After a period of inactivity, Ulex Comercializadora Argentina S.A. resumed operations at the Sol de Mañana deposit, located in the Salta Puna. The restart of one of the country’s most emblematic borate operations is once again boosting production, employment, and exports in a historic industry that supplies more than 40 international markets and keeps Salta among the world’s most important regions for boron minerals.
By Panorama Minero
The company resumed extraction and processing activities at the Sol de Mañana deposit, located in the town of Sijes, Los Andes Department, more than 4,000 meters above sea level and approximately 80 kilometers from San Antonio de los Cobres. The project had remained inactive following the transfer of the mining operation by Ulex S.A., and its restart once again positions the region as one of South America’s leading borate hubs.
Founded in 1987, the company consolidated itself in international markets through the production of boron minerals, a strategic input used in more than 1,500 industrial applications.
The production process developed in Sijes includes everything from the extraction of hydroboracite and colemanite to industrial processing, including granulometric selection, crushing, washing, drying, and laboratory quality control. This makes it possible to obtain products adapted to the demands of international markets, where Salta maintains a recognized export tradition.
A Historic Industry
Historically, the province has been a pioneer in the development of Argentina’s borate industry. According to academic and geological research, borate exploitation in the Puna began in the 1870s, becoming one of the oldest and most continuous mining activities in the country.
Renowned Salta geologist Ricardo Alonso states that the borate industry constitutes “one of the historic prides of Salta mining,” with more than a century and a half of uninterrupted activity.
The geological importance of the Salta Puna lies in the existence of two major types of borates: salar borates and the so-called “hard” or fossil borates, found in mountain ranges such as Sijes. This region contains significant reserves of hydroboracite and colemanite, minerals that share characteristics with major deposits in Turkey and the United States, two of the world’s leading borate producers.
In addition to its geological potential, Salta has developed over decades an industry with high added value. The province exports not only raw mineral, but also industrialized derivatives such as boric acid, refined borax, pentaborates, and special compounds used by the chemical, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries.
Currently, Salta’s borate products reach more than 40 countries, with Brazil as the main regional market due to demand from the glass and ceramics industries.
Mining Expansion and Consolidation of a Productive Profile
The reactivation of Sol de Mañana comes amid a strong mining expansion in the province, mainly driven by lithium and metalliferous projects. However, industry specialists emphasize that borates continue to occupy a strategic place because of their wide range of industrial applications and the historical stability of international demand.
Within this context, the restart of operations in Sijes represents a positive signal for the regional economy and for the consolidation of Salta’s mining productive profile. The return of activity not only strengthens the generation of genuine employment in the Puna, but also reactivates service chains linked to transportation, maintenance, logistics, and local supply.
With a mining tradition spanning more than 150 years, the borate industry continues to be one of the historic pillars of Salta’s mining production and a key component in the diversification of provincial exports.
