for South America, commented that the current priority cording to general manager Fernando with an annual production of 1,500 tons
for customers is to recover water and fines from tailings dams Barrio. Barrio detailed that the compa- of pieces.
containing copper and gold. Samanez observed that the ca- ny performed well in spite of the pan- The export market also presents some
pex investment for a recovery plant is best suited to opera- demic through the sale of Sempertrans appealing opportunities; Aceros ex-
tions producing over 50,000 tonnes per day (mt/d). conveyor belts to Las Bambas, Rema ports to Chile, Canada, the US and Bra-
“For example, a customer that spent, a customer that spent Tip Top cleaning systems to Las Bam- zil, but plans to broaden this horizon
US$1.50 per tonne for water recovery at its tailings dam want- bas, Cerro Verde and Antapaccay, and towards Europe and Asia.
ed a solution which would lower capex. We were able to build a seven-month service for the mainte- Eduardo Jiménez, technical director of
a solution with a recovery cost of US$1.30 per tonne, which nance of conveyor belts for Southern Magotteaux, the Belgian company be-
gives a ROI within 30 months,” he detailed. Peru Cuajone. longing to the Sigdo Koppers Group,
Another multinational in the space, Weir Minerals plans to Barrio elaborated on the evolution of underlined its expertise in manufactur-
open its sixth service center in Peru in Q3 2021, inaugurating Tecnomina, which now provides clients ing with high chromium, allowing for
a Moquegua branch to ensure it’s support for Anglo Ameri- with diagnosis and offers customized strong and resistant materials with a
can’s Quellaveco mine as it transitions from construction to solutions. “We are getting increasingly long lifespan.
operation. Karina Zevallos, managing director of Weir Min- involved in preventive maintenance, us- “Magotteaux has used these compos-
erals Peru, revealed that the company has been investing in ing high-tech equipment to evaluate ite materials to patent technologies
the R&D of technologies for the transition to Industry 4.0 in the condition of conveyor belts, includ- such as Xcc and Xwin, which deliver an
mining, such as its Synertrex platform. “Synertrex is a control ing dynamic radiographic equipment, increased resistance to wear and shock,
and data collection system that obtains on-site equipment ultrasound sensor equipment and scan- allowing our company to offer solutions
information, such as how different equipment interacts in the ning equipment,” he said, adding that that are set apart from the standard
process, and product efficiency,” she explained, adding that the technology can be used while the steel and iron foundry products”, he
collected data is then analyzed by experts to optimize the conveyor is in operation. explained.
performance of the entire circuit in real time. Rudy Jaramillo, sales manager, added
Zevallos also highlighted the release of the second version that clients can experience a 15-20 %
of Weir Minerals’ Hydrociclones Cavex 2 separation product. Grinding Media cost reduction by using these products.
“The Cavex 2 allows customers to process more and have a The company is currently focused on
better particle size cut, but with the same footprint as the The increasing trend towards large- generating synergies among the dif-
original Cavex,” she stated, before summarizing: “The better scale processing plants used in cop- ferent companies of the Sigdo Koppers
you can classify in a mill circuit, the better recovery you will per production is driving demand for group to become more competitive,
have, maximizing profits.” grinding media. Upgrading grinding sustainable, to reduce costs and to in-
Javier Schmal, vice president of Martin Engineering’s Latin equipment not only increases produc- corporate new technologies. ■

112 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Fernando compared to some of the other juris-


dictions that Metso Outotec works in?
Mining customers in South America are
What are some of the key Peruvian projects the company has been involved in
over the last 12 months?
In terms of greenfield projects and expansions, we have been delivering products to

Samanez quite conservative and traditional and


want proven technology before they
the Quellaveco project, working with Marcobre on the maintenance and installation
of equipment. We are also working on the Yanacocha Sulfur project, but this project
adopt. Metso Outotec has a different is currently delayed. For the Toromocho expansion, Weir Minerals successfully de-
perspective as we have been leaders in livered and commissioned classification and pumping systems. We also set up the
innovation. We are thus giving customers biggest and highest tailings pumping facility in the world at Toromocho, erected and
warrantees on our solutions so that they commissioned by a 100% Peruvian team. We have also been working on optimization
VP Mining Equipment Sales –
can test new technologies and reap the projects for medium and smaller mines where we are doing upgrades to eliminate
South America benefits. We have experienced that Chile bottlenecks and increase production.
METSO OUTOTEC is more open to pilot plants and testing Additionally, we have been able to close business optimization contracts in recent
than other jurisdictions in South America. months with Cerro Verde and Las Bambas. Weir Minerals has a holistic view of the
In contrast to South American jurisdic- mining process and for us it is not just selling a product, but rather selling a whole so-
tions, Russia is very willing to adopt and lution. Throughout the integration of our products, we try to elevate the value chain

The Metso Outotec merger finalized


on June 30th, 2020. How has the inte-
sented select and premium brand mills
to the market in April 2021. The premi-
implement new technologies as soon as
they are available. Karina of the customer and this approach has been well received by the Peruvian market.
Although I believe that some optimization investments will be delayed until after
elections, our approach differentiates us in the market, and the current metals prices
gration of the two businesses been?
Metso Outotec underwent a transforma-
um brand is a combination between the
best technologies of Metso and Outotec.
What does Metso Outotec offer in
terms of digital solutions?
Zevallos offer an opportunity.

tion, establishing a new culture, mission These mills are engineered to order from Metso Outotec can today offer a full di- Are all of Weir Minerals services centers in Peru now operational?
and vision. I am pleased to say that based data obtained by the customer. Our se- gital plant to its customers and we have All of Weir Minerals service centers in Lima, Arequipa, Cajamarca, La Oroya and Espi-
on Q1 results in 2021, we are exceeding lect mills are standardized and fit for pur- reached great heights in terms of auto- nar are now open and running. The opening of our new service center in Moquegua
stakeholder and marketplace expecta- pose, with certain sizes and certain power mated monitoring. Today, we have more was delayed due to the pandemic, but we have restarted the process, are about to
tions. We have combined the best of two ranges, helping reduce capex. than 1,000 crushers being remotely con- sign the paperwork with the owners, and expect this center to open in Q3 2021.
companies and now we can deliver more trolled and monitored from our control Managing Director
to our customers, making the revenue Considering the high metals prices, center in Santiago. With our automated WEIR MINERALS PERU Can you tell us about some of Weir Minerals latest technologies that help with
opportunities huge. what are the priorities of your clients solutions, we are offering remote con- metal recovery?
Our business lines have been redefined, at the moment? trolled mills for new projects in Peru such Weir Minerals has been investing in the R&D of technologies for the transition to
reengineered and aligned to the new Currently, the most important aspect for as Yanacocha Sulfides, Magistral and San Industry 4.0 in mining, such as our Synertrex platform. Synertrex is a control and data
strategy, therefore more responsibility is customers is to recover water and fines Gabriel, free of charge for a period of collection system that obtains on-site equipment information, such as how different
coming towards the Regions (like SAM) from tailings dams which have copper time to validate the solution in front of equipment interacts in the process and product efficiency. Collected data is then
to be more proactive and have the own- and gold content. With the current high the customer. analyzed by our experts to optimize the performance of the entire circuit in real time.
ership on proposals and technical sales metal prices, recovery means extra rev- This can be done remotely due to the virtual and digital tools we have available now,
support to our front end sales groups. We enue. Within our plant solutions busi- How is the political turbulence in South which results in significant cost savings for the customer.
have key account and site managers for ness line, Metso Outotec is focused on American impacting the way you do busi- We also recently released the second version of Weir Minerals Hydrociclones Cavex
every important customer in the region, the modularization of plants to recover ness? 2 product, which marks a new era in separation technology. The Cavex 2 allows cus-
which makes us be more present day to water and content in tailings. We sell Due to political uncertainty in South tomers to process more and have a better particle size cut, but with the same foot-
day for our customers. the entire solution – filters, structures, American countries, we need to be more print as the original Cavex. The better you can classify in a mill circuit, the better
thickening, pumps, piping, and electrical united than ever with our customers. recovery you will have, maximizing profits. This product has been very successful in
Can you tell us about some of Metso components. We have implemented our We are in a situation where a new con- projects around the world and is now being tested on projects in Peru.
Outotec’s latest technological deve- solution for two important customers in stitution is being drawn up In Chile, and We set up the biggest and
lopments for crushing and grinding Brazil, but at this stage are only offering a new government is being elected in highest tailings pumping As the vice president of Women in Mining (WiM) Peru, how much have you seen
processes? it as small scale plants that will be repli- Peru, the two biggest copper producers. facility in the world at diversity improve in recent years?
We have just formed a new group called cated in a bigger scale in the near future. In the case of Chile, it has already been Diversity in the mining industry has not improved much, illustrated by the fact that
If you have an operation producing over
Toromocho, erected and
IPCC, which stands for in-plant crushing approved that royalties will increase from over the past 10 years women have only represented around 6% of our industry. Dur-
and conveying solutions. Our IPCC group 50,000 tonnes per day (mt/d), a recov- 3% to 5%. commissioned by a 100% ing the pandemic, two out of every three jobs lost were by women, as they had to
works with customers on the mine plan to ery plant is worth it as the ROI is quite One of the issues is that local communi- Peruvian team. take on more household responsibilities and were more likely to have to look after
design where the crusher needs to be lo- quick. For example, a customer that ties often do not see the benefits of the children than men.
cated and how it needs to be built. Met- spent US$1.50 per tonne for water recov- money that mining companies pay to On the other hand, I have noticed a real purpose from industry to become more
so Outotec has also upgraded its MKIII ery at its tailings dam wanted a solution the state. The way in which governments diverse. Many mines are joining associations to learn what diversity means and to
crusher, and already sold around 15 units which would lower capex. We were able serve communities needs to change, start the process of implementing policies and strategies to encourage more diverse
to Russia and Australia. We have also to build a solution with a recovery cost which will help change the perspective of participation in their organizations. Nexa Resources are leading the trend towards
developed a FIT crushing station which of US$1.30 per tonne, which gives a ROI the mining industry and enable growth. diversity in the mining industry, and they even have campaigns to educate their sup-
is more standardized, and modularized within 30 months. Structural changes are necessary, but pliers in this regard. Other mining players advocating diversity include Newmont Ya-
plants which saves customers investment we remain faithful that good things will nacocha, Gold Fields, Quellaveco, Las Bambas, Cerro Verde, Constancia, Hochschild
on engineering. How would you compare the adoption happen in the region moving forward, as amongst others. I really believe, and it has been proven, the only way in which diver-
In terms of grinding, Metso Outotec pre- of new technology in Latin America there is no shortage of opportunity. ■ sity can be achieved is when the initiatives come from the top down. ■

114 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 115
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Fernando
From an R&D standpoint, what solutions has Martin Engineering been work-
ing on in 2021?
Barrio
We are focused on improving the reliability of systems through our solutions to It is going to take at least two
increase the efficiency of mining operations. Remote monitoring and remote years for everything to go
technical support has become paramount in today’s time, and we are working
on solutions and technologies which enable us to support our customers with
back to normal. Therefore, we
specialized services from locations away from the mine site. must take full advantage of
Martin Engineering is developing remote monitoring solutions which enables us virtual solutions to stay close
to see if our products are working correctly, if they are well maintained, and when General Manager
to clients. Communication on
replacement of wearing parts will be necessary. Currently, our remote monitoring TECNOMINA
solution are applied to our primary cleaner products, but will soon be applied to
various fronts is key in such
other product lines. The mining industry has always been conservative in imple- situations.

Javier menting new technologies, but the pandemic has dramatically accelerated the
need for these solutions.

Schmal What are the benefits of Martin Engineering’s stand-alone pneumatic ten-
sion system for belt cleaners?
Our stand-alone pneumatic tension system delivers precise tensioning through-
out all stages of our blades’ life, reducing the labor typically required to maintain How did Tecnomina manage to in- Can you explain the benefits of the ents: we aim to provide them with a
optimum belt pressure and extending the service life of both the belt and the crease revenues in 2020 despite the products Tecnomina works with? diagnosis and offer them a customized
cleaner. Equipped with sensors to confirm that the belt is loaded and running, impact of the pandemic? Rema Tip Top has a range of first-class solution. We are getting increasingly
the system automatically backs the cleaners away during stoppages or when the The pandemic had a great impact on products for everything related to the involved in preventive maintenance,
Vice President – Latin America conveyor is running empty, minimizing unnecessary wear to both the belt and Tecnomina´s service supply because reparation and maintenance of convey- using high-tech equipment to evaluate
MARTIN ENGINEERING cleaner. The result is consistently correct belt tension, with reduced power de- the qualified workforce, which was al- or belts and, since 1970, it also has an- the condition of conveyor belts, includ-
mand on start-up, all managed without human intervention. This system increases ready quite limited in Peru, faced the other unit for anti-wear, anti-corrosive ing dynamic radiographic equipment,
safety, productivity and cost efficiency for the customer. issue of quarantine and mobility re- and anti-abrasive coatings. For many ultrasound sensor equipment, and
strictions. This reduced our capability years, Rema Tip Top had focused on scanning equipment. This technology
What type of return on investment can clients expect when using Martin to meet our clients´ demands. Despite products such as rubber, glue, tools, can be used while the conveyor is in
Engineering’s solutions? this, we managed to mitigate the nega- etc., but in 2000, with the Antamina and movement, which is a great advantage.
One of our customers revealed that they used to spend 10 times the money to tive impacts through agreements with Yanacocha projects, we grew signifi-
actually clean their equipment compared to what they invested in our products to our collaborators to remain in the field cantly in the service area. Another line What is your outlook for Peru’s mi-
prevent cleaning. Our products and solutions focus on protecting workers from for prolonged periods of time in order of business of Rema Tip Top is in the ning industry in 2021?
injury or illness, eliminating wasted motion and energy use, moving as much prod- to reduce workforce turnover and trips automotive sector, specifically in tire re- The mining industry is showing itself
uct as possible in the system per given length of time, maximizing production and as much as possible. Regarding prod- pair. Apart from that, since their acquisi- as the key pillar of Peru’s economy, de-
revenues while minimizing costs, all of which add value to a mining operation. uct supply, Tecnomina had the neces- tion of the Dunlop unit in South Africa, spite social conflicts. Mining companies
sary stock to meet our clients´ needs. Rema Tip Top also sells conveyor belts, have been providing support to remote
One of our customers Looking towards 2022, which areas of the business and which regions do We did have certain problems with and we are collaborating with them in communities during the pandemic
revealed that they used to you see as having high potential for growth? imports, as there were vessel restric- this area of business. through oxygen donation and other so-
There are many opportunities in the technology space, particularly for remote tions due to the pandemic, but this did However, Tecnomina is also an agent cial initiatives.
spend 10 times the money solutions, and we aim to continue complementing our product offering with the not reduce our company´s revenues; in for other companies such as Semper-
to actually clean their latest technologies. Geographically, Brazil will continue to be a strong market for fact, we managed to increase our earn- trans, a European brand that manufac- Considering the current situation,
equipment compared to what us, and we believe that we will see high growth in Mexico in the coming years. ings by almost 3% compared to 2019. tures first-class girdles. We are also in and the importance of social distanc-
they invested in our products Peru has vast potential, and could even become a larger producer than Chile in Our rise in earnings came, first, from contact with Chinese companies that ing, how to you plan to stay close to
the future, but this is dependent on improving the social conflicts that has slowed the sale of Sempertrans conveyor belts supply conveyor belt-related products clients?
to prevent cleaning. mining development. Regardless, it is still a very important market for Martin En- for Las Bambas, second, from the sale for a middle market. In summary, we The provision of services is what keeps
gineering and a major player in the region. of cleaning systems from Rema Tip have a wide range of suppliers to adapt us close to our clients, and unfortu-
Top to companies such as Las Bam- to the specific demands of each market. nately, we currently cannot go physi-
Do you have a final message about how Martin Engineering can help mining bas, Cerro Verde, and Antapaccay, and cally to the field. Even if restrictions are
companies optimize production? third, from the sustained sale of our Can you explain Tecnomina’s focus on progressively lifted, it is going to take
Martin Engineering wants to be a real partner to its customers. We work closely traditional products, and finally, from innovative solutions such as preven- at least two years for everything to go
with them to fully understand their challenges, pains, needs and goals, and we the provision of services to important tive maintenance? back to normal. Therefore, we must
personalize solutions depending on the context of the mine or client we are work- clients such as Southern Peru Cuajone, Tecnomina is developing a plan to ac- take full advantage of virtual solutions
ing with. We will always continue to develop solutions which increase safety, reli- who demanded a seven-month service quire new equipment to complement to stay close to clients. Communication
ability, productivity, sustainabilit and profit and now more than ever, with new for the maintenance of conveyor belts. the stock of equipment we already have on various fronts is key in such situa-
technologies. ■ to better meet the demand of our cli- tions. ■

116 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 117
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Rafael In 2024, we expect to


Innovation & more interested in using tools that allow
them to become more efficient without
people in the field. Wieland gave the
Ravettino inaugurate our new foundry
facility in Chilca, with the
Technology example of a rising demand for remote
control centers, noting that, while many The biggest challenge on
of these technologies existed before
goal of having one big, Covid, they have gained more traction
the path to digitalization is
centralized facility with 1,500 during the crisis. “The early adopters the mindset. Here is where
General Manager tons of monthly production of these technologies could potentially change management will play
REMOTE WORK HAS INCREASED serve as a model for other mining com-
ACEROS CHILCA of castings and 7,000 tons of a key role, especially in legacy
AUTOMATION, BUT CHANGE IS A panies and trigger a virtuous cycle,” he
grinding media. said, suggesting that as more solutions operations where most of
GRADUAL PROCESS
are deployed, it is likely more people the operators have done the
in the sector will become aware of how same job the same way for
these technologies make processes
the past 30 years.
The pandemic has unquestionably more efficient. “Companies will have to
changed the way we work, however, move towards technology in order to
most changes have been to cope with remain competitive,” affirmed Wieland.
Can you provide an overview of Aceros Chilca’s activities The strategic association with our bars suppliers allows us the constraints that Covid has imposed. TORSA, a Spanish company specialized - Carlos Travezaño,
and main milestones achieved in 2020? to improve the product’s chemistry and manufacturing the In many cases, these are reactive rather in the research, development and manu-
Aceros Chilca is focused on the production and commercial- bars for Aceros Chilca carries out the whole process of trans- CEO,
than proactive; Zoom meetings replac- facturing of technological solutions for
ization of grinding media (balls) and castings, mainly for the formation to produce the balls, through the heat treatment, ing in-person interaction and technical heavy industry, has been working with Siemens Peru
mining industry. The castings are made through our brand achieving the characteristics that customers need. We are support via video because of travel re- SITECH in Peru for a number of years.
MEPSA, while forged balls are part of the Aceros Chilca currently trying to develop balls that have greater durability strictions. However, Covid has also ac- One of its main solutions for the mining
brand. We are currently working in a strategic relationship together with clients. Similarly, regarding the production of celerated the use of remote-controlled, industry is a Collision Avoidance System
with our bars supplier to develop balls that are specific to pieces, we are present in the mines working together with autonomous solutions, an important (CAS), for which TORSA takes part in the
each type of mineral and mine site, looking to increase our our customers, which allows us to understand their needs in step towards a future that will depend Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles
customers’ productivity and decrease cost of operation. terms of alloys or the design that allow greater performance on moving to automated, continuous (ICSV) program carried on by the ICMM,
2020 was a tough year as the halt in the mining sector meant and productivity. production systems. as well as the Earth Moving Equipment
that there was a lower demand for steel. This affected our “We still hear, “what you are suggest- Safety Round Table (EMESRT) working Latam director. Huaco elaborated on the
projections and, despite our positive results, we did not What initiatives does the company have in terms of so- ing is not a pace of change that we are group. work Zyfra is doing with SITECH for Hud-
reach our objectives. However, 2021 has started very favor- cial responsibility? comfortable with,” and herein lies the Jaime Solano, TORSA’s technical sales bay in Peru regarding the implementa-
ably, possibly due to high metal prices, as mines are aim- Our group promotes education in Peru and Chile, especially problem: disruption is not comfortable, director, remarked that the company’s tion of autonomous drilling technology:
ing to increase production. Aceros Chilca has changed the in reading and comprehension, through the Foundation in but it is required if real progress is to be solutions in highest demand are related “Deploying autonomous solutions with
strategy and is currently working with customers to provide Peru - Margot Echecopar and in Chile - Sara Raier Rassmus made,” reflected Doug Morrison, CEO to reducing occupational risks and im- drills, as opposed to trucks, is complete-
them with cast steel liners for crushers and SAG/Ball mills. (www.fsrr.cl). As a result of the pandemic, we have also taken of the Centre of Excellence for Mining proving safety, such as a Human Vibra- ly different. The drilling section is con-
This has allowed us to maintain significant volumes and make measures to support and protect our workers, and the peo- Innovation (CEMI), adding that the iner- tion Exposure Monitoring System that tained and easier to deploy, so you do
interesting developments in our alloys, being able to pro- ple who are close to our operations, providing them with tia that Covid has brought about creates allows real-time analysis of the exposure not need to radically change the mining
vide our customers products that exceed their expectations, oxygen and tests. the opportunity to make changes hap- to vibrations of equipment operators. operation to implement this.”
especially in terms of mineral processability. pen – if the will is there. “Mining companies are also demand- He noted that autonomous drilling so-
What are Aceros Chilca´s objetives for 2022-2023 and Marcos Wieland, general manager of ing our High Precision Collision Avoid- lutions allow mining companies to save
Which of Acero Chilca’s products and solutions have the opportunities you see for growth? Sitech, a Ferreycorp group company ance System (HPCAS) to improve the ve- money quickly without having to make
been in high demand in Peru’s mining sector in the past In 2021 we expect to grow by approximately 30% in terms of specialized in introducing technology hicle interaction to protect shovels, haul expensive, wholesale changes, reveal-
year? castings, and 20% in terms of grinding media. We are off to solutions to mining operations, revealed trucks, auxiliary, light vehicles and per- ing that in addition to Zyfra’s work with
Aceros Chilca has two main products that have been in high a good start, as we have already received purchase orders that the company’s initial expectation sonnel,” he said, adding: “Safety always Hudbay, he knows of five other large
demand: forged balls, ranging from one to three and a half fulfilling a large part of our yearly production. was that Covid would bring about a new goes hand in hand with ROI since there mines in Peru that are looking to deploy
inches; and wear spare parts. We add value to our sales pro- In 2024, we expect to inaugurate our new foundry facility in interest in biosecurity and health solu- is nothing more profitable than keeping autonomous drilling solutions.
cess with an effective presence in the mine and with valuable Chilca, with the goal of having one big, centralized facility tions. However, Sitech found that inter- your personnel safe.
engineering services: we scan the mills and develop new de- with 1,500 tons of monthly production of castings and 7,000 est in these topics peaked in 2020, then Another of the companies working with
signs jointly with our customers to achieve new alloys that tons of grinding media. faded away as work dynamics began SITECH in Peru is Zyfra, a Finnish-based Educating a traditional industry
allow them to process the mineral further. We also see important opportunities in the export market, to normalize. “What we have observed company with its R&D center in Russia.
In the past, we produced an average of 8,000 tons of casted as there are significant investments being made in the mi- is an increase in fatigue management, Zyfra provides digital industrial solutions When asked what the biggest barrier to
balls per month. However, the industry has migrated through ning industry worldwide and we have plenty experience which has come as a result of longer utilizing Industrial Internet of Things the adoption of new technologies cu-
the years to forged balls, which are much more wear resis- exporting our products. Aceros Chilca plans to reach these work shifts during the pandemic,” he (IIoT) platforms and artificial intelligence rrently is, the response of our interview-
tant, reliable, and allow to process more ores. markets through partnerships with the main OEMs. We cu- said. (AI), and intends to grow its business in ees was invariably the human element.
rrently export to Chile, Canada, USA, Brazil and Mexico but Sitech has also noticed an uptick in the Latin America after establishing a strong Mining is inherently a risky business, but
What solutions are being introduced in the supply chain plan to broaden the horizon of our company towards Europe adoption of technology that supports client-base in Europe, Asia and North the appetite to take further risks once a
to improve efficiency and reduce costs? and Asia. ■ remote work, as miners are becoming Africa, according to Víctor Huaco, Zyfra’s project is in operation can evaporate as

118 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 119
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

operations managers look to meet quar- using Pitram, as well as using the in- opined: “The biggest challenge is the increased efficiency and digital monitor- Erick Iriarte, CEO of B2B platform eBIZ
terly production targets. Implementing formation gathered to make decisions digital mindset. Here is where change ing of equipment, as well as solutions Latin America, related that the cost
new processes in a mine is often far based on actual data gathered in real management will play a key role, espe-
The most common relating to industry 4.0. He summarized: structure of companies in the mining
more disruptive than in other industries, time. cially in legacy operations where most challenges we see is “The industry is looking at how to inte- sector shows that about 46% of operat-
and therefore the onus lies with the Wilson Monteiro, hub division manager of the operators have done the same the need for increased grate data for equipment in the entire ing costs come from the supply and lo-
technology providers to convince clients – process industries for South America job the same way for the past 30 years… efficiency and digital mine to mill process.” gistics processes. With this in mind, eBIZ
of their benefits. at ABB, echoed the sentiment that the Fear of the unknown and fear of failure For the industry to embrace technology was formed 20 years ago to optimize
“The biggest cost and barrier in adopt- biggest challenge in moving towards are perhaps the most common drivers
monitoring of equipment. on a large scale, it will require the buy-in these processes, either by reducing
ing a new technology is not the techno- an autonomous operation is the human to postponing digital transformation ef- We are also starting of companies of all sizes, not only the tier business cycles or by improving the in-
logy itself, but rather the time the client factor. “Our main job is thus educating forts.” to receive significant one producers with big budgets. To that teraction between buyers, suppliers and
will have to invest in change manage- rather than selling a product,” he said, Travezaño added that another challenge end, Emilio Gómez de la Torre created service companies. “We developed an
challenges and solutions
ment,” reflected Guido Perez, head of observing that many companies are try- is the lack of digital talent in the region Linkminers. “We look to boost the future e-business solution called B2M (B2Min-
Micromine’s Pitram business unit for the ing to jump directly to fully autonomous and industry, and the time it takes to relating to industry 4.0. of mining through creating opportuni- ing) that streamlines B2B relations be-
Americas region. “For example, Pitram operations without following the neces- develop these skills within the current The industry is looking at ties for everyone – large, medium, and tween players, from automating infor-
is a tool which completely changes the sary steps. workforce. Eventually, the implementa- how to integrate data for small companies… creating an easy link mation exchange (i.e., payment dates,
operation of a mine, and therefore re- On that note, Monteiro divulged that tion of the digital mine concept will bring between mining companies and mining document registry) to increasing oppor-
equipment in the entire
quires a substantial number of hours for ABB, Epiroc and Ericsson, supported sustainability, allowing for continuous suppliers,” he said. tunities to do business for both buyers
training its users. In the case of Pucobre, by the Swedish Chamber, have collab- operations, more efficiency, and more mine to mill process. Linkminers’ digital platform helps com- and suppliers,” he explained.
this involves training 100 operators.” oratively embarked on educating the flexibility due to all the data available to panies connect without having to travel As business has become increasingly
In June 2020, Micromine closed its larg- market about the benefits of digitization make a decision. This will result in faster through the highlands of Peru, an ex- digital, Iriate warned of the mounting is-
est deal in Latam for the last three years and electrification. By way of example, investment recovery, more sustainable pensive task at the best of times that sue of cyber security, with eBIZ seeing a
- Emilio Gómez de la Torre,
with Pucobre in Chile. Perez noted that, he added: “By moving to autonomous operations and happier stakeholders. has been further complicated by Covid seven-fold increase of cyber-attacks on
while the training period for such a large and electrified options, ventilation (one However, it is a gradual process, and the CEO and Founder, medical protocols. The website is di- mining companies in the past two years.
project takes time, clients can increase of the largest costs in underground mi- providers offering a clear vision and vis- Linkminers vided into sections, such as explora- “In most cases, the triggering issue
the usability of their fleets by up to 10% ning) becomes less of an issue.” ible path to ROI will be those making the tion, concentrator plants, digital mine, was inside the company: not by techni-
to 15% within the first three months of Carlos Travezaño, CEO of Siemens Peru, early inroads. among others, and de la Torre revealed cal malfunction, not by foul play, but by
that the most common challenge clients mere human error,” he noted, underlin-
are looking to overcome is the need for ing that protecting information is the
increased efficiency and digital monitor- only way in which companies can ensure
ing of equipment, as well as solutions busines continuity. ■
Stimulating Peru’s mining relating to industry 4.0. He summarized:
supply chain “The industry is looking at how to inte-
grate data for equipment in the entire
For the industry to embrace technology mine to mill process.”
on a large scale, it will require the buy-in Linkminers works with the Mining Clus-
of companies of all For the industry to ter of Southern Peru (CMSP), created in
embrace technology on a large scale, it 2018 on the back of successful mining
will require the buy-in of companies of cluster developments in Antofagasta By moving to autonomous
all sizes, not only the tier one producers (northern Chile) and Australia. Benjamin and electrified options,
with big budgets. To that end, Emilio Quijandria, CEO of the CMSP, explained
that an important pillar of the CMSP is
ventilation (one of the largest
Gómez de la Torre created Linkminers.
“We look to boost the future of mining its open innovation program, launched costs in underground mining)
through creating opportunities for ev- at the end of 2019. The program features becomes less of an issue.
eryone – large, medium, and small com- eight main challenges affecting mining
panies… creating an easy link between companies, including CMSP members
mining companies and mining suppli- Hudbay Minerals, Anglo American,
ers,” he said. Southern Copper and Cerro Verde,
Linkminers’ digital platform helps com- which were identified by visiting mining - Wilson Monteiro,
panies connect without having to travel operations and talking to officials and
Hub Division Manager
through the highlands of Peru, an ex- executives.
pensive task at the best of times that “To complement our open innovation Process Industries –
has been further complicated by Covid program, we plan to carry out work- South America,
medical protocols. The website is di- shops in alliance with the chambers of ABB
vided into sections, such as explora- commerce of the region, universities
tion, concentrator plants, digital mine, and local institutes, and help companies
among others, and de la Torre revealed reach all the necessary standards to reg-
that the most common challenge clients ister as providers for the mining indus-
are looking to overcome is the need for try,” detailed Quijandria.

120 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 121
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

To what extent did external factors in


2020 impact the demand for techno-
logy at mine sites?
are able to provide the right solution
for them, and contact the best provid-
ers. Therefore, we need to have a deep
Jaime Can you introduce TORSA and explain the company’s involvement in the mi-
ning industry?
TORSA is an R&D company based in Spain. When it comes to mining, we develop
Our initial expectation was that Co-
vid-19 would bring about a new inter-
knowledge of technology, of our clients´
needs, and of the industries that we are
Solano solutions to improve safety, reduce occupational risks and optimize productivity
rates in operations.
est in biosecurity and health solutions. targeting. One of our key success fac-
However, we have found that interest in tors is having the right providers and Which of TORSA’s mining solutions have been in high demand in the last two
these topics peaked in 2020 but faded bringing the best solutions to the mar- years?
away as work dynamics began to nor- ket as efficiently as possible. The first is a Human Vibration Exposure Monitoring System, which allows real-time
malize. While we have come up with For about a year and a half, we have analysis of the exposure to vibrations of the operators of haul trucks and other
Technical Sales Director
some solutions related to health and been focusing on open-pit projects, equipment, being able to immediately alert when the safety levels based on ISO
new protocols, and we continue to work working with some excellent providers.
TORSA 8041 are exceeded. This system also provides heat maps of the status of the lanes
on solutions such as cameras to track For example, Sitech is currently working and areas of the mine operation for the different departments of the mine to study
workers and ultraviolet rays to mea- on a project with the Finnish-Russian the need to send the graders and have optimal lanes maintenance to reduce the
sure temperature, this demand has not company Zyfra, developing an autono- vibration exposure of the operators and increase the lifetime of the tyres.

Marcos been as important as anticipated. What


we have observed is an increase in fa-
tigue management, which has come as
mous driller. This will be deployed in
one of the big copper mines of south-
ern Peru and will improve the efficiency,
Mining companies are also demanding our High Precision Collision Avoidance
System (HPCAS) to improve the vehicle interaction to protect shovels, haul trucks,
auxiliary, light vehicles and personnel. Our solution is the only one on the market
Wieland a result of longer work shifts during the
pandemic.
productivity and safety of its drilling op-
erations. 
with centimetre-level precision using LIDAR 3D, in addition to TOF, GPS and RFID
technologies.

Conroy Sitech’s most demanded services con-


tinue to be related to security, our main
line of business. We have done a great
Do you think the growing adoption
of remote technology and automa-
What benefits can mining clients expect if they use TORSA’s equipment?
Our HPCAS for shovels has allowed Antamina to increase the loading rates of the
job positioning ourselves as a company tion could trigger a snowball effect shovels of the operation. When the mining company analyzed how our system in-
with a well-defined value proposition in whereby it becomes the norm for mi- creased the safety during the loading operations, they identified a significant re-
General Manager* this area. ning companies to work with such in- duction of collisions with the shovels and an increase in the number of haul trucks
SITECH novation? loaded per hour in comparison to before the system was implemented. ■
Have high metals prices been an in- The early adopters of these technolo-
*Until August 2021 centive for companies to introduce gies could potentially serve as a model
innovation, or are companies current- for other mining companies and trigger
ly more concerned with making up a virtuous cycle. As more solutions are
for time lost during lockdown?
One area that we have seen pick up
is technology that supports remote
deployed, it is likely that more people
in the mining sector will become aware
about the benefits of technology and
Luis Which products is 3M supplying to Mina Justa and Quellaveco?
3M is involved in the full lifecycle of mining projects, from exploration and implementa-
tion, through to construction and production, and we work closely with clients to supply
working, as mining firms are becoming
progressively more interested in using
tools that allow them to become more
how it makes processes more efficient.
In the future, companies will have to
move towards technology in order to be
Palenque them with solutions. For Mina Justa and Quellaveco, we have been specifically involved
in delivering electrical solutions for connectivity and energy. We have also provided PPE
and system protection solutions to keep the large workforces at these operations safe.
efficient without people in the field. The competitive. However, in the short term,
demand for remote control centers is in- this is still a process that takes time and Considering the current lack of major greenfield projects set to move into construc-
creasing, for example. Covid has been we will not see wholesale changes over- tion, how can service companies increase their presence in Peru’s mining market?
the catalyst for this move, which has night. Our role at Sitech is to educate President and Managing Director We increase our market presence by having a diverse portfolio of solutions. For example,
encouraged some mining companies to the market on the benefits of techno- Andean Region maintenance services are very necessary, and there will be potential for brownfield ex-
The early adopters of remote introduce certain technologies. Howev- logy and the importance of Industry 4.0. 3M pansions on existing projects, particularly due to high metals prices.
technology and automation er, many of these technologies existed
before Covid, they have just gained Which technologies do you envisage How does 3M design its products with sustainability in mind?
could potentially serve as
more traction during the crisis. will drive growth in the mining indus- Some of the changes made include migrating our portfolios and solutions to digital plat-
a model for other mining try in the coming years? forms. Even as a customer, we select suppliers and companies based upon how sus-
companies and trigger a Can you explain the working dynamic I believe technological advances in the tainable they are. We are also focused on helping customers become more sustainable
virtuous cycle. between Sitech and foreign techno- areas of automation, remote controls and have made great progress in the areas of solar energy and water purification and
logy providers, and give examples of and operations, virtual reality, artificial filtration.
some of the technologies you are in- intelligence, and machine learning will In this sense, at the beginning of 2019, 3M announced that each product developed
troducing to Peruvian mines? become gradually more important in must comply with the Sustainable Value Commitment, which includes reuse, recyclabil-
Sitech´s objective is to bring to Peruvian the mining industry in the coming years. ity, energy savings, waste reduction, water savings, responsible sourcing and the use of
mines the best practices and solutions Safety has always been fundamental renewable materials appropriate for each specific product.
they need to be more efficient. Our to mining operations, and technolo- Finally, I would like to highlight that 3M’s sustainability strategy is moving forward and
role is extremely dynamic as we must gies that provide better security will is including new objectives, including to achieve 30% less carbon emissions within the
work closely with our customers to un- continue to be in high demand for this next 10 years, zero-carbon footprint by 2050 and 30% less water consumption by 2030. ■
derstand their needs, investigate if we reason. ■

122 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 123
SERVICE
PROVIDERS
“Peru is a mining country with a lot of opportunities, but
because of the size of the mining industry here there are a lot
of regulations and authority involvement. Therefore, sometimes
processes can take longer than in industries with less
companies involved in the value chain”

- Wilson Miranda,
General Manager,
Confipetrol Andina

GBR • Industry Explorations • PERU MINING 2021

Image courtesy of Gold Fields


EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

Drilling increase in demand for drilling we are


seeing, it will probably not be enough,
so it will become necessary to automate
Perú, another of Peru’s main drilling con-
tractors, noted that there has been grow-
ing demand for automated solutions due
units and extend the life of their mines,”
he said.
G&G Perforaciones, a Peruvian drilling
Novamera’s SMD (Sustainable Mining by Drilling) more processes.” to the pandemic, but only among large services company established in 2007
On the subject of technology, Jorge mining companies. He mentioned that by a group of students from the National
process is going to provide a turnkey solution Granda, general manager for Peru at MDH has been implementing equip- University of San Luis Gonzaga, Ica, has
ACTIVITY FROM PRODUCERS AND JUNIORS HAS PICKED
to mining companies to be able to surgically AK Drilling International, related that his ment and technology that reduces hu- grown its business since gaining its first
UP SIGNIFICANTLY IN 2021
mine steeply dipping, narrow vein deposits company has been focused on compact man interaction with machines, as well contract with Buenaventura. Marcos Ga-
drilling equipment that is easy to use. as equipment that increases safety and rayar, general manager and co-founder,
more sustainably, economically and safely
“In collaboration with IDS, our techno- reduces risks: “For example, we have in- explained that in addition to a full range
Despite being one of the fundamental value-creators for mi- compared to conventional mining methods. logy branch in Chile, we have been de- troduced anti-impact gloves with special of drilling services, G&G designs its own
ning producers and juniors, drilling was not considered an es- veloping technologies such as horizontal protection to reduce the risk of accidents equipment to take into account the ESG
sential activity during the first lockdown in 2020 in Peru. How- - Dustin Angelo, drilling, deep-pit drilling and automated for the workers’ hands, we have manu- concerns of an operation: “We are devel-
ever, this sub-segment of the industry rebounded strongly in diamond drilling,” said Granda, adding factured special equipment for handling oping technologies that reduce environ-
President,
the second half of the year, and its outlook for 2021 appears as that while technology has improved ef- pipelines and internal tools, and we use mental impact, including solutions for
bullish as it has been for many years. CEO and Co-Founder, ficiency and productivity, the human el- anti-sleep clocks and GPS tools to fol- water optimization, and solutions for the
The increase in the participation of the exploration sector is Novamera Inc. ement of drilling is still important. “Re- low the transfer of personnel, tools and reduction of gas emissions and energy
one factor, illustrated by the amount of financings by Peru- mote work has accelerated during the equipment.” consumption.”
focused juniors on the TSX Venture Exchange doubling from pandemic and this is a good thing, but Discussing where he sees opportunity This focus on sustainability is one of the
2019 to 2020, with the amount of capital raised increasing by with certain activities, a level of skilled for growth in Peru’s mining industry, reasons G&G won a large international
over 300% in the same timeframe. human intervention is necessary to main- Venero replied that MDH currently sees tender for a drilling contract at Lundin
Additionally, rising metals prices have given the impetus to Such a context is providing ample opportunity for drilling con- tain quality control and ensure safety,” more potential in brownfield explora- Gold’s Fruta Del Norte mine in 2020, a
producers to expand brownfield exploration programs, a point tractors and equipment providers to grow their business, with concluded Granda, reinforcing the need tion, as there are restrictions to open milestone for the company which rep-
emphasized by Hochschild CEO, Ignacio Bustamante, who both producers and juniors as clients. to train the next generation of drilling new projects in different areas due to resents its first project outside of Peru.
commented that he could not remember a time “with so many Approximately 30% of Boart Longyear’s business is in product contractors to meet growing demand. permitting and social issues. “Mining “Technologies which reduce environ-
meters to drill.” sales and 70% in services, giving the company a holistic view Ian Venero, general manager of MDH companies are trying to grow inside their mental impact are being applied in Ec-
of the sector as it supplies drilling contractors worldwide. “We
have seen a significant uptick for exploration tooling and drill
rigs, and over the past three months (February to April 2021)
the demand has been higher than we have seen for several
years,” revealed Jeff Olsen, Boart Longyear’s CEO, who ex- How significant are the Latin American markets for Boart Longyear, and do you see
plained that exploration tooling is a good indicator for drilling.
Elaborating on the company’s exploration tooling products,
Jeff good growth potential in the region?
In some regions there are political uncertainties, often relating to entitlements for new
Olsen highlighted the Longyear Diamond Bits line that helps
drillers with longer bit life and faster penetration rates. He also
cited tremendous global demand for Boart Longyear’s surface
Olsen projects and labour laws, putting a damper on what potential there could be, but we see
Latin America as a prospective region with an extremely bright future. The prospectivity
of metals, particularly copper, will be a huge driver for growth. Mining is a cyclical busi-
coring products, such as the LF 160 drill rigs and Freedom ness and difficult labor laws create additional costs and really limit growth to a certain
Loader for rod handling. On the subject of future investments, degree. However, I believe that a combination of world-class deposits and the robust
Olsen added: “The Holy Grail for underground operations is outlook for metals offer great opportunities in Latin America.
hands-free drilling technology, and Boart Longyear has a pro-
totype which is going to a test site in a few months.” CEO What percentage of your business is represented by product sales compared to
Through its contract with Las Bambas, Geotec has undertaken BOART LONGYEAR drilling services, and which of these services has been in high demand in 2021?
one of the biggest drilling campaigns in Peru in recent years. Approximately 30% of our business is products and 70% is services. There has been a
However, in addition to the issues MMG has had with reoccur- steady demand throughout the cycle for what we call percussive or production related
ing blockades of its copper concentrates, the pandemic has tooling. We have seen a significant uptick for exploration tooling and drill rigs, and over
caused a fear of outside workers coming into local communi- the past three months (February to April 2021) the demand has been higher than we have
ties. “Mines often mobilize 3,000 to 4,000 people from outside seen for several years. Exploration tooling is a good indicator for drilling, and we have
the communities and this is being regarded as a threat due seen a strong take-up in growth in Latin America, Africa, and especially North America.
to the health situation,” related Miguel Ángel Arenas, general
manager of Geotec. Where do you expect to see Boart Longyear by 2022?
While Covid has accelerated the adoption of automated tech- I believe that there will be significant investment into the mining industry over the next
nology, Geotec had been working with automation long be- year and that drilling activity will be even higher than it is today in both exploration and in
fore the pandemic, according to Arenas, who underlined that actual mine production. Boart Longyear would like to continue to progress its new tech-
the benefits of the technology go beyond just productivity nologies and products to a point where the benefits are evident, and they are accepted
and safety, but also help the environment by recycling water. in the market. The holy grail for underground operations is hands-free drilling techno-
Moreover, he mentioned that automation will be required to logy, and Boart Longyear has a prototype which is going to a test site in a few months.
fulfil the uptick in demand for drilling services: “Geotec has We believe that this technology is truly revolutionary as it will change the safety profile,
been training new workers for several years now, but with the reduce employee exposure, and increase the speed of drilling activities. ■

126 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 127
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations

uador in a particularly aggressive way, as


To what extent did the health crisis in 2020 impact AK Drilling? Fruta del Norte is in the middle of the
2020 was a challenging year, but AK Drilling is built on strong foundations, so we jungle, so environmental treatment, and
managed to resist the crisis well. In fact, positives can be taken from the Covid-19 especially water treatment, is especially
pandemic as it has brought us closer to clients, strengthened our fundamentals important,” added Garayar.
and reinforced our knowledge. I am grateful to our team for their commitment and Environmental concerns, and the wider
to our company on a corporate level for its fast reaction to the crisis. ESG umbrella, are factors which No-
vamera Inc hope to address with its inno-
What are some of the standout projects you have worked on in Peru and vative SMD (Sustainable Mining by Drill-
internationally in the last 12 months, and how has your client base evolved in ing) solution. Dustin Angelo, president,
that timeframe? CEO and co-founder of Novamera, elab-
At the beginning of 2020, AK Drilling was working with more producers than ju- orated how SMD is a multi-stage process
niors (a 70/30 percentage split), but this has been inverted, and currently (as of with four main stages. First, a pilot hole
February 2021) our portfolio consists of 60% juniors and 40% producers. This is not is drilled down the dip of a vein, guided

Jorge because we have lost work with producers, but because junior participation has
really picked up in the last six months. We have worked with many of the juniors
active in Peru, and we are currently operate with 95% of the active juniors in the
with an imaging tool. Next, a large di-
ameter drill is sent in, which follows the
pilot hole, excavates the ore and brings
Granda country.
For the producers, we have continued to work with the likes of Antamina, Gold
the material to surface using reverse
circulation airlift assist – a low energy
Fields and Las Bambas, who have all been aggressive in their plans for brownfields method of cuttings transport. Once the
exploration to replace reserves, a trend that should increase in 2021. material is at surface, the third stage is
to dewater and separate the ore. After
To what do you attribute the increased exploration activity for juniors in Peru? the ore is processed, the fourth stage
High metals prices have certainly been a catalyst, but I believe it is more than that. combines the tailings with cement and
General Manager – Peru When mining was reactivated in July 2020, I spoke with one of our principal junior put the product into the hole created by
AK DRILLING INTERNATIONAL clients who related that the intentions of the authorities were starting to align with the drilling.
the mining sector, and the cumbersome bureaucracy that has plagued the industry “Essentially, the hole becomes a land-
was starting to be streamlined to expedite drilling permits. Obviously, there is still form tailings facility. Approximately 50%
work to be done, but it is a step in the right direction. to 60% of the material we take out, will
go back down. This reduces the reliance
Do you think there is a risk that drilling could be forced to stop during the on constructed tailings facilities, which
second wave of Covid-19? also reduces risk,” explained Angelo,
The mining sector in Peru was reactivated in Q3 2020, and both the industry and stating that Novamera’s SMD process
the government have learned a lot since then. We have been successful in estab- will allow companies to surgically mine
lishing the right protocols so that the workers that go to the mines are protected. steeply dipping, narrow vein deposits
If the protocols are followed, there should not be a need to stop activities again in more sustainably, economically and
future waves of the pandemic. safely compared to conventional mining
methods.
Can you give us examples of the latest technology utilized by AK Drilling, and The demand for drilling-related prod-
how it improves safety, efficiency and productivity? ucts, such as fluids and additives, has
AK Drilling focuses on compact drilling equipment that is easy to use. In collabora- also been robust in 2021. Industrias
At the beginning of 2020, AK tion with IDS, our technology branch in Chile, we have been developing technolo- Morven manufactures viscosifiers, filtra-
Drilling was working with more gies such as horizontal drilling, deep-pit drilling and automated diamond drilling. tion reducers and drill hole stabilizers,
The aim of this is to improve efficiency and productivity, whilst maintaining the and the company now accounts for 30%
producers than juniors (a 70/30
highest standards. In this respect, the human element of drilling is important. Re- of the national market share in Peru, ac-
percentage split), but this has mote work has accelerated during the pandemic and this is a good thing, but with cording to Pablo Moreno, general man-
been inverted, and currently certain activities, a level of skilled human intervention is necessary to maintain ager.
our portfolio consists of 60% quality control and ensure safety. Moreno spoke about the company’s lab-
juniors and 40% producers. oratory, designed to carry out the analy-
Considering the current context where the movement of people is restricted, sis of materials, such as polymeric sludge
what is AK Drilling’s strategy for staying close to its customers in the next systems: “The tests we perform measure
12 months? the rheological properties of the fluids,
I actually think this has been strengthened during the pandemic. We are constantly which allows clients to optimize results
in contact with clients, on the phone or via video calls. A big part of this is trust in their drilling projects. There are many
that has been built up over years, and favoring long-term relationships over spot parameters to assess when testing, in-
contracts. It is important to stay close to a diverse range of clients where straight- cluding the quality of the water used for
forward interactions and transparency make a difference, especially in times where the sludge, analysing filtering capabili-
you cannot meet face to face. ■ ties, and other material characteristics.”■

128 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Miguel Ángel Can you provide a brief background


of MDH’s activities in Peru in recent
years?
protection. On the technical side, clients
have been asking us for more deep drill-
ing of 1,500 to 1,800 m, for which larger

Arenas For some time now, mining


MDH continues to be one of the main
drilling companies in Peru. We have ex-
and more powerful equipment is needed,
as well as very experienced personnel.
perienced significant growth throughout In terms of exploration, large mining
companies have requested that the years, but this growth slowed down companies in Peru are making substantial
their contractor complement between March and June 2020 due to investments in brownfield and greenfield
the pandemic and the severe restrictions. projects, which represents a great growth
General Manager their proposal with services
Since then, the situation has stabilized opportunity for our company, especially if
GEOTEC such as sample logging, but we continue to experience challenges metal prices continue to go up. We cu-
directional drilling, core such as greater costs, delays and new rrently see more potential in brownfield
drilling, among others. protocols. However, since the beginning exploration, as there are restrictions to
of 2021 we have been well prepared; we open new projects in different areas due
have internal protocols in place to protect to permitting and social issues, so mining

Ian our workers and our clients have imple-


mented external protocols. This year, we
expect to reach a similar level to that of
companies are trying to grow inside their
units and extend the life of their mines.

Venero 2019 in terms of earnings and contracts,


or even improve it.
Can you explain the company's com-
mitment to quality and what sets you
apart from your competitors?
Considering high metals prices, have you seen a greater What would you say are the biggest challenges and op- Can you tell us about MDH’s recent cli- MDH was the first drilling company in
demand for drilling in 2021? portunities for drilling contractors in Peru today? ents and key projects you have been Peru and currently has over 50 years’ ex-
We are seeing many clients who want to make up for lost Aside from social conflicts, another big challenge includes working on? perience in the market. In 1994, a joint
production during lockdown. The current high prices in me- finding qualified personnel that know how to operate drilling Our company is currently working on venture was created between MDH and
tals have also increased the demand for drilling. However, machines. We have been training workers in this for several General Manager Hoschild Mining’s main mining projects Bradley Group, and since then our com-
drilling is facing the challenge of local communities who fear years now, but with the increase in demand for drilling we MDH in Inmaculada, Pallancata and Arcata, as pany has been trained and supervised by
outside workers coming into their villages; mines often mobi- are seeing, it will probably not be enough, so it will become well as on some of their greenfield pro- Canadian drillers and has used Canadian
lize 3,000 to 4,000 people from outside the communities and necessary to train more people or start to automatize more jects. We are also working on IAMGOLD’s technology. From that moment onwards,
this is being regarded as a threat due to the health situation. processes. greenfield Los Tambos project, and with our company has experienced exponen-
Among the opportunities, there will be a lot of work for Bear Creek’s Corani project, which will tial growth and we have not stopped in-
Can you tell us about some of the key projects Geotec drilling companies, as many clients are looking to make up hopefully come into construction in 2021. vesting in equipment, technology, safety,
has been working on in Peru, and which equipment has for lost activity in 2020 and take advantage of strong me- We are also working for Sierra Metals with environmental care, social responsibility
been in high demand? tals prices. Another opportunity includes finding long-term Minera Corona and at Larena with Barrick. and training. Finally, clients are our ut-
Geotec’s largest drilling project is currently Las Bambas, contracts that allow drilling companies to invest in techno- most priority, so we do not limit our re-
where we have 13 rigs working in the Cotabambas region. logy and safety. For some time now, mining companies have What kind of technology and equip- sources when providing services for them.
We also have an important project at Antapaccay, where we requested that their contractor complement their proposal ment has MDH recently introduced?
have water wells and large rotative drilling equipment, and with services such as sample logging, directional drilling, There has been growing demand for au- What are MDH’s goals in the medium
in Yanacocha, where we have deployed five of our machines. core drilling, among others. Geotec has implemented the di- tomated solutions due to the pandemic, term, and the company’s international-
Furthermore, the contract Geotec won to participate in the rectional drilling service within its commercial offering since but only among large mining companies. ization strategy?
development of Line 2 of Lima’s Metro, through a program 2019. Therefore, we have been implementing We aim to grow under our traditional
of water wells, has been an important milestone for the com- Clients have been asking us equipment and technology that reduces guidelines, the ones that have been pro-
pany. What is your strategy to grow Geotec in the coming human interaction with machines, as well moted by our director of engineering,
years?
for more deep drilling of 1,500 as equipment that increases safety and Guido Del Castillo, since the beginning.
Have you noticed an increase in the adoption of automa- Geotec's strategy is to become strategic partners of mining to 1,800 m, for which larger reduces risks. For example, we have in- In terms of future investment, we will con-
tion technology for drilling services? companies through long-term contracts that strengthen our and more powerful equipment troduced anti-impact gloves with special tinue acquiring high-end technology to
During Geotec’s almost 60 years of experience, we have relationship and the development of safe and efficient work- protection to reduce the risk of accidents carry out different types of drilling and
is needed, as well as very
been implementing technology that allows the automation places. We want to train drilling workers and implement au- for the workers’ hands. We have manu- we expect sonic drilling to become more
of the drilling process, focusing on the safety of our opera- tomation solutions where we can. experienced personnel. factured special equipment for handling important. We also expect to develop our
tions and environmental care. In 2017, we implemented more pipelines and internal tools, we use anti- area of consulting for the mining industry.
than six teams with Rod Handler technology at two of our What direction would you like to see Peru’s mining indus- sleep clocks and GPS tools to follow the MDH began its internationalization pro-
main operations. try heading by 2022? transfer of personnel, tools and equip- cess in 2019 with a project at the San
Our newest acquisitions in technology includes a Canadian As an industry, our main hope is to have a government that ment. José Mine in Argentina. The pandemic
Foremost (Model DR24XHD 130K) dual rotary drill rig for wa- supports investments and provides stability to the country slowed down this process in 2020, but
ter wells drilling, which will be the largest in Peru. It is to be and its investors. We also hope to improve relations between What trends are you observing for your our aim this year is to evaluate countries
deployed in Antapaccay mine. This rig will allow us to drill mining companies and the communities, and to see the Cov- drilling services and for exploration? with good potential and to continue our
500 meters deep water wells, using the Dual Rotary drilling id-19 crisis get better. If these factors are resolved, or at least Clients are becoming increasingly con- growth in Latin America. ■
system with a diameter of 17.5 inches. improve, the outlook is very positive for the years ahead. ■ cerned with safety and environmental

130 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 131
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations EDITORIAL

situation. The pandemic accelerated the our clients through platforms and apps. Laboratories

Third Party inauguration of a command center the


company had been working on for se-
If we do not offer customized informa-
tion, our vehicles turn into a commodity The recovery of the mining sector and
veral years, according to Alfonso de los where we can only compete by price.” high metals prices in 2021 have encour-
Services Heros, president of Sodexo Peru: “This
command center constitutes a neuralgic
Part of the Sigdo Koppers Commercial
(SKC) Group, SK Rental specializes in
aged exploration activities from both
producers and juniors, significantly in-
center from which we can serve clients the rental of machinery and the sale of creasing demand for laboratory services
remotely with digital solutions, super- semi-new or used equipment, and has and metallurgical analysis. This presents
vising their operations and carrying out worked on many of the major mining tremendous opportunity for geochemi-
safety walks”. projects in Peru, including Las Bambas, cal specialists, but has also resulted in
ADDING VALUE SO MINING Providing shelter and camp solutions Cerro Verde, Mina Justa and Antamina. long delays for assay turnaround due to
COMPANIES CAN FOCUS ON THEIR for the mining industry is WHC del Peru, Edmund Egg Noche, the company’s a lack of lab capacity.
born from the association between the general manager, related how SK Rental Although the challenge of keeping up
CORE BUSINESS Mining companies are seeing
Canadian Weatherhaven Global and the has undergone a shift in its commercial with demand has delayed exploration
the benefits of outsourcing Peruvian Cidelsa. WHC has vast exper- discourse: “Instead of being known for results in a number of countries, Miguel
non-strategic assets such as tise in the provision of shelter solutions a specific portfolio of products and ser- Caillaux, director of Certimin, comment-
vehicles in order to focus on to remote areas. Housing solutions are vices, we aim to be seen as solutions ed how the company has managed to
customized for each client taking into providers”. reduce the response time of the geo-
their core business.
account geographical location, the du- This shift includes investment into di- chemical tests from 20 to seven days
ration and capacity of each project. gital solutions, such as “Be Rental”, for Buenaventura. In this respect, he de-
- Fernando Martínez, “Our aim is to make shelters comfort- a digital platform that, explains Egg scribed Certimin as a boutique lab as it
Outsourcing has become part and par- for Confipetrol to provide its services, General Manager, able for the mine’s workers, as their well- Noche: “Captures the clients’ needs can adapt to the requirements of each
cel of successful heavy industry for many so that mining companies can focus on being is closely linked with the success and through that, provides them with a client.
years, but third party service provid- production optimization.
Avis Peru
of the project”, highlighted Hugo Cue- solution, locating the correct equipment Expanding on the current trends Certi-
ers faced a unique challenge in 2020, Miranda elaborated: “Our third party va, WHC’s general manager for Peru. and products, reaching them in a more min is observing for laboratory and met-
as companies were forced to reduce services include the operation and main- While the pandemic posed some chal- modern and effective way.” allurgical services, Caillaux said: “We are
workforces to the bare minimum and tenance of concentrator plants, open-pit lenges for the company, it also brought
minimize the number of contractors on equipment, fleet maintenance and un- substantial opportunities, as their tem-
site. Labor-intensive jobs such as fleet derground mine equipment, and taking porary camps became highly request-
maintenance are vital to the day-to-day care of these concerns for mining com- ed by mining companies to keep their
activities of an active mining operation, panies means they can focus on their workers isolated before or during the
but rely on a high level of activity at the core business.” vices through its Inflight plant, accord- execution of projects.
mine site. EFC, a Peruvian company which cel- ing to Lionel Moreira, Newrest’s country One of the areas of outsourcing with
For Confipetrol Andina, a large player in ebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021, managing director for Peru. “We own a potential for growth in Peru is the rental
the industrial third party services space, works as a purchasing center that serves production plant and can offer different market, which has not yet garnered the
the pandemic resulted in a temporary industrial maintenance, repair and op- ways to produce meals and build strong same level of penetration as in Europe
reduction to its 4,500-person workforce, erational supplies. The mining industry relationships to fulfill the requests of our or North America. American car rental
as many of the operations it supplied represents 60% of EFC’s sales, accord- clients.” explained Moreira. company Avis focused on controlling
personnel to were not deemed essen- ing to Mauricio Mélinchon, commercial Newrest signed a contract with Mina costs in 2020 to mitigate the impact of
tial. Its’ services to the petroleum indus- manager, who spoke about the com- Justa in March 2021 for the provision of the pandemic, according to Fernando
try continued through lockdown, but pany’s wide portfolio of PPE supplies: food, hospitality, and facility manage- Martínez, general manager of Avis’ Peru,
despite Peru’s economic dependence “Since the beginning of the quarantine, ment services for over 1,200 workers however, he expects to see 20% growth
on metal production, the mining sector we have operated non-stop to help the and started operations during national in 2021 on the back of vehicle rentals.
was not as fortunate. main mining companies and projects in lockdown. “The first challenge in provid- Although spot rentals, oriented towards
Wilson Miranda, Confipetrol’s general the country in the continuity of their op- ing catering services to remote locations mining pick-ups, have suffered, Martínez
manager, related that the situation had erations.” is the logistics.” said Moreira revealed that there has been an uptick
improved by the end of 2020: “For- Leading French catering company, Sodexo is another important French in interest for long-term rental contracts
tunately today (January 2021), we are Newrest, has a large experience in ca- player in the provision of third-party with mining clients: “Mining companies
back to a higher percentage of working tering, base camp and facilities man- services in Peru, with a wide portfo- are seeing the benefits of outsourcing
capacity, but social distancing measures agement and is seeing great growth lio of services including food, laundry, non-strategic assets such as vehicles in
make it difficult to achieve pre-Covid potential in the mining industry as the cleaning, hospitality and facilities man- order to focus on their core business.”
levels. While sales and profit were down result of continuous development of the agement. Despite the complex circum- Martínez elaborated on the evolution of
between 5 to 10% in 2020, we expect sector. One of its core area of business stances, the company started several the rental market, with digital services
to grow between 10 and 20% in 2021.” is in-flight catering, a sector that has new operations in 2020 with Hoschshild, now a pre-requisite for clients: “Several
Having worked for the likes of Nexa been heavily affected by the pandemic, Minsur, and Anglo American. These pro- years ago, the rental business simply in-
Resources, Minsur, Chinalco, Hudbay, however its the company plans to de- jects have reflected the sector’s ability volved delivering vehicles to our clients,
Antapaccay and Las Bambas, rising me- velop its mining portfolio even further, to adapt and to maintain supply chain but today, we make all the information
tals prices offer increasing opportunity and offer additionally alternative ser- continuity during an unprecedented related with the vehicles available to

132 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 133
INTERVIEW Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Miguel Caillaux, What are the current trends you are observing for laboratory and metallurgical ser-
vices? Wilson
Luz Blancas MC: We are in the process of a technological upgrade of our labs, making investments in
more efficient equipment and new services. Certimin is achieving increasing recognition
Miranda In new mines that are due to
& Jonathan from national and transnational companies as one of the most complete companies in the
metallurgical field. Our services in the geochemical and environmental areas have also
been growing, where we are implementing automated equipment for different projects.
come online, especially Mina
Justa and Quellaveco, the
Campbell We are deeply committed to finding solutions that add value to our clients, so they can
carry out their operations as efficiently as possible.
large workforces required
LB: Since 2020, we have observed that, in addition to reliability and response capacity,
General Manager to run various aspects of
MC: Director the market is significantly valuing “service commitment and attention” as a fundamental CONFIPETROL ANDINA the operation also offer
LB: Business Development aspect of contribution to its operations and/or projects. As a result of Certimin leadership opportunities for third part
Manager factor we have received the trust of many major companies. service providers.
JC: Deputy General Manager
Can you tell us about some of the contracts Certimin has recently won?
CERTIMIN LB: In addition to the above services, Certimin concluded the start-up of an onsite labora-
tory in one of the most emblematic units of the mining sector due to its outstanding use
of seawater, allowing us to optimize the integration system of the processes in technical To what extent did the Covid-19 pandemic impact Confi- processes can take longer than in industries with less compa-
terms, operational commitment, objectivity and transparency as dictated by the ethical petrol Andina’s business in 2020? nies involved in the value chain. The petroleum industry suf-
and functional values of​​ the policies of both parties. Confipetrol works in the mining, petroleum and energy sec- fered a lot in Q2 2020, but has rebounded and is now steady.
In terms of junior companies, we have a longterm business relationship with one of the tors, and these each had different contexts. The petroleum Confipetrol works more with the petroleum industry in Colom-
main lithium and uranium mining companies that has recently confirmed the start of new sector was considered essential and we managed to maintain bia, and more with the mining industry in Peru. Both industries
large-scale operations of their drilling program. In the same way, there are other well- a large percentage of work in this segment, but many mining share high safety standards.
known companies that are expanding their portfolios and with which we have already operations were not initially considered essential. Fortunately
MC established our participation from our office in Juliaca. Certimin is the only laboratory today (January 2021), we are back to a higher percentage of Which markets do you see as having high potential for
located in Puno, which we maintain to further contribute to projects in the region. working capacity, but social distancing measures make it dif- growth for Confipetrol?
MC: We have managed to reduce the response time of the geochemical analyzes with the ficult to achieve pre-Covid levels. While sales and profit were The south of Peru holds a lot of potential, with companies such
technological developments and process improvements carried out. We are considered down between 10 to 15% in 2020, we expect to grow between as Cerro Verde. In new mines that are due to come online,
a specialized or “boutique” lab, in the sense that we adapt to the requirements of each 10 and 20% in 2021, while maintaining the highest safety and especially Mina Justa and Quellaveco, the large workforces
client and try to give them the best solution. sanitary measures. required to run various aspects of the operation also offer
opportunities for third part service providers. Looking further
Demand for labs has increased considerably due to high metals prices and explora- What are some of the main clients and mining projects Con- ahead, Buenaventura’s San Gabriel and the Yanacocha Sulfides
tion expenditure. How has Certimin dealt with this demand? fipetrol worked on in recent years? project are other important projects for Peru.
LB LB: In the first place, the commitment of our technical, operational, commercial and man- Nexa Resources is one of our biggest clients, and we have
agement team has been fundamental. Second, this year Certimin has acquired high-tech worked for them at Atacocha, El Porvenir, Cerro Lindo and the What do you think differentiates Confipetrol in the third
equipment to complement the equipment we already had with the aim of increasing the Cajamarca refinery. We have also worked on a plant mainte- part services space?
efficiency of our operations and processes. In fact, this is already showing its benefits in nance project for Yanacocha, as well as Marsa, Minsur, Chinal- With the exception of the pandemic year in 2020, Confipetrol
the operations that we are carrying out for our main clients and will allow us to reduce the co, Hudbay, Barrick, Antapaccay, Las Bambas, among others. Andina has grown 20% per year for four years. The main rea-
response time of geochemical tests for other clients as well. Our third part services include the operation and maintenance son behind this is our team and its dedication to offering the
of concentrator plants, open-pit equipment, fleet maintenance highest quality service supported in asset management, which
Can you explain the benefits of your association with Chile’s ECOMETRIC and and underground mine equipment, and taking care of these has helped us establish long term relationships with clients.
Australia´s GLENCORE TECHNOLOGY? concerns for mining companies means they can focus on their The other key factor is our safety standards and our behavior-
JC: Our alliance with ECOMETRIC allows us to develop environmental solutions that cu- core business. based management system to make sure that employees have
JC rrently do not exist in Peru, customizing them to our clients’ needs and taking advantage a proactive attitude with regard to safety that has resulted in
of their experience in the Chilean market. It allows us to offer services of online and con- What measures have you taken to prevent contagion? one of the lowest injury frequencies in the industry. Confipetrol
tinuous measurements for mining operations that are particularly important and that need Since the start of the pandemic we have implemented Plan has received the ISO 9001 certificate for quality, ISO 14001 for
We have evolved from a simple constant measurement. Covid, outlined by the Peruvian Labor Ministry. The use of PPE, environment and OSHAS 18001 for safety.
laboratory to a technological This year we will be installing the first Isamill in Peru for metallurgical laboratory tests. such as masks, is required at all times, as well as distancing
This equipment developed by GLENCORE TECHNOLOGY allows to reach fine granulom- and cleaning hands and anyone that feels unwell must report Why should a mining company choose Confipetrol as a
complex for development, as in etries, which broadens the spectrum for the study of metallurgical projects. At the same immediately to be tested. Distance between beds at mining long term partner?
addition to our lab services, we time, we will be implementing and certifying tests with Jameson cells, among others. camps has been increased and cleaning procedures have been We work with the same objectives as our clients and want mi-
now provide auditing services tightened. ning companies to see us as the main operation and mainte-
and services to improve mining What are Certimin’s priorities for 2021-2022? nance contractor that will solve your problems with the highest
LB: Certimin’s aim is to continue being a leader in the provision of services, incorporating What differences have you noticed between the responses quality standards, safety and environmentally friendly actions.
companies’ labs. technological advancements. We have evolved from a simple laboratory to a technologi- of the mining and petroleum industries to the crisis? We also work with and employ Peruvian professionals, which
cal complex for development, as in addition to our lab services, we now provide auditing Peru is a mining country with a lot of opportunities, but be- contributes to the development of local communities in the
services and services to improve mining companies’ labs. We are also entering the fields cause of the size of the mining industry here there are a lot of country and ensure the local value chain can support its mining
of plant diagnosis and improvement of mineral treatment plants. ■ regulations and authority involvement. Therefore, sometimes industry to the best capacity. ■

134 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports C


PHE IRLUE M
MIIN
NIIN
NGG 22002211 135
EDITORIAL Global Business Reports Industry Explorations INTERVIEW

Image courtesy of Minsur

Acoinsa, speaking about the disruptions


in Q2 and Q3 2020. On the other hand,
Palacios revealed that the Peruvian logis-
Edmund Egg Aurelio Aldo
tics market has been far better in 2021,
and the transport company with over 30
Noche Palacios Macassi
years of operations in Peru is expecting
to achieve similar revenue to 2019.
Acoinsa transports heavy cargo for both General Manager General Manager Commercial Manager
mining companies and mining provid- SK RENTAL ACOINSA STIERLIFT
ers (such as Ferreyros and Komatsu),
including electrical components, com-
ponents for production, shells for mills,
and components for mining process. “In
2020, we bought a freightliner fleet from
Divemotor and a heavy load transporta-
tion fleet from Kenworth. The freightliner
fleet was bought to move sulphuric acid
for Mina Justa, as part of Acoinsa’s con-
tract with Marcobre. The fleet we bought
from Kenworth was a renewal of part of
our heavy load fleet,” detailed Palacios.
Observing that the cost of logistics has
increased significantly in the past 12 What is SK Rental’s role in the Sigdo Can you introduce Acoinsa and describe How has Stierlift evolved in recent
months, due to new protocols imple- Koppers Group? the type of heavy cargo the company years, and how has the pandemic im-
mented during the pandemic, the rise in SK Rental is part of Sigdo Koppers transports for the mining industry? pacted your business?
fuel prices, and the US$ exchange rate, Commercial (SKC), and the main role Acoinsa is a transport company with over Stierlift has been in the market for over
Palacios underlined the importance of of this group is to distribute premium 30 years of operations in Peru. Today, we 80 years, and for almost 10 years has
creative collaboration between suppli- brands to different sectors, especially also work with cranes and yellow machin- been part of the Ultramar Group, a mul-
ers to find lower cost solutions. Another mining, construction and agribusiness. ery in different industries. Our principal in- tinational logistics services company
company specialized in the transport of SK Rentals, specifically, is a specialized dustry is mining, but we are also involved headquartered in Chile. Speaking spe-
heavy cargo is Stierlift, which has formed unit inside the group for the rental of in the energy, construction, and infrastruc- cifically about Stierlift, we have been
part of the Ultramar Group for almost 10 machinery and for the sale of semi-new ture industries. classified as one of the 50 best compa-
in the process of technifying our labs, Explaining how the collaboration with years, a multinational logistics services or used equipment. The company transports heavy cargo for nies in the world for Heavy Lift contract-
making investments in more efficient ECOMETRIC has helped Certimin learn company headquartered in Chile. both mining clients and mining providers. ing.
equipment and new services. Our ser- from their experience in the Chilean Aldo Macassi, commercial manager at Who are SK Rental's main clients in This includes electrical components, com- The pandemic was certainly a challenge
vices in the geochemical and environ- market, he elaborated: “It allows us to Stierlift, listed the company’s mining- the mining industry and what is the ponents for production, shells for mills, in 2020. However, logistics was one of
mental areas have also been growing, offer online services of continuous mea- focused services as the transportation of size of your equipment fleet? and all the components for the mining the few activities deemed essential by
where we are implementing automated surements for mining operations that are equipment for processing and concer- In terms of operations, we have been process. the Peruvian government, as well as
equipment.” Luz Blancas, Certimin’s particularly important and need constant tation plants, mills, crushers, conveyor working with Las Bambas since cons- governments abroad, so it did not stop
business development manager, spoke measurement.” belts and large electrical goods. Stierlift truction of the project. SK Rental is What is currently the size of your equip- domestically or internationally.
about some of the company’s latest also transports large earth-moving vehi- currently an equipment provider for ment fleet?
projects, including setting up a labora- cles, drills and trucks for the likes of Cat- different processes of large mining op- In terms of modular lines, Acoinsa is the Can you describe the type of heavy
tory for Nexa Resources’ Cerro Lindo, Logistics erpillar and Komatsu. “Any equipment erations, such as Cerro Verde, Toque- largest company in Peru, and we have cargo the company transports for the
and working with juniors such as Pan- with particularly large dimension and pala, Mina Justa, Toromocho, and An- over 100 modular lines. mining industry?
oro Minerals, Pucara Gold and Palamina Logistics was one of the few activi- weight is our core business,” he clarified. tamina. Underground mining is also an For mining, which is one of Stierlift’s
(at Certimin’s Juliaca base). She added: ties deemed essential by the Peruvian Discussing the company’s objectives in important area for us, where we work What opportunities do you see for key industries, we are focused on the
“We have had a long-term relationship government, as well as governments Peru’s mining industry, Macassi men- with companies like Nexa Resources, growth in Peru’s mining market in the transportation of heavy cargo including
with Macusani Yellocake, and expect to abroad, so it did not stop domestically tioned that Stierlift is currently involved in at their Cerro Lindo and Atacocha coming years? equipment for processing and concer-
initiate new operations with them after or internationally during the pandemic. large capex projects, but intends to grow operations. In addition, we work with I see four standout projects in Peru’s mi- tation plants, mills, crushers, conveyor
the American Lithium acquisition is com- However, the enforced halting of mining in the opex side of operations. Summa- some junior mining companies such as ning industry that offer opportunity in belts and large electrical goods. Fur-
plete, working with over 40,000 m of activities during 2020 impacted logistics rizing, he said: “In this respect we are Minera Licuna, having participated in 2021 – the US$2 billion dollar expansion at thermore, we transport large earth-
drilling core.” providers in a country whose mineral amplifying the company’s range of ser- their operations for three years. Yanacocha Sulfides, the Antamina phase moving vehicles, drills and trucks for the
On the R&D side of the business, Cer- production makes up 60% of its exports. vices so we can provide different options SK Rental currently has a fleet of 1 and 2 expansion, Buenaventura’s San likes of Caterpillar and Komatsu.
timin has developed an alliance with Although we did not stop working, the to mining companies, in addition to our around 500 units, amounting to a value Gabriel project, and Bear Creek Mining’s Today, Stierlift also offers services of
ECOMETRIC in Chile, to develop envi- mines were operating with no inbound or traditional heavy cargo transportation. of US$25 million, including industrial, Corani project. We will also be involved general cargo and dangerous/hazard-
ronmental solutions that currently do not outbound logistics, and we saw very low We are also working on warehouse man- earthmoving, and material handling in expansions at Las Bambas, Antapaccay, ous material such as explosives and
exist in Peru, revealed Jonathan Camp- occupation of our transport units,” relat- agement and docking systems which will equipmentt ■ Toquepala, and Hudbay’s Pampacancha combustibles. ■
bell, Certimin’s deputy general manager. ed Aurelio Palacios, general manager of help improve logistics times.” ■ project. ■

136 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 137
C O M PA N Y D I R E C T O RY Global Business Reports Industry Explorations C O M PA N Y D I R E C T O RY

3M CERRO DE PASCO
3m.com.pe pascoresources.com
ABB CERTIMIN
new.abb.com/south-america certimin.pe
ABSISA CHAKANA COPPER
www.absisa.com chakanacopper.com
ACEROS CHILCA CONFIPETROL
aceroschilca.com confipetrol.com
ACOINSA CUMMINS
acoinsa.com.pe www.cumminsperu.pe
AESA DENTONS
aesa.com.pe dentons.com
AIRTEC DIVEMOTOR
www.airtec.com.pe divemotor.com
AK DRILLING DSI
akdrillinginternational.com dsi-peru.com
AMC CONSULTANTS E29
amcconsultants.com www.e29copper.com
AMERICAN LITHIUM CORPORATION EBIZ
americanlithiumcorp.com www.ebiz.pe
AMPHOS 21 EFC
amphos21.com www.efc.com.pe
ANDDES ELYDAN
anddes.com elydan.eu/es
ANDRITZ ENGIE ENERGIA PERÚ
andritz.com engie-energia.pe
ANGLO AMERICAN EPIROC
peru.angloamerican.com epiroc.com.pe
APPIAN CAPITAL ADVISORY EY
appiancapitaladvisory.com ey.com/pe/es/home
ASTEC INC FAST PACK
www.astecindustries.com www.fastpack.com.pe/bkfatpack
ATLAS COPCO FERREYROS
atlascopco.com ferreyros.com.pe
AUSENCO FORTE MINERALS
ausenco.com forteminerals.com
AUSTIN ENGINEEERING FTI CONSULTING
austineng.com.au www.fticonsulting-latam.com
AVIS FUNDICIÓN CHILCA S.A.
avis.com.pe fucsa.pe
BEAR CREEK MINING G&G PERFORACIONES
bearcreekmining.com www.gygperforaciones.pe
BISA GEOTEC
bisa.com.pe www.geotec.com.pe/es
BOLSA DE VALORES DE LIMA (BVL) GOLD FIELDS
bvl.com.pe goldfields.com.pe
BOART LONGYEAR HOCHSCHILD MINING
www.boartlongyear.com/es hochschildmining.com
BOSCH REXROTH HUDBAY MINERALS
boschrexroth.com/es/pe/ hudbayminerals.com
BUENAVENTURA ICMM - Consejo Internacional de Minería y Metales
buenaventura.com www.icmm.com/es
BYRNECUT OFFSHORE IIMP – INSTITUTO DE INGENIEROS DE MINAS DEL PERÚ
byrnecutoffshore.com iimp.org.pe
CÁMARA DE COMERCIO CANADA-PERÚ INCIMMET
canadaperu.org incimmet.com
CALIDRA INDUSTRIAS MORVEN
www.calquipa.com industriasmorven.com
CAMINO MINERALS IPESA
caminominerals.com ipesa.com.pe

138 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 139
C O M PA N Y D I R E C T O RY Global Business Reports Industry Explorations C O M PA N Y D I R E C T O RY

JH FLETCHER PWC
jhfletcher.com www.pwc.pe/es
JRC INGENIERÍA Y CONSTRUCCIÓN RESEMIN
www.jrcing.com.pe resemin.com
KLOHN CRIPPEN BERGER ROBOCON
klohn.pe robocon.pe
KOMATSU MITSUI MAQUINARIAS DEL PERU (KMMP) SANTA BARBARA CONSULTANTS
kmmp.com.pe santabarbaraconsultants.com
LARA EXPLORATION SANY PERÚ
www.laraexploration.com www.sanyperu.com
LAYHER SCANIA
layher.pe scania.com/pe
LINKMINERS SIEMENS
www.linkminers.com siemens.com/pe/es/home.html
MAGOTTEAUX SILVER X
www.magotteaux.com/es/node/317 www.silverx-mining.com
MARTIN ENGINEERING SITECH
martin-eng.pe sitech.com.pe
MASTER DRILLING SK RENTAL
www.masterdrilling.com/es/ skrental.com
MDH PERÚ SODEXO
www.mdh.com.pe www.sodexo.pe
METAL TÉCNICA SOMBRERO RESOURCES
metaltecnica.com.pe sombreroresources.com
METSO SNMPE – SOCIEDAD NACIONAL DE MINERÍA, PETRÓLEO Y ENERGÍA
metso.com snmpe.org.pe
MICROMINE SOUTHERN COPPER
micromine.com southernperu.com
MINING PLUS SOUTHERN PEAKS MINING
mining-plus.com southernpeaksmining.com
MINISTERIO DE ENERGÍA Y MINAS SRK CONSULTING
minem.gob.pe srk.com
MINSUR STANTEC
www.minsur.com stantec.com
MMG LAS BAMBAS STIERLIFT
lasbambas.com www.stierlift.pe
MONTALI STRACON
www.montali.com.pe stracon.com
NEWREST TECNOMINA
1 www.newrest.eu/es/pais/peru tecnomina.pe
NEXA RESOURCES TIER ONE SILVER
nexaresources.com www.tieronesilver.com
NORMET TMX GROUP
normet.com tmx.com
NOVAMERA TORSA
novamerainc.com torsaglobal.com
NUBIAN RESOURCES TUMI RAISE BORING
www.nubianr.com tumirb.com
OHL VICEVERSA CONSULTING
ohla-group.com viceversaconsulting.com
PEVOEX CONTRATISTAS VOLVO
pevoex.com.pe volvotrucks.pe
PODEROSA WEIR MINERALS
www.poderosa.com.pe global.weir/peru
POSADA WHC DEL PERÚ
posada.pe peru.weatherhaven.com
PPS WORLEY
www.perupipingspools.com www.worley.com/who-we-are/where-we-operate/latin-america/peru
ROBOCON Tipografía: Gotham HTF
PROEXPLO WSP
Color: Negro 100%

SHOTCRETE SOLUTIONS
Tipografía: Avenir Next
Color: Negro 60%
proexplo.com.pe wsp.com
Colores:
PUCARA GOLD ZYFRA
ROBOCON pucara.ca www.zyfra.com
C 0 M 99 Y 76 K 0 C 0 M 0 Y 0 K 100
Pantone 185c
SHOTCRETE SOLUTIONS

140 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations Global Business Reports PERU MINING 2021 141
CREDITS Global Business Reports

Editorial and Management Team BICENTENNIAL EDITION


SEPTEMBER 20 - 24 , 2021
Senior Project Director: Ben Cherrington (bcherrington@gbreports.com)
Reporters: Ben Cherrington, Susana Isotupa (sisotupa@gbreports.com)
Project Coordinator: Mariolga Guyon (mguyon@gbreports.com)
Executive Editor: Mungo Smith (mungo@gbreports.com)
Operations Director: Miguel Pérez-Solero (mperezsolero@gbreports.com)
Graphic designer: Gonzalo Da Cunha (gonidc@gmail.com) Rumbo a PERUMIN seeks to foster an open and inclusive debate on
Graphic designer (ads): Ozgür & Deniz (ozgur@gbreports.com)
Graphic designer (GBR corporate materials): Inanç Duman (iduman@gbreports.com) mining and the role that the industry should play for the sustainable
General Manager: Alfonso Tejerina (alfonso@gbreports.com) development of the country.
Dr. Miguel Cardozo
President of Rumbo a PERUMIN
Your opinion is important to us,
please be in touch to share your comments on this report!
Consensus for $ $
For updated industry news from our on-the-ground teams around the world, sustainable Peruvian mining $ Competitive
please visit our website at gbreports.com,
development opportunities tax policy
subscribe to our newsletter through our website,
and follow us on Twitter (@GBReports) and LinkedIn (global-business-reports)

Competitiveness Long-term Mining and


and sustainability mining policy development

Thank You

We would like to thank all the executives and authorities


that took the time to meet with us.

Also, special thanks to:

CANADA-PERU CHAMBER OF COMMERCE


canadaperu.org

PERUVIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING ENGINEERS (IIMP)


iimp.org.pe

Be part of Rumbo a PERUMIN and participate in keynote


speeches, innovation and technology spaces, virtual
On August 27th, 2021, 16 mining professionals lost their lives in a road accident in Huallpachaca, Cotabambas. commercial exhibitions and talks, and more
The GBR team expresses its deepest condolences to their families, colleagues and the Peruvian mining community.
This book is dedicated to them.

GENERATING www.perumin.com
PROSPERITY
142 PERU MINING 2021 Industry Explorations FOR PERUVIANS

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