Argentina’s National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC) released the latest results of the Mining Industrial Production Index (IPIM), which showed a 9.5% year-on-year increase in April 2026.
By Panorama Minero
According to the agency, the index also recorded a 7.4% increase during the January-April period of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
INDEC also reported that the seasonally adjusted series rose 0.7% compared to March, while the trend-cycle series posted a 0.4% monthly increase.
Metallic Minerals
The metallic minerals extraction category recorded a 12.5% year-on-year increase in April.
For the first four months of the year, output in the segment rose 1.7% compared to the same period in 2025.
According to the report, the strongest contribution came from silver, gold and their concentrates, which increased 15.8% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the category covering other metallic minerals — including iron, copper, lead, zinc and molybdenum — posted a decline in April compared to the same month last year, although it accumulated a 9.2% increase during the first four months of 2026.
Lithium and Minerals for the Chemical Industry
The strongest growth within the IPIM was once again recorded in the minerals used in chemical manufacturing category.
This segment increased 73.0% year-on-year in April and accumulated a 52.6% increase during the January-April period.
Performance was driven primarily by the extraction of lithium carbonate and other lithium minerals, which grew 79.0% compared to April 2025 and 55.9% in the year-to-date comparison.
INDEC also reported that 11,466.1 tonnes of lithium carbonate were processed in April, representing a 60.4% increase compared to the same month last year.
For the first four months of 2026, lithium carbonate production increased 48.2% compared to the same period in 2025.
Oil and Gas
The index covering the extraction of crude oil and natural gas, together with related support services, recorded a 6.0% year-on-year increase in April.
During the January-April period, the category posted a 5.3% increase compared to the previous year.
Within the segment, crude oil production rose 19.1% compared to April 2025.
According to INDEC, production reached 1.2998 million cubic meters of conventional crude oil and 2.9153 million cubic meters of unconventional crude oil during April, representing a 10.0% decline and a 39.2% increase, respectively.
Natural gas production increased 2.8% year-on-year, while cumulative production for the first four months of the year rose 0.1%.
During April, production totaled 1.382 billion cubic meters of conventional natural gas and 2.8363 billion cubic meters of unconventional natural gas, reflecting a 12.1% decline and a 12.2% increase, respectively.
