PSJ Cobre Mendocino (San Jorge) — copper and gold
First Mendoza copper project in the RIGI: a political-regulatory milestone for a province where metal mining had historically been blocked (Ley 7722). Employment estimated by the press: +6,300 direct and indirect jobs.
The projectwhat it is, the route, the owners, the works and the contractors
Who owns it
Minera San Jorge S.A. (CUIT 30-69228382-8), the project vehicle, controlled by Zonda Metals GmbH (Switzerland) and Grupo Alberdi (Argentina) prob ↗
The works, milestone by milestone
Work starts on updating the environmental and social baseline, across more than 160 measurement sites, in the pre-construction stage.
The Ministry of Economy approves the accession through Resolución 801/2026, with eligible assets of USD 613,430,234 and a commitment of 27 % local supplier purchasing.
Minera San Jorge files its application to join the RIGI.
The owner announces the feasibility-update teams: some 300 specialists from six Mendoza companies, and a pledge that «at least 90% of contracts» go to companies from the province.
The owner and Distrocuyo sign the agreement for the engineering studies of the San Jorge 220/33 kV substation and the 220 kV line to the Mendoza Norte substation.
Ley 9684 is published in Mendoza's Official Gazette No. 32493, alongside Ley 9685, which approves another twenty-seven mining Environmental Impact Declarations.
The governor enacts the law through Decreto 2783: «Téngase por Ley de la Provincia la Sanción N° 9684».
Mendoza's Legislature passes Ley 9684, approving the Environmental Impact Declaration and making it binding. It is the first metalliferous project ratified by the Legislature since Ley 7722.
The Mining Directorate and the Environmental Management and Oversight Directorate issue the Environmental Impact Declaration through Joint Resolution 405/25 and 71/25: 162 articles of conditions.
The project's public hearing is held, with what the province itself describes as historic turnout.
Minera San Jorge files its Environmental Impact Report, prepared by GT Ingeniería, opening file EX-2025-00278264-GDEMZA-MINERIA.
Who already has a contract
More than 50 people assigned to the project during the feasibility update, according to the owner's statement of February 13, 2026. The line agreement was signed on December 17, 2025, a week after the enactment of the law approving the Environmental Impact Declaration.
One hundred professionals assigned to the project, the largest headcount of the six companies on the technical team.
More than 50 professionals assigned to the project.
Forty-five people assigned to the project.
Twenty-five specialists working on the project.
Joining the team for infill work; the campaign started in March 2026 with some 28 holes and around 12,000 metres planned.
How to supply itwhere to register, what they ask for and what they will buy
How to become a supplier
Minera San Jorge S.A., CUIT 30-69228382-8, with offices at 9 de Julio 1190, 3rd floor, office 3, city of Mendoza. ⭐ Unlike almost every other RIGI project, the administration is NOT in Buenos Aires: the vehicle is domiciled in the province itself. The company joined as a single-project vehicle, with no separate branch.
Purchasing is decided by the owner, with Fabián Gregorio as CEO and chairman, and the stated criterion is «concurso de precios, competitividad y trayectoria con estándares internacionales» — a price competition weighing competitiveness and track record against international standards. There is also a second table for the electrical works: the San Jorge substation and its 220 kV line are handled by Distrocuyo, Cuyo's regulated transmission company, which buys on its own account and committed in writing to prioritising labour and goods from Uspallata. And a third, institutional door: the Local Supplier Cluster that the Environmental Impact Declaration requires be set up together with the Municipality of Las Heras.
The registration routes that exist today, with their status. The one that is up and running is not always the official one.
Local Supplier Cluster with the Municipality of Las Heras
being builtVerbatim from article 32 of the Environmental Impact Declaration: «En articulación con el Municipio de Las Heras, La Empresa deberá conformar un Cluster de Proveedores Locales, asegurando la integración de micro y pequeñas Empresas locales a la cadena de valor. Asimismo, La Empresa deberá invertir en programas de capacitación y asistencia técnica que potencien las habilidades de los residentes y la competitividad de las Empresas locales».
Community relations office in Uspallata
up and running todayArticle 33 of the Environmental Impact Declaration requires the owner to keep «una oficina de relaciones con la comunidad y autoridades locales en Uspallata durante las etapas de construcción, operación y cierre, para facilitar el contacto directo y el acceso a la información sobre el proyecto», with a monthly updated log of developments.
Mining Supplier Database of Mendoza's Mining Directorate
up and running todayAn open form run by the Mining Directorate. Verbatim: «Este formulario está diseñado para recopilar información detallada sobre proveedores mineros de la provincia, con el propósito de integrarlos a nuestra base de datos interna. La información proporcionada nos permitirá mantenerlos informados sobre actividades, novedades y eventos relacionados con la minería, además de invitarlos a participar de futuras iniciativas».
Go to the single windowabrirWhat they ask you for
Sign mirror clauses of the owner's Integrity and Compliance Programme, and pass prior and periodic due diligence verif Oct 28, 2025 ↗Verbatim from article 23 of the Environmental Impact Declaration: the owner «deberá implementar y mantener un Programa de Integridad y Compliance adecuado al riesgo del Proyecto (...) incluyendo: código de conducta, capacitaciones periódicas, canal de denuncias, oficial de cumplimiento, gestión de riesgos y procedimientos de investigación y sanción interna. La Empresa extenderá estas obligaciones a toda su cadena de contratación mediante cláusulas espejo y debida diligencia previa y periódica».
Comply with all environmental, transport and health and safety rules, with enforcement powers reaching subcontractors at any tier verif Oct 28, 2025 ↗Verbatim from article 22: the owner «deberá respetar y hacer respetar el cumplimiento íntegro y permanente de la normativa ambiental, de transporte, de seguridad e higiene, y de toda otra normativa aplicable (...) por parte de: (i) la propia Empresa; (ii) su personal; (iii) contratistas y subcontratistas de cualquier nivel; y (iv) el personal y contratados de estos últimos». And the authority «podrá ordenar la suspensión inmediata de tareas, el retiro de personal/vehículos/equipos, la interrupción de operaciones específicas y/o exigir garantías adicionales».
A qualifying degree with registration in the Province of Mendoza for any professional work, where applicable verif Oct 28, 2025 ↗Verbatim from article 27: «Profesionales matriculados. Todos aquellos que desempeñen tareas profesionales deberán acreditar título habilitante a tales efectos, con matriculación en la Provincia de Mendoza en caso de corresponder».
A Safety and Risk Prevention Plan for transporting supplies, materials and fuels verif Oct 28, 2025 ↗Verbatim from article 43: the owner «debe garantizar que el transporte de insumos, materiales y/o combustibles desde cualquier punto geográfico a la planta y desde la planta hacia afuera de la zona de explotación, se realice siguiendo los protocolos y/o normativas, contando con un Plan de Seguridad y Prevención de Riesgos». Articles 111 to 113 add the transport plan under Ley 24.449 and signage approved by the National Roads Directorate.
Mendoza sets no local-content quota by general law: the commitment lives in the federal ruling (27 %) and in the company's pledge (90 %), and the provincial obligation is the cluster, not a percentage prob Feb 13, 2026 ↗These are three different numbers and none of them is a provincial floor. (1) The federal ruling approving the RIGI accession records a commitment of 27 % of the amount earmarked for suppliers, which «excede el 20 % exigido por el citado inciso». (2) The project's CEO stated in February 2026: «apuntamos a que al menos el 90% de los contratos se realicen con empresas mendocinas, priorizando la capacidad y la experiencia» — aiming for at least 90 % of contracts with Mendoza companies, except for specialities new to the province. (3) Ley 9567, through which Mendoza joined the RIGI, runs to three articles and sets no floor at all.
The order you get in by
Walk into the community relations office in Uspallata, which the environmental permit requires be kept open, and get on the local circuit that way
Join the bodies preparing the Local Supplier Cluster: the working table with the Municipality of Las Heras and the Uspallata Chamber of Mining Suppliers, and the supplier training cycles
Have ready what the permit demands before signing: your own integrity programme able to accept the owner's mirror clauses, professionals registered in Mendoza, and a transport safety plan
For the high-voltage electrical works, approach Distrocuyo, which handles them on its own account and committed to prioritising goods and labour from Uspallata
Watch the permit's own calendar: every work is reported to the environmental authority thirty days in advance, so the notice is public before it starts 30 days before each work
What it will buy, and when
The deadline to complete the minimum investment is September 1, 2028 and construction starts in June 2027: the first two years of the plan — USD 40.5 M and USD 148.1 M — are spent BEFORE there is any heavy construction, so the purchasing that sets the calendar is engineering and long-lead equipment, not earthmoving.
The infrastructure left behind is not just the mine: it is the substation and the 220 kV line that stabilise Uspallata's electricity supply, a network of at least four hydro-meteorological stations tied into the provincial telemetry network, works and signage on National Route 149, and a permanent office in the town. All paid for by the private party, and all used by someone else.
Each phase buys different things at different times.
Feasibility update and detailed engineering
under way⭐ THIS IS THE PHASE THAT PAYS NOW, and the only one with contracts already handed out: some 300 specialists from six Mendoza companies — Distrocuyo, GT Ingeniería, Alex Stewart International Argentina, Knight Piésold, Gestión Compensaciones & Capital Humano and Conosur — working on electrical engineering, laboratory work, geotechnics, human resources and infill drilling. Running alongside are the infill drilling campaign, started in March 2026, and the update of the environmental and social baseline across more than 160 measurement sites. What this phase demands is technical services and campaign logistics, not heavy construction.
They are not buying any of this today. Open the phase to see the detail and arrive qualified the day it goes to tender.
What it will need and has no supplier for yet
Civil works, mountain roads and concentrator plant assembly
highConstruction from June 2027 with capacity to process 10 Mt/year: capex concentrated in 18-24 months of works.
Environmental and social-license services (water monitoring in Uspallata)
highMendoza is the province with the greatest water and environmental sensitivity towards mining: environmental compliance and monitoring is a condition of operating.
We cross what you manufacture or do against the 3 phases of this project and tell you which ones you fit into and when each one buys. Two pages, with the evidence behind them.
Analyze my companyWhat it leaves in Mendozajobs, works, taxes, promises and the outlook
How many jobs it creates
3,900 direct and indirect jobs in the construction stage ⚠️ COMBINED figure of direct and indirect jobs, with no published breakdown prob Feb 17, 2025 ↗
2,400 direct and indirect jobs during an operating phase estimated at 16 years ⚠️ COMBINED figure of direct and indirect jobs, with no published breakdown prob Feb 17, 2025 ↗
The works that stay behind
The infrastructure that stays standing once the works end, with its size and its source.
San Jorge 220/33 kV substation and a 220 kV high-voltage line to the Mendoza Norte substation
PowerThe electricity system of Mendoza's high mountain area. According to both parties, the work improves the quality, stability and capacity of the supply in Uspallata — a long-standing demand of residents and the tourism sector — and does not only feed the mine. It stays on Distrocuyo's side, a regulated transmission company, not the project's.
Agreement signed on December 17, 2025 between the owner and Distrocuyo to start the basic engineering studies. Verbatim from the coverage: «El convenio contempla la construcción de la Estación Transformadora San Jorge (220/33 kV) y una Línea de Alta Tensión de 220 kV que la conectará con la Estación Mendoza Norte, integrándose al anillo eléctrico central de la provincia».
Network of hydro-meteorological stations with telemetry
OtherThe public monitoring system. The network feeds into the provincial telemetry data network and is paid for entirely by the company: article 6 of the Environmental Impact Declaration charges it with «la construcción y mantenimiento de la infraestructura de monitoreo (incluyendo pozos exploratorios, estaciones hidrometeorológicas y la instrumentación para el sistema de telemetría en tiempo real)». In an area with no dense weather coverage, that is new public data.
Verbatim from article 56 of the Environmental Impact Declaration: «La Empresa debe presentar ante la AAM para su evaluación y resolución un plan para instalar una red de al menos cuatro estaciones hidrometeorológicas, cuya ubicación responda a las variaciones microclimáticas del área de influencia directa e indirecta del proyecto. Dicha red debe estar integrada a la red de datos telemétricos».
Permanent community relations office in Uspallata
SocialThe residents of Uspallata and the local authorities: it is the physical door for direct contact and access to project information, and for that reason it is also the counter a local supplier with no contact inside the company can walk up to.
Verbatim from article 33 of the Environmental Impact Declaration: «La Empresa debe mantener una oficina de relaciones con la comunidad y autoridades locales en Uspallata durante las etapas de construcción, operación y cierre, para facilitar el contacto directo y el acceso a la información sobre el proyecto. En dicha oficina, La Empresa debe mantener un registro mensual actualizado de las novedades en la zona del Proyecto».
Access and signage works on National Route 149 and Provincial Route 52
RoadsTraffic on both roads. The works and the signage are approved by the 4th District of the National Roads Directorate and sit on public carriageway: anyone driving through uses them, not just the project's trucks.
Verbatim from articles 112 and 113 of the Environmental Impact Declaration: the proponent «deberá presentar ante el 4° Distrito – Mendoza (DNV), el Proyecto Ejecutivo del proyecto de acceso al emprendimiento, como también de todas las obras a realizar dentro de la zona de camino de la Ruta Nacional N° 149», and a vertical signage plan «sobre la calzada de la RNN° 149 y RPN° 52».
Lined tailings storage facility, waste rock dumps and open pit
OtherNo one, and saying so is part of an honest inventory: these are the liabilities left in the territory once the project ends. The Environmental Impact Declaration treats them as such — it requires safe technical and environmental closure, a specific closure plan filed with the Departamento General de Irrigación, and a post-closure monitoring programme «llevado a cabo por al menos 10 años, con monitoreo semestral obligatorio». It is the physical flip side of the infrastructure that does serve someone.
Article 72 of the Environmental Impact Declaration requires the tailings storage area to be lined with a design approved beforehand, and articles 147 and 156 require safe technical and environmental closure of the facility, the waste rock dumps, the pit and the water infrastructure. Article 157 sets post-closure monitoring at a minimum of ten years, twice yearly.
- What it already pays in taxes and royalties — We have not broken down this project’s local fiscal contribution: the primary source that sets each item still has to be opened, and an act of the State is not published on press backing.
- Who promised what — We have not surveyed the public promises about this project. A dated, verifiable commitment with its source closes them.
What could stall itrisks and how to track them
- What could stall it — We have not documented this project’s risks. An identifiable vector with its source closes them.
- How to tell whether it is advancing — We have not defined this project’s indicators: what observable fact marks its progress still has to be identified.
How we verified thisthe act, the gaps and the sources
The RIGI act, in detail
EX-2025-123845536- -APN-SCEYM#MEC verif May 28, 2026 ↗
May 13, 2026 verif May 28, 2026 ↗
The act’s articles, in detail
4 facts on the commitment
27 % of the amount earmarked for suppliers that goes to LOCAL suppliers verif May 28, 2026 ↗
The entire investment amount earmarked for paying suppliers, goods and infrastructure works, during the Project's construction and operation stages verif May 28, 2026 ↗
1 September 2028 to complete the minimum investment amount. verif Sep 1, 2028 ↗
Minera San Jorge S.A. (MSJSA), tax ID 30-69228382-8, registered at 9 de Julio 1190, 3rd floor, Office 3, city of Mendoza. verif May 28, 2026 ↗
What we could not confirm
There are 4 in this project. Each says why it could not be confirmed and what it would take to close it.
H-01The direct/indirect breakdown of the 3,900 construction jobs and the 2,400 in operation+
Both figures on file are sums of direct plus indirect jobs, and the owner publishes them that way. A split of 800 direct and 1,600 indirect for the operating phase circulates but could not be opened in a source of our own.
H-02The dimensions of the permanent infrastructure: kilometres of high-voltage line, hectares of the tailings storage facility and flow rate of the water intake+
Neither the Environmental Impact Declaration nor the RIGI ruling publish them: the Declaration regulates conditions, it does not describe the works. The document «Aspectos Claves del Proyecto PSJ Cobre Mendocino», published by Mendoza's own government in December 2025, would carry them, but its file returns 403 from the province's cloud storage, with and without a browser identifier. This is an ACCESS gap.
H-03Who will build the mine: there is no construction contractor awarded, and it is right that there is none+
The project is in the pre-construction stage, which under the ruling starts in June 2027. All that is awarded today are the six feasibility-update teams, which are on file under `contratistas`. For the main construction contractor there is no tender document, no bidders and no award record: the tender will be the owner's private process.
H-04The size of the Socio-environmental and Environmental Compensation Fund+
Article 10 of the Environmental Impact Declaration creates the Fund, defines its purpose, its form — a trust or other legal vehicle, through a formal agreement between the Company, the Province and the Municipality of Las Heras — and its five-member Executive Committee, but sets NO rate and NO amount. That is left to the agreement.
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