Can you introduce us to the history of Knight Piésold in Argentina, as well as its current footprint?

Knight Piésold is an international engineering and environmental consulting firm specializing in the mining sector. Our Argentina office was established in 2005 in San Juan; today, our headquarters are in Mendoza. We provide a full range of EPCM services, encompassing environmental permits, engineering, and contract management. In Argentina, our goal is to provide specialized, high-quality services across a range of disciplines.

Today, our major projects include Fortuna Mining’s Lindero mine, Lundin Mining & BHP’s Josemaría project, Glencore’s El Pachón, and McEwen Copper’s Los Azules. We are also active in Patagonia with an office in Perito Moreno, where we work on Cerro Negro, among other projects.

How has the recent introduction of RIGI impacted demand for Knight Piésold’s services?

The introduction of RIGI has created enormous expectations for the future of mining in Argentina. There is considerable activity in the mining sector in Argentina at present. Nonetheless, markets are looking for indications that this wheel will continue turning. Globally, it is a challenging time for any project to secure adequate financing, let alone for the large-scale of projects we are currently developing in Argentina, which will require billions of dollars of investment to bring to production.

What are some of the trends associated with mining in Argentina today?

Argentina is a vast country: there is lithium in the north; copper in the central regions; and in the south, the big commodities are gold and silver. Such diversity demands very different specialized expertise, as a lithium brine operation is nothing like an open-pit copper mine. Moreover, Argentina is a federal country, with each province having its own mining regulations. Given our nationwide presence, we understand how to navigate these diverse regional environments.

The different mining regions also experience varying price cycles, which have historically influenced how we allocate our resources. For example, when lithium was booming in the late 2010s, demand for talent skyrocketed in the Lithium Triangle provinces as companies sought to attract the best candidates, and salaries for projects in Patagonia could not compete. Nowadays, however, mining is relatively strong across the country.

From your perspective as an environmental consultancy, how do mining projects in Argentina approach sustainability?

There are numerous improvements that we can implement in our projects, and our goal is to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that our projects are delivered successfully. There is considerable momentum to draft new environmental regulations at both the federal and provincial levels.

From Knight Piésold’s perspective, community engagement is a key part of this industry. Our experience has shown us that local communities are quite receptive to mining projects today. Given Argentina’s recent economic struggles, communities view mining as a means to improve income and standards of living in their region. As a result, whenever possible, we seek out local expertise to complete specific tasks and contribute to local communities by supporting initiatives in hospitals and schools. We are also interested in developing the long-term human capital of these communities where mining operations are planned by investing in the local population through training programs and targeted community assistance.

Looking ahead, what are some of your goals for Knight Piésold Argentina in the months to come?

Knight Piésold has a presence across Latin America and the globe, and we are striving to collaborate more closely with our regional counterparts. This integration provides a platform for sharing resources and ideas on various topics. For example, we are currently exploring how to bring AI into our workflows and developing new applications with it.

Broadly speaking, the history of Knight Piésold Argentina has been one of continuous expansion. We began as a purely environmental consulting firm before expanding into an engineering wing, offering both geotechnical and electromechanical services. We then brought our tailings transport solutions to Argentina, and over the last 3-4 years, we have begun to build our capacity in engineering, procurement, and construction management. The fundamental idea is that to grow, we must provide our clients with more value by exceeding their needs. As Argentina’s mining industry expands, we plan to grow together with it.