Today
Mendoza offers the world its countless mineral resources
both as industrial minerals and application rocks.
The province’s mining policy provides a favourable
legal framework, aimed at attracting new investment,
incorporating new technology to support a sustainable
exploitation of its mineral resources.
Mendoza produces a wide range of minerals and application
rocks of astonishing beauty which are hidden in the
impressive geological formations found in this province
Metalliferous minerals
Cuyo is one of the regions with high expectations
in mineral resources due to the importance of the
potential shown in most of the metalliferous mineral
deposits discovered.
The provincial metalliferous mineral deposits include
porfir of copper with molibdene and gold, and those
of epithermal gold.
Non-metalliferous minerals
There are areas that produce non-metalliferous
minerals such as talc, asbestos and serpentine and
industrial mineral deposits such as gypsum, baritine,
bentonite, fluorite, quartz, kaolin, clay as well
as volcanic minerals such as granulate, toba and pumice
stone.
Mendoza is the first domestic producer
of talc, with an annual production ranging from 10,000
to 15,000 tons, reaching 42,000 tons in 1977. Mendoza
represents a share of 80% in the domestic market.
Gypsum production
reaches 100,000 tons per year in the areas of Puente
del Inca and Malargüe.
Application rocks
Among the most outstanding applications rocks,
quarries of limestone, marble and travertine and slab
stone may be mentioned. Many of these rocks find a
direct application in the manufacture of construction
materials.
Mining profile of the province
and exportable offer
The mining profile of Mendoza is clearly
defined and differentiated according to regions.
As regards non-metalliferous minerals, the province
of Mendoza is one of the five main producing provinces
of Argentina with a wide range of applications from
oil production to the wine industry, among others.
Mendoza’s mining industry represents 0.3% of
total national GDP and 5% of total national production
volume.
The exportable mining offer of Mendoza
concentrates mainly on four products: non-pulverized
cement, bentonite, setting gypsum and perlite. These
exports are distributed as follows:
100% of non-pulverized cement
is exported to Chile
83% of bentonite is exported to Chile, 5.75% to Brazil,
5.42% to Uruguay, 3.79% to Bolivia and 1.53% to Paraguay.
45.96% of setting gypsum is exported to Uruguay, 36.43%
to Chile and 17.6% to Paraguay.
91.85% of perlite is exported to Colombia, 5% to Chile
and 1.67% to Guatemala.
Related web
sites
Minería
de la Nación
Segemar
Instituto
de Geología y Minería
Mineranet,
el sitio de la Minería
International
Trade Fairs and events in which Fundación ProMendoza
takes part
Expomin
Santiago de Chile
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