en.Wedoany.com Reported - Chile's National Mining Company (ENAMI) is advancing a new strategic deployment aimed at strengthening its presence in the Antofagasta and Taltal regions by exploring new business opportunities, optimizing processing infrastructure, and expanding support for small-scale mines. This agenda, led by the state-owned enterprise's Executive Vice President Juan Carlos Sáez, includes meetings with the Antofagasta Regional Government, a visit to Minera Las Cenizas' oxide processing plant, and inspections of the La Perdida and Cachinalito mines in the Taltal area.
The core of the agenda is to analyze how to strengthen regional small and medium-scale mining, particularly in an area where operations of different scales coexist, and where processing capacity, permits, and financing remain decisive factors for producer growth.
ENAMI met with Regional Governor Ricardo Díaz Cortés in Antofagasta to review progress on existing planning agreements. Discussion topics included the procurement process for crushers for ENAMI's plants in Taltal and Tocopilla, as well as other projects under development. The parties also analyzed the possibility of utilizing regional funds to drive new initiatives. Attendees at this meeting included Regional Mining Secretary Jorge Astudillo, Regional Budget and Investment Director Mercedes Álvarez, and ENAMI's interim managers Adrián Soto, Yerko González, and Nicolás Pacheco.
The itinerary then moved to Taltal, where the team visited Minera Las Cenizas' oxide processing plant. The plant processes approximately 160,000 tons of ore per month, operating entirely with seawater (100% seawater). Both teams inspected the plant's operations and development prospects, and agreed to develop a roadmap to evaluate potential new businesses related to small and medium-scale mining development, focusing on the Taltal mining district. ENAMI also reviewed the mining company's practices for optimizing mineral recovery, aiming to identify experiences applicable to other production processes.
The agenda also included visits to two small-scale mines: the La Perdida mine, owned by producer Juan Pablo Berríos, and the Cachinalito mine, owned by producer Juan Cortés. Both mines have plans to increase production through ENAMI's support tools. According to information provided during the visit, one of the main obstacles to scaling up is the permitting process, which particularly impacts small producers due to their limited financial capacity to sustain long waiting periods.
ENAMI Executive Vice President Sáez stated that the state-owned enterprise's goal is to help these mines reach the next stage of development. He emphasized that there is now a need to mine and process ore, and ENAMI is committed to helping producers double or triple their output. The executive also noted that growth at these mines could lead to new job creation in the region. The challenge for the state-owned enterprise lies in effectively aligning its facilitation tools, processing capacity, and infrastructure with projects that require larger scale to achieve economic sustainability.
ENAMI's agenda demonstrates that the company will strengthen Taltal's production ecosystem through three directions: infrastructure, new business, and direct support for producers. In the short term, progress on the crushers planned for ENAMI's plants, potential collaboration with Minera Las Cenizas, and growth at mines like La Perdida and Cachinalito may define part of the evolution of smaller-scale mining activities in the region.
