en.Wedoany.com Reported - Glencore's Pachón copper mine project in Argentina completed 53 drill holes totaling 21,264 meters during its 2025-2026 drilling campaign, providing key geophysical, geotechnical, hydrogeological, and magnetic survey data for deposit modeling.
The drilling campaign has had a significant impact on local employment. The geological team consists of 60 professionals, 30 of whom are direct employees and another 30 are locally hired professionals from San Juan. During peak drilling activity, over 600 people from San Juan and surrounding communities were employed through suppliers and contractors.
In terms of infrastructure, the drilling campaign facilitated the completion of two strategic bridges over the Colorado River and the Los Patos River, with a total investment of $15 million. Local labor was prioritized during construction, with a peak direct workforce of 120 people, 90% of whom came from Calingasta.
Operations during the summer period were completed without any accidents or injuries, thanks to the high safety standards, continuous risk prevention training, and drills implemented by the Glencore Pachón team in collaboration with local engineering firms.
Christoff Kuhn, Director of Glencore's Latin American Project Portfolio, stated that this milestone confirms the company's commitment to advancing construction with discipline, safety, and responsibility, aiming to safely, reliably, and sustainably develop a world-class copper mine to meet the demand for critical minerals for the global energy transition.
As part of its sustainability commitments, Glencore Pachón's procurement of goods and services from local San Juan businesses in 2025 amounted to $44.5 million, with 31% coming from suppliers and contractors in Calingasta. In the same year, approximately 500 million Argentine pesos were allocated for social investment and development, supporting education, training, institutional capacity building, and community entrepreneurship projects.
At the operational level, the project achieved 3 million work hours without injuries or environmental incidents. Additionally, several improvement measures were implemented, including expanding accommodation modules at the Pachón and Canicería camps, installing sustainable solar street lighting, and equipping a fully stocked medical room and central polyclinic at the Pachón camp.
Glencore Pachón stated that it will continue to advance the copper mine project to supply critical minerals for the energy transition and is committed to improving the quality of life for communities surrounding its operations.
