Argentina, Chile revive cross-border mining framework for investment

Representatives from three projects likely to benefit from the renewed framework are scheduled to meet in Santiago on Friday at a mining integration seminar. The projects are McEwen Copper's Los Azules in Argentina, Glencore's El Pachón and Vicuña, a cross-border copper project between Lundin Mining and BHP.

Vicuña has said it plans to use desalinated water from the Pacific Ocean, though it did not specify whether it would rely on Chilean infrastructure, and declined to comment on the government-level talks.

Los Azules does not plan to use desalinated water or export through Chilean ports, but a company spokesperson said it was interested in the discussions given the project's proximity to the border. BHP has not clarified whether the company will make use of the infrastructure already in place.

Argentina, long reliant on agricultural exports, has not produced copper since the closure of the Alumbrera mine in 2018. But a pipeline of projects under development could place it among the world's top 10 copper producers by 2030, analysts say. Alongside Chile, it could become part of a key supply hub for a metal critical to the energy transition.