State Company Edhipsa Seeks Permits to Explore Uranium in Southern Argentina

The state-owned Empresa de Desarrollo Hidrocarburífero Provincial (Edhipsa) has formally applied for permits to explore for uranium in eight distinct areas within Argentina's southern Río Negro province. Official sources confirmed the applications, signaling a concerted effort to investigate the region's untapped mineral wealth.

Edhipsa, which operates under the provincial government of Río Negro, seeks authorization for exploratory activities across significant tracts of land, including La Esquina (10,000 hectares), Los Gemelos (9,944), Cerro Chenque (9,971), El Alamo (9,898), El Salitral (9,965), Gran Bajo (9,991), Tricaco I (9,950), and Tricaco II (9,913). The primary objective, according to sources consulted by EFE, is to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Río Negro's uranium potential, which is currently believed to be significantly underexplored.

This move by Edhipsa is not an isolated event in the province's pursuit of uranium resources. In July, the company Integra Tierras Raras, part of the Integra Capital investment group led by Argentine businessman José Luis Manzano, also submitted a request for uranium exploration permits in the Bagual 15 area, also located in Río Negro.

Argentina's Secretariat of Mining reports that the country currently has a portfolio of 21 uranium mining projects across various provinces, including Chubut, Mendoza, Neuquén, Río Negro, Salta, and Santa Cruz. However, none of these projects are currently in production. Among the most advanced are the Laguna Salada project by Canadian miner Jaguar Uranium and the Ivana-Amarillo Grande project, a collaboration between Canada's Blue Sky Uranium and the Argentine conglomerate Corporación América.