Can you mention the milestones achieved by SRK Chile in 2023 and the beginning of 2024?

In Chile, SRK proudly celebrates 30 years of presence in the country, with more than 170 professionals that specialize in mining and geosciences. Additionally, on a global level, SRK is commemorating its 50th anniversary, with more than 1,700 professionals working in over 40 offices across six continents. What kind of projects is SRK Chile involved in? Can you highlight a work that you have recently done in mining that you are particularly proud of?

Our global experience provides expert, integrated solutions for every phase of a mining project. We are involved from the scoping studies and conceptual engineering stages, to detail engineering for world-class open pit and underground projects and operations globally. Some of our most emblematic studies for the projects/operations of Kinross (Chile), Escondida & Spence mines BHP (Chile), Centinela operations (Chile), Salares Norte Goldfieds (Chile), Marcobre (Peru), Kumtor mine (Kirgizstan)and Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolia).

At Salares Norte we started with prefeasibility studies, to generate the detail engineering of the geotechnical design of the main facilities, hydrogeological studies and mine closure plan; and the EoR services for the construction of the tailings facility. What has driven SRK's business in Chile in the last few months?

In the last few months, SRK's business in Chile has been driven by the need for innovative and cutting-edge solutions. As an example, the application of machine learning solutions and hyperspectral analysis to improve the geotechnical rock mass properties have been developed internally in SRK Chile. Our clients are looking for advanced methodologies and technologies to address their challenges. Operational continuity and the minimization of risks are some the key factors that need to be analyzed. Integrated solutions provided by SRK Chile will help to minimize those risks and events that could causes variations in the short- and long-term planning. What is the importance of mine closure plans?

The mine closure plan constitutes a roadmap for the operation that allows us to keep in view both the commitments acquired with the authority for the mine closure stage, as well as the different elements that are fundamental for adequate closure planning of the mine. These elements correspond to description of the facilities, characteristics of the environment and the risk assessment process for adequate identification of closure actions and the associated cost estimate.

It is essential to understand that the mine closure plan is a dynamic instrument that must be reviewed and updated in tune with the operational changes of the mine in order to ensure that the changes that influence the closure planning are being considered and therefore closure provisions and guarantee commitments with the authority are kept correctly updated. What is SRK’s approach to sustainability and female representation?

To meet clients' needs for sustainable solutions, SRK continues to innovate both with technology and its approach with tailored services. Recognizing that innovation thrives on the exchange of ideas, SRK advocates for an open environment where experts can apply a collective approach to problem-solving.

In our Chile offices, >35% of our staff consists of women who work alongside equitable decision-making teams. Additionally, we have women leading innovation projects in engineering and geosciences. What is SRK’s growth strategy in Chile in the next two years?

As our sector faces rapid changes, it is crucial for our teams to continuously adapt, collaborate, and innovate to deliver the sustainable and economic solutions that our clients and stakeholders expect. Additionally, we have consultants fostering a culture of innovation, facilitating collaboration and networking, identifying challenges in innovation, generating solution proposals, and exploring common innovation bases in Latin America

One of SRK’s focuses for the coming years is to help mining companies integrate big data technologies and new software/methodologies into a unified platform for generating geoscientific models. Currently, the mining industry uses different technologies for different purposes, but often in separate departments. SRK aims to consolidate all this information on to a single platform using existing software.