Los Andes Copper (LA.v) has decided to take an innovative approach to the compilation and publication of a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS). Contrary to the industry norm, that expects a company to go from PEA level to PFS level once an extensive program of drilling provides better context to its deposit and gives more information on geological controls, limits, metallurgy, infilling zones and all that “stuff geologists do”, LA.v is ploughing ahead without the aid of the drillbit, or the 350 hole drill program it had planned for this year and still intends to publish a PFS in the near future. Impressive and innovative, or something.
Why so? Because the company has been prohibited from drilling by the environmental authorities and, just a week and a half ago, was again told that it must comply with the necessary court orders before starting up the drills again. Back on July 21st when Los Andes Copper (LA.v) announced on the “Decision by the Environmental Court Reinstating Drilling Permit” the company gave the strong impression that drills were about to start turning and indeed, it turns out that as soon as it had filed a bunch of applications with the Chilean authorities it mobilized the drill rigs and got them to the Vizcachitas project. However and hilariously, the company did so by assuming that it could drill as soon as its permit application was filed and didn’t need to wait for it to be approved. That’s a bit like learning to drive a car and reading that if you want to pull out into the flow of traffic, all you need to do is check your rear-view mirror. It doesn’t matter what’s coming or at what speed, as long as you check your mirror you are allowed to pull out and if even if there’s 40 tonne truck behind, you naturally presume they’ll see you check your mirror and slow down to let you out.
Unsurprisingly, the people that hate this company with a vengeance and have been trying to kick them out of the region for years, a.k.a. the local community, were up in arms about this latest flagrant disregard for the rules (LA.v has a poor track record) and immediately took LA.v to court, got an injunction on any work taking place at the Vizcachitas site and, last week, got the courts to reiterate that Los Andes Copper needs to provide a full environmental impact program to a relevant authorities in Chile and then wait until the program is approved before drilling any of its planned 350 holes. The court also gave LA.v six months in which to compile its detailed program and get the approval, which means that even if the company decides to do what it was supposed to do in the first place, we’ll be well into the new year before the rigs spring to life. And that’s a problem, because CEO Michael Jones has promised the market a PFS by the end of this year. His solution? Bah, who cares about information! Dare to be different! Do the PFS and get it out by Christmas, the nodding donkeys paying the salaries will never know the difference, they only ever pretend to read PFS’s anyway. Who needs geology anyway, right Twitter?
It’s interesting to note the corporate blather LA.v uses on its English language audience on ESG matters, such as this from the July 21st NR:
“Los Andes reiterates its full commitment to complying with all its environmental obligations and continues to engage with all interested parties in a climate of mutual respect.”
…then compare it to what the locals think of this company. Here’s another quote, one that provides useful counterweight to that of LA.v’s statements:
“…we are up against a mining company that always acts in a sly way, and, regularly fails to comply with environmental regulations. We have been in situations where they have been penalized improper use of water, for changing the course of a river, for pollution events and for building a mining camp without authorization. All these issues show we are dealing with a mining company that does not comply with the current book of environmental regulations”
All this in a Chile with a new and distinctly different attitude toward mining companies under the Boric administration, too. Warren Gilman backed the wrong horse this time.