SEMS Exploration is a consultancy and exploration services company in West Africa. Geologist and Managing Director, Simon Meadows Smith, walks us through the trends he observes in the region.
After five months in Lima and more than 130 interviews, the conversations with C-executives along the Peruvian mining value chain touched on various topics. These included production targets, drilling results, the benefits of new technologies like the so-called “digital twins” to replicate reality in a virtual environment, and even the use of cartridge valves. However, a recurring theme in almost every interview, and perhaps the most significant one in relevance, is Peru's loss of its position as the second-largest copper producer to the Democratic Republic of Congo.