Work Areas

 

The Management is in charge of preparing the background, studies and global and sectoral economic analysis necessary to support and sustain SONAMI's mission as a trade union institution, leader and benchmark for private mining in Chile.

As part of its support work, the Studies Department has prepared and provided the economic information that has served as the basis for SONAMI's position in various press releases; and in the seminars in which the Board of Directors has participated.

Also, this management actively participates in the organization of seminars and events, highlighting the Annual Mining Dinner and the Organizing Committee of Expomin 2020.

Estudios also collaborates with the general management in the management of the Company's financial resources.

 

 

DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT

 

The Development Management supports SONAMI's union activity and the generation of public policies for the sector, with specialized technical information. This is done based on three axes of work: preparation / participation in documents, participation and organization of seminars, and representation in technical instances of the sector.

In the first axis, during the period 2017–018 the work was focused on having a more long-term view of the industry, which would allow generating specific proposals to support the development of the sector within the framework of the incoming government and its new authorities. To do this, management coordinated the preparation of the document "Foundations and Challenges for Mining Development" and its subsequent dissemination. This document included proposals on all the topics relevant to the development of the sector, including environmental and mining institutions, support to the different sectors, strategic inputs, exploration and mining property, and foundries. In addition to this long-term perspective, Management works on issues of water resources and security as permanent lines of action. In particular, Regarding security, the creation of the SONAMI Security Committee stands out, which aims to continue contributing to improve practices in the sector, through the knowledge of experiences of the different participating companies, among others. This Committee has been very well received by companies in the sector. Additionally, work continued on the preparation of the Security and Employment Report, which is released monthly to the industry, with the collaboration of large and medium-sized mining companies.

The second axis is materialized both through the organization of seminars and the participation in others organized by different institutions, in which the union makes known its vision on the relevant issues for the sector. The participation in the three seminars organized in Antofagasta, Copiapó and La Serena for the dissemination of the document “Foundations and Challenges for Mining Development” stands out, as part of a regional approach. For the fourth consecutive year, the Seminar with Partners in Performance was held, within the framework of Cesco Week, whose theme was technological innovation and digitization in the mining industry. In relation to participation in seminars organized by other institutions, the issues of water resources, female participation in mining and innovation stand out. Considering the third axis of work, which is the representation in different instances of technical opinion in the sector, the participation of the Development Management in the instance of 2030 Water Scenarios of the Fundación Chile, the Andes Table, the Permitology and Productivity Tables of the Ministry stands out. of Mining, Chilean Mining Editorial Committee, among others.

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

 

The activities of this Management are mainly focused on stimulating and facilitating the sustainability of the mining sector and compliance with the respective national regulations through the analysis, planning and development of SONAMI's strategies and actions on this matter.

Likewise, it is responsible for coordinating the joint activities of its associates in environmental matters, through the work of various work committees made up of representatives appointed by the member companies, as well as maintaining fluid working relationships with the relevant government authorities.

In this sense, it has integrated the Social Responsibility Council for Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Economy, the International Advisory Council of the Ministry of Mining and the Mirror Committee of the OECD National Contact Point in Chile based in the Ministry of Foreign Relations.

At the international level, it is part of the International Council on Mining and Metals and has represented the mining sector in the elaboration of Chile's national position regarding various topics on the International Chemical Agenda such as the Minamata Convention, the International Maritime Organization and the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Likewise, he has participated in informative meetings on the Mining situation in the country and on the mining union activities with representatives of foreign governments, companies and universities that have visited SONAMI during the period of this report.

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

 

The Communications Department of the National Mining Society has among its strategic objectives to support the management of the union to ensure that its mission and vision are satisfactorily achieved.

In this sense, the Communications Area seeks -among other tasks- to provide interest groups with periodic information relevant to the industry; position the image of mining and SONAMI in the public and private spheres; establish a permanent relationship with the media at both the national and regional levels; and also develop actions in the field of internal communication.

This Department is in charge of preparing and publishing the institutional magazine Boletín Minero, one of the oldest in the world in terms of mining.

Along these same lines, he is in charge of generating content and updating the SONAMI website.

This is how the Communications Team supports all the activities they carry out, both the Board of Directors and the different areas of work of the Society. It also highlights its fluid contact with the media, both national and regional, through extensive press management, where the main axes are given by interviews and opinion columns in specialized magazines and national media. To meet these objectives, a detailed annual program of activities is developed with its corresponding budget that is approved by the Board of Directors.

 

 

DOCUMENTATION CENTER

 

The Documentation Center is a department of information management in mining and related areas, whose mission is to respond to the needs of information in mining, both within SONAMI, its associates and the community in general, facilitating access to a Important printed and digital heritage that allows visitors to access the following topics: Chile's mining history, technologies applied in national mining, mining and related statistics, geology, Chilean magazines in the field, mine reports and mine site plans. small and medium mining in Chile, among others.

Its collection consists of printed and digital publications, allowing the user to consult them in person at the Documentation Center or request them remotely.

 

 

LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

 

The Legal and Compliance area reports directly to the General Management and provides legal support to the Study, Development, Public Affairs, Communications, Technical and Accounting Departments of this Association, whenever any matter that they are analyzing requires legal advice.

At the same time, all the bills that have a direct link with our activity are monitored, such as the one that modifies the Mining Code regarding the use of water in mining operations, modifies Law No. 20,551, which regulates the closure of mining sites and facilities, establishes a mining royalty for copper and lithium mining; in matters related to water resources, the one that modifies the Water Code to prevent the constitution of water use rights over glaciers, the one that establishes the desalination of sea water for use in mining production processes, the one that establishes the glacier protection and preservation law, the reform of the Water Code, and in environmental matters which submits transportation, reception, to the environmental impact assessment system.

It is also in charge of keeping the corporate history of this entity updated, in what is related to its Board of Directors, General Council and Assembly of Members. The same in relation to El Trovador SA, a subsidiary company of this Company.

 

 

TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT

 

During the period covered by the report, the Technical Management, in fulfilling its function of supporting the Board of Directors and the Committee of Directors representing the Mining Associations, provided information and participated in different activities such as the review with Enami of the Purchase Rates for Minerals and Mining Products, presentations in the Mining Commissions of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, among other matters.

In the same vein, they participated in the discussion with the Ministries of Mining and Finance of the regulation of Law 21,055 that creates a Mechanism for the Stabilization of the Price of Copper for Small Mining.

On the occasion of the publication, by Sernageomin, of the Guide for the fulfillment of the DS 248 Tailings Deposits for Small Mining, for producers under 5000 tpm., In whose preparation they participated together with the Department of Tailings Deposits of that Service , a workshop was organized at the University of La Serena aimed at producers, engineers and students. In addition, two practical workshops were carried out with field visits and the assistance of professionals and inspectors from the Sernageomin and producers in Andacollo and Illapel.

On the occasion of the floods that affected the Atacama and Coquimbo regions in 2017, together with Vice President Francisco Araya, the Mining Associations of Illapel, Combarbalá, El Huacho, Punitaqui, Ovalle, Andacollo, La Serena, Domeyko, Vallenar Huasco, were visited, Freirina, Tierra Amarilla, Copiapó, Inca de oro, Diego de Almagro, El Salado and Chañaral. In coordination with the Ministry of Mining and the National Mining Company, the situation of the producers was cataloged and contributions were made for the acquisition of oil for the machinery to repair the access roads.

Due to the fact that in catastrophe situations, the Roads Department must give priority to the repair of rolled roads. The presidents of the associations proposed to the Ministry of Public Works to incorporate a gloss into the nation's budget to enroll all those roads used by small miners.

 

Tranque Program

 

The Tranque Program, executed by Fundación Chile with the contribution of Corfo and the Strategic Investment Fund, seeks to develop a monitoring system for the physical and chemical stability of tailings deposits. In a first stage, the program has concentrated on large-scale mining. Therefore, in order to learn about the reality of medium-scale mining and adopt measurement procedures and mechanisms with the sector, three workshops were held in Copiapó, La Serena and Cabildo, in which 13 companies from that sector participated. It is the first time that this type of workshop has been held, which, in addition to learning about the project, generated an exchange of experiences and very enriching knowledge for the participants, companies with similar characteristics. With the participation of medium-sized mining in this program,

 

This year, the Medium Mining Seminar was aimed at incorporating technological improvements and innovations in this sector. The incorporation of the internet in the capture of process information and its application in improvements in energy consumption and other inputs. Automation in underground mining operations. The development of people, in medium mining, based on labor competencies.

 

Within the framework of the meeting, the Ministry of Mining made the official presentation of the project “Open Mining”, a multifunctional web portal that aims to deliver industry information in a simple and fast way to all the actors in the field.