Argentina is a country for mining entrepreneurs with an appetite for risk and eager for incredible geology. Despite the very name of Argentina being a reference to its mineral resources (in Latin, Argentina is the feminine noun for silver), the second biggest South American country has yet to develop its mineral potential. After remarkable growth in the mining sector over the last 10 years, the nation should now see the beginning of a new era with very large projects coming into place for the first time. According to the Secretary of Mining, there are a total of 614 mining projects, including the large-scale Barrick Gold’s Pascua Lama and Vale’s Rio Colorado. These projects range from exploration to production and from industrial minerals to precious metals and are changing the face of Argentina.

It is surprising that Argentina is so underexplored when compared to neighboring countries Chile and Brazil. Theories explaining this vary widely. One of the most accepted explanations is that, because Argentina has such fertile land, most investments have been focused on agriculture, generally considered to be less risky than mining. Nevertheless, despite great expectations when it comes to the geology of the country, private companies look at Argentina’s political scenario with caution that leads to pragmatism.