Freehill Mining has appointed seasoned engineer Marco Meneses to spearhead development at its Blanco y Negro copper-gold project, coinciding with Chile's planned legislative change to double processing thresholds for small miners, enhancing project viability.
- Appointment of Marco Meneses to lead Blanco y Negro development
- Chilean legislation to raise small-scale miner processing limit to 10,000 tonnes/month
- Blanco y Negro hosts 1.5Mt JORC resource with 20,000t copper and 24,000oz gold
- Proximity to ENAMI SX-EW plant offers low-capital toll-treatment option
- Permitting progressing with staged work program underway
Seasoned Engineer to Drive Blanco y Negro Production
Freehill Mining Limited (ASX:FHS) has enlisted Chilean Civil Mining Engineer Marco Meneses to accelerate its Blanco y Negro copper-gold project towards production. With over three decades of experience spanning underground mining, project development, and operations across South America, Meneses brings a rare blend of technical expertise and local regulatory insight to the project.
His appointment comes at a pivotal moment as Freehill moves to finalise permitting and operational planning. Meneses is tasked with overseeing mine design, ventilation, geomechanical validation, and economic evaluation, ensuring the project aligns with Chile’s mining standards and stakeholder expectations.
Chilean Legislative Shift Doubles Processing Threshold
Adding momentum, the Chilean government has signalled an anticipated legislative update expected by November 2026 that will raise the processing threshold for small-scale miners from 5,000 to 10,000 tonnes per month. This change effectively doubles the scale at which miners can operate under simplified regulatory conditions, a move designed to modernise and expand the sector.
For Freehill, this legislative shift is a game-changer. It expands the permissible scale of operation for Blanco y Negro, enabling a more robust mining plan and enhancing the viability of a low-capital toll-treatment approach. The project’s proximity; just 30 kilometres; to ENAMI’s SX-EW processing plant provides a ready-made processing pathway that could fast-track production with minimal upfront infrastructure investment.
Robust Resource Base with Exploration Upside
Blanco y Negro hosts a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate of approximately 1.5 million tonnes grading 1.4% copper and 0.5 grams per tonne gold, translating to around 20,000 tonnes of contained copper and 24,000 ounces of gold. The resource spans oxide, transition, and fresh rock domains, with drilling intercepts revealing significant high-grade zones, including intervals of up to 5.7% copper.
The granted mining leases cover 128 hectares, providing solid tenure and logistical advantages. Exploration data points to potential extensions of mineralisation, particularly to the northwest, suggesting further upside beyond the current resource.
Permitting and Operational Planning Advancing
With Meneses now on board, Freehill is progressing a staged work program focused on detailed permitting schedules tailored to the new regulatory landscape. Efforts include underground mine engineering, waste dump design, explosives storage approvals, and metallurgical assessments in collaboration with ENAMI.
These steps aim to build a comprehensive project implementation plan and timeline, moving Blanco y Negro closer to operational readiness. The company’s leadership emphasises that the combination of experienced management, legislative tailwinds, and favourable copper prices creates an opportune moment to accelerate development.
Strategic Implications for Freehill
Freehill’s appointment of Meneses complements its broader strategy to leverage local expertise and regulatory shifts to unlock value from its Chilean copper assets. The company’s aggregates business continues to provide financial support for these development initiatives, underpinning the copper project ambitions with steady cash flow.
While the legislative change remains pending approval, its expected enactment in November offers a near-term catalyst. The combination of resource scale, processing options, and regulatory reform positions Blanco y Negro as a project with a clear pathway to production, pending successful permitting and operational execution.
Bottom Line?
The Blanco y Negro project is poised for a step-change, but the real test will be navigating Chile’s evolving regulatory environment and securing toll-treatment agreements to convert resource potential into cash flow.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the final Chilean legislation shape the operational scale and permitting timeline for Blanco y Negro?
- What are the prospects and timelines for securing toll-treatment contracts with ENAMI or alternative processors?
- How might fluctuating copper prices impact Freehill’s development pace and capital allocation decisions?