PSJ Cobre Mendocino deepens its feasibility stage with the formation of technical teams that, together, exceed 300 professionals dedicated to the project in a phase that considers a US$15 million investment. The structure includes engineering consultancies, specialized laboratories, and local companies that participate in different disciplines necessary to adjust geological, operational, and economic parameters prior to a potential construction decision.
By Panorama Minero
The project, located in the locality of Uspallata, recently obtained the Environmental Impact Statement (EIA) to move toward the construction of an operation oriented to copper concentrate production. According to the parameters disclosed at the prefeasibility stage, the initiative contemplates an estimated investment of around US$560 million and is positioned within the Argentine copper pipeline as one of the initiatives with the highest degree of technical advancement.
The development of PSJ, led by Switzerland’s Zonda Metals and Argentina’s Alberdi Energy, is closely followed by the industry because it could become the first project to reactivate copper production in the country after years without new metalliferous operations in this segment. Annual production of 40,000 tonnes of fine copper from concentrate is expected.
According to the company, the process seeks to consolidate the project’s technical base following environmental approval, integrating Mendoza-based companies such as Distrocuyo, GT Ingeniería, Alex Stewart International Argentina, Knight Piésold and Gestión Compensaciones & Capital Humano, among others. The scheme reflects a multidisciplinary technical deployment that combines engineering, laboratory analysis, operational support, and specialized management.
“From PSJ we reaffirm our commitment to Mendoza and to the development of its productive fabric. Except for certain specific cases linked to specialties inherent to a new industry in the Province, we aim for at least 90% of contracts to be executed with Mendoza-based companies, prioritizing capability and experience,” stated Fabián Gregorio, CEO of the company.
More than 300 Professionals in the Feasibility Review
Feasibility constitutes a central technical instance within the mining development cycle, as it allows economic assumptions to be reviewed, engineering design to be optimized, and uncertainties to be reduced based on more precise information. In this context, the simultaneous participation of more than 300 specialists reflects the scale of the work required to integrate new geological, metallurgical, and infrastructure evaluations into the project model.
From a technical standpoint, the deposit is conceived as a copper operation oriented toward concentrate production through conventional crushing, grinding, and flotation processes, integrating processing and logistics facilities adapted to the high-mountain conditions characteristic of the Uspallata area. The update seeks to review variables such as metallurgical recovery, mining sequence, infrastructure design, and energy requirements, key aspects for advancing toward a construction definition.
“To date, approximately 300 specialized professionals from companies with extensive track records in the Province are indirectly joining the team already working on the Project. This is a clear example of the indirect employment generated by mining,” Gregorio added.
Infill Works
In parallel with the deployment of technical teams, PSJ announced that Conosur, which is also based in Mendoza, will advance with infill drilling work aimed at increasing the density of information within already known sectors of the deposit. This type of campaign consists of carrying out additional drill holes with the objective of improving the continuity of the mineralized model and increasing the level of confidence in the resource.
From a technical standpoint, infill drilling is key within a feasibility study, as it provides data that allow optimization of the mine plan, adjustment of geotechnical parameters, and support for the project’s economic estimates.
With the integration of more than 300 professionals, the advancement of infill campaigns and the recent DIA that enables the path toward construction, PSJ continues consolidating its most advanced technical stage.
