Mining News - October/November 2023

Legislative News

 

 

Resolution 13/23 of the  General Directorate of Energy and Mining Resources of the Province of Salta, published in the Official Gazette of Salta on October 09, 2023

 

This Resolution modifies section 1 of Resolution 02/12, which regulates the payment of mining royalties. This amendment allows producers or those responsible for the payment of royalties to submit proof of payment of the royalties in digital format by sending it to the e-mail regaliasmineras@salta.gov.ar.

 

 

Resolution 151/2023 of the Ministry of Economy Secretariat of Mining, published in the Official Gazette on October 11, 2023

 

This Resolution establishes the definitive deregistration of 516 individuals and legal entities registered in the Mining Investment Registry of Law 24196. These individuals or legal entities may not request their registration in the same registry until two years after the this resolution is published.

 

 

Resolution 163/2023 of the Ministry of Economy Secretariat of Mining, published in the Official Gazette on October 18, 2023

 

This Resolution extends the scope of the Export Increase Program (in Chapter II of Decree 492/2023) to include categories that had not been included in previously regulations, thus adding the following tariff positions of the MERCOSUR Common Nomenclature (NC.M): Lithium products, limestone, borates, dolomite, raw silver, orthoboric acid, and precious and semiprecious stones. It also allows exports of such minerals at a preferential exchange rate of 75% of such exports, settled through the Mercado Libre de Cambios (Free Exchange Market), and the remaining 25% through spot transactions with settlement.

 

 

Resolution 350/2023 of the National Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, published in the Official Gazette on October 20, 2023

 

This Resolution establishes the minimum technical requirements for storing mercury, which those who have this material must comply with.

 

 

Law 5665 of the Legislature of the Province of Río Negro, published in the Official Gazette of Río Negro on October 23, 2023

 

This law complements the National Law of Minimum Requirements for Adaptation and Mitigation to Global Climate Change 27520. It establishes the provincial actions and strategies for adapting and mitigating climate change, to protect the population, the environment, and contribute to sustainable development.

 

 

Provision 249 of the Secretary of State of Mining, Mining Authority in First Instance of the Province of Santa Cruz, published in the Official Gazette of Santa Cruz on October 24, 2023

 

This Provision establishes that all owners or those responsible for mining projects in operation, maintenance and/or closure of mines must upload the Environmental Impact Statement  in the "CyMA Santa Cruz" platform of the water, air, and soil quality monitoring, created as from January 1, 2022.

 

 

Resolution 348-DEyP/2023 of the Ministry of Economic Development and Production of the Province of Jujuy, published in the Official Gazette of Jujuy on November 01, 2023

 

This Resolution modifies sections 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10 of Decree 8854-DEYP/2023 which regulates Law 3574 of the Mining Producers Registry.

 

 

Resolution 883/2023 of the Ministry of Economy and Energy Secretariat of the Nation, published in the Official Gazette on November 01, 2023

 

It establishes the possibility of compensating the penalties CAMMESA (Compañía Administradora Del Mercado Mayorista Eléctrico Sociedad Anónima) imposed to those non-complying projects by investing in the effective incorporation of new electric power capacity from renewable sources.

 

 

Decree 2023-593-APN-PTE, published in the Official Gazette on November 13, 2023

 

This Decree replaces section 29 of the Mining Investment Law. The new article modifies the modality of sanctions for non-compliance and infractions, which will be graduated according to their severity and the recidivism in the infraction.

 

 

Resolution 200/2023 of the Ministry of Economy National Mining Secretariat published in the Official Gazette on November 28, 2023

 

It updates the value of the annual mining royalty per property, in accordance with the provisions of Resolution 90 of July 11, 2023. The updates include the new value of the royalty for concessions of first-category substances set at ARS 4611.30 per property. For concessions of second-category substances, it was fixed at ARS 2329.92 per property.

 

 

Resolution 186-DPM/2023 issued by Jujuy’s Provincial Director of Mining, Eng. Jose G. Gomez, published in the Official Gazette of Jujuy on November 29, 2023

 

It enables the Instructions of the Digital System of Mineral Transit Guides in the official website of the Secretariat of Mining and Hydrocarbons of the Province of Jujuy.

 

 

Resolution 23/2023 of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, National Secretariat of Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Innovation, published in the Official Gazette on November 30, 2023

 

This Resolution approves the document "Guide for preparing Environmental Impact Studies - 2023 Edition" and the document "Guide on public participation in environmental assessment", to provide general conceptual and methodological guidelines preparing an environmental impact report.

 

 

Mining in the Media

 

 

“Los Azules: New investments by Stellantis and Nuton in McEwen Copper,” published in Panorama Minero on October 12, 2023

 

McEwen Copper announced new investments from Stellantis and Nuton in Rio Tinto.

Stellantis, the world's leading automobile manufacturer and mobility provider, closed an additional ARS 42 billion investment. At the same time, Nuton, Rio Tinto's innovative company, will expand its investment with USD 10 million. Nuton and McEwen Copper also agreed to extend the exclusivity period on novel, secret, or proprietary copper heap leach technologies until February 1, 2025.

 

“Lithium in Salta: Argentina Lithium resumes exploration of its project,” published in Panorama Minero on October 20, 2023

 

Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. announced resuming the drilling at the Rincón Oeste lithium project, in the Salta puna. This is the exploration junior Grosso Group owns, that recently received a USD 90 million investment from Stellantis.

 

 

“Techint disembarks in lithium: Tecpetrol sealed the purchase of Alpha Lithium,” published in Ámbito financiero on October 22, 2023

 

The oil company Tecpetrol, of the Techint Group, acquired 54% of the actions of Alpha Lithium, at CAP 1.48 per action. It plans to invest USD 800 million in a megaproject in the Salar de Tolillar, in Salta.

Tecpetrol anticipates that, if it moves forward with the purchase of the shares, it will invest USD 777 million for the construction of the Tolillar project in Salta.

 

 

“8 copper megaprojects: investments for USD 22 billion,” published in the Ámbito on November 05, 2023

 

According to data from the National Mining Secretary, there are currently eight megaprojects in different stages of development for producing red metal, whose construction in the next few years will demand investments for more than USD 22 billion and will allow incremental exports to exceed USD 11 billion per year. These are the Josemaría (the only one that started the construction stage), El Pachón, El Altar, Los Azules and Filo del Sol projects, all located in the province of San Juan; and the Minera Agua Rica Alumbrera (Mara), San Jorge and Taca Taca projects, located in the province of Catamarca.

 

 

“Lithium: Eramet announced the start of production at Centenario by mid-2024,” published in Panorama Minero on November 14, 2023

 

The French company Eramet and the Chinese Tsingshan presented the strategy they will complete for developing its projects linked to the energy transition. Company executives shared the next steps in Argentina, where the company is carrying out its flagship project, known as "Centenario," in Salta. This project is expected to start production in the second quarter of 2024.