What are your expectations for this 12th International Congress of Prospectors and Explorers (proEXPLO 2021)?

For Pan American Silver, proEXPLO 2021 is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to responsible mining and to work together with the private sector, academia, investors and other social actors on the innovation that redefines the mining of the future towards sustainability.

What are your expectations for this 12th International Congress of Prospectors and Explorers (proEXPLO 2021)?

proEXPLO is one of the most expected and important events in the calendar of scientific events related to exploration. The program is very interesting, the use of new technological tools as part of the innovation in mining exploration and the presentation of new discoveries and projects developed mainly by junior companies, shows that the exploration activity is being reactivated in spite of the difficult situation we are going through.

What aspects can facilitate mining exploration?

The excessive amount of paperwork to carry out initial explorations and the time it takes in our country compared to others with which we are competing, has led to a decrease in explorations, especially in greenfield projects.

We have to improve in this aspect and this does not mean that we should be less rigorous in environmental and social issues, but we should clearly measure the impacts generated at each stage of exploration projects, the more greenfield projects are drilled, the more possibilities there will be to have new discoveries.

Experts point out that we are facing a great demand for minerals around the world. Is Peru doing what is necessary to meet the new scenario in the global ore market?

We believe so. Currently, a lot of work is being put into boosting the sector to take advantage of the wave. We know that the idea is for the country to reach a production of 3 million fine metric tons of copper per year by 2025, which will be achieved with the execution of important projects such as Mina Justa, Quellaveco or Toromocho.

We must "surf" this wave, taking advantage of the fact that we are an attractive country for mining investment thanks to our huge reserves of copper, gold, silver, zinc, among other minerals.

Why is prospecting and exploration important in mining?

Prospecting is the initial stage in the mining value chain and that is why it is so important. It is where the first occurrences of minerals are identified, which leads us to continue with different studies for the identification of targets in which more detailed exploration work will be carried out, which are also important because through them we will better define the system, determine the geometry and size of the deposit and estimate the resources contained.

What are Hudbay's growth plans?

One of our main objectives is to continue growing as a company in Peru. That is why we have been consolidating a portfolio of properties in areas with high prospective and emerging exploration potential.

An important achievement in brownfield projects has been the consolidation of a significant group of properties around our Constancia mine which have high exploration potential.

Regarding greenfield exploration, we have completed 3G studies (Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics) in several of our prospects and we are working on the preparation of studies to obtain drilling permits; and in others, we are in the initial activities for drilling, one of them is Llaguén, located in northern Peru, which is in an early stage of exploration.

What technologies are being or will be applied by Hudbay for its prospecting and exploration activities?

At Hudbay we are working on the integration of all our information and using the latest technological developments for its better understanding; the use of machine learning in various applications is giving us important results in the prediction and identification of new exploration targets in both our brownfield and greenfield explorations.

What has been Hudbay's plan for COVID-19 both in its operations and with its communities?

The plan is to prioritize the health and safety of both our workers and communities. We implement a strict protocol to avoid any contagion in the operation. Our personnel undergo clearance tests and a quarantine period when entering and leaving the mine, maintaining the health bubble.

Our protocols have been recognized with the Safeguard seal awarded by Bureau Veritas, which guarantees the safety of the operation.

Externally, we have made significant investments to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on the population. We have donated sanitary equipment, biosafety tools, etc. In addition, we managed projects to boost the local economy and financed pre-investment studies and projects to strengthen local healthcare centers.

We want to help Chumbivilcas overcome these ravages from the pandemic in the shortest possible time.