Volcan seeks to expand the Animón mining concession to support expansion in Pasco

Compañía Minera Chungar S.A.C., a subsidiary of Volcan Compañía Minera, submitted an application to the General Directorate of Mining (DGM) of the Ministry of Energy and Mines to expand the area of its processing concession at the Animón mining unit, located in Pasco.

The proposal seeks to add 96.28 hectares to the 84.14 hectares currently authorized, which would bring the concession to a total area of 180.42 hectares, more than double its current size.

According to the notice published in the Official Gazette El Peruano, the expansion is linked to the development of new infrastructure for tailings management and support for mining operations. Among the planned components are the Quimacocha tailings deposit, water and tailings conveyance and recirculation lines, contingency ponds, operational access roads, auxiliary platforms, and other complementary facilities.

The Animón benefit concession was granted in November 2020, and this new application is part of the administrative process that the company must follow to obtain the area extension title.

The order is also part of a broader stage of operational expansion. In May 2025, Chungar submitted the third Technical Sustaining Report for the Modification of the Environmental Impact Study of the mining unit to Senace, with the objective of ensuring the continuity of its activities.

That proposal called for an investment of US$12.3 million and proposed extending the mining schedule by an additional 33 months, with operations continuing through 2030.

Currently, Animón processes 3,100 tons of polymetallic minerals daily. Under the new plan, the cumulative mining volume by 2030 would approach 13 million tons. The expansion also includes the development of work between the 4,600 and 3,880 meter levels above sea level, as well as an additional deepening of 150 meters down to the 3,730 m a.s.l. level.

The ITS also includes the reprogramming of activities that were not executed within the plan approved in 2022. The new proposed schedule would run from April 2026 to December 2030, a period in which underground work, including galleries, shafts, and access ways, is expected to be intensified.

With these moves, Volcan seeks to reinforce the continuity of the Animón operation and provide it with the necessary infrastructure to support its growth in the coming years.