Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In
AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Simplified.

© 2025 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Contract Award

    Awakening the Argentine giant: copper project risk and value notes for engineers

    December 7, 2025|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    Awakening the Argentine giant: copper project risk and value notes for engineers

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Argentina is being framed as the “Chile of 50 years ago”, with the same Andean porphyry copper belt that hosts Chile’s giant copper-gold systems but almost no large-scale development due to decades of political and economic instability. President Javier Milei’s post‑2023 austerity reforms have cut inflation, lifted bond prices and lowered the country‑risk index to a five‑year low, triggering renewed interest from majors. BHP’s multi‑billion‑dollar move on Filo Mining and Glencore’s review of two copper projects totalling about US$13.5 billion signal a step‑change in exploration and project pipeline risk for Argentina.

    Technical Brief

    • The porphyry copper belt described straddles the Chile–Argentina border, implying similar intrusive–volcanic host lithologies and alteration styles.
    • Political instability is identified as the primary non-technical constraint delaying large-scale mine build-out, rather than orebody quality or scale.

    Our Take

    Among the 183 Mining stories in our database, copper pieces linked to Argentina and Chile increasingly emphasise long lead times similar to the 20‑year development window cited here, which signals that majors like BHP, Glencore and Rio Tinto will be weighing entry now against a multi-decade build-out horizon.

    The comparison of Argentina’s discovery potential to Chile 50–60 years ago aligns with other copper coverage in Latin America where underexplored belts are being framed as ‘second-wave’ jurisdictions, implying that assets like Los Azules could be positioned more as strategic landbanks than near-term production plays.

    With Argentina’s country-risk index noted at its lowest point in five years and Javier Milei’s 2023 election, this article sits alongside a small cluster of Latin America pieces in our coverage where improving sovereign risk is explicitly linked to renewed M&A appetite from diversified houses such as Barrick and Lundin Mining rather than only from pure-play juniors.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Northern Star gold hubs: deep extensions and design takeaways for mine planners
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Northern Star gold hubs: deep extensions and design takeaways for mine planners

    Northern Star Resources reports strong exploration results across its Australian hubs, with deep extensions and high‑grade gold intercepts at operations including Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines in Western Australia. Drilling has identified mineralisation continuing at depth beneath existing workings, with multiple emerging zones that could support life‑of‑mine extensions and higher‑grade feed to existing mills. For mine planners and geotechs, the focus now shifts to underground access design, ground support in deeper stress regimes, and sequencing to integrate new stopes into current production.

    Regis WA exploration pipeline: mine life and design takeaways for planners
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Regis WA exploration pipeline: mine life and design takeaways for planners

    Regis Resources is flagging a “significant pipeline” of near-mine and regional exploration targets across its Duketon and Tropicana gold operations in Western Australia, aiming to extend mine life and lift mill feed quality. The company is focusing on brownfields drilling around existing open pits and underground workings, plus greenfields prospects along under-tested shear zones within its Duketon belt and the Tropicana joint venture corridor. For geotechs and mine planners, the message is to expect ongoing resource definition drilling, updated pit shells and potential underground studies rather than major new project footprints.

    Harmony Eva copper project: Metso contract design implications for mine engineers
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Harmony Eva copper project: Metso contract design implications for mine engineers

    Harmony Gold has advanced its Eva copper project in Queensland by awarding Metso a major equipment contract as the greenfield mine moves towards site construction. The deal covers key comminution and processing plant components, with Metso to supply crushing and grinding equipment sized for large-scale copper throughput at one of Australia’s biggest planned copper developments. The contract signals design lock-in for the process flowsheet and allows detailed engineering, foundation design and construction scheduling to proceed on a firmer basis.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.