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PSJ Cobre Mendocino has appointed Marcelo Avecilla as the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Born in Mendoza, the executive brings more than 20 years of experience in the international mining industry, having held positions at Mineral Resources, Fortescue Metals Group and BHP. Fabián Gregorio will focus on his role as President, retaining responsibility for the project’s strategic direction and institutional relations.
By Panorama Minero
The new management structure comes as PSJ advances its pre-construction studies, engineering and planning for the next stages. It is the first copper project expected to enter production in the province.
With this appointment, the company is dividing responsibilities between two executives. Gregorio retains strategic leadership and institutional relations, while Avecilla assumes executive management. The company presented the combination of both roles as a strengthening of its leadership structure for the feasibility stage.
Experience in Operations, Expansion and Commissioning
Avecilla’s previous positions include General Manager of Mt. Marion, a Mineral Resources operation in Australia. There, he was responsible for the overall management of the mine and led an expansion project.
Previously, he served as General Manager of Christmas Creek, operated by Fortescue Metals Group, with responsibility for production of approximately 52 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Throughout his career, he has also participated in the development and commissioning of mining operations in Australia and investment projects in Argentina.
His academic background includes Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Mendoza, a postgraduate qualification in Asset Management from Universidad Austral, and a specialisation in Minerals and Energy Management from the University of Western Australia.
The Scale of the Project He Will Lead
PSJ’s production profile has changed over the past year. The Environmental Impact Report projected 653,531 tonnes of contained copper over a 16-year mine life, equivalent to an annual average of 40,846 tonnes. This is the basis for the publicly reported figure of 40,000 tonnes per year.
Progress in infill drilling, feasibility studies and detailed engineering has increased that projection to 75,000 tonnes of contained copper annually during the first four years of operation, with CAPEX of approximately US$800 million. Gregorio presented these figures at the “Year of Copper” forum in September.
In terms of tonnage, the Environmental Impact Report envisages total plant feed of 157 million tonnes over the mine life, averaging approximately 10 million tonnes annually. Christmas Creek, the operation previously managed by Avecilla, recorded annual ore production more than five times that volume.
From Institutional Leadership to Project Execution
The appointment places an executive with experience in operations, expansion and commissioning in charge of management.
It comes as PSJ moves from reserve definition and engineering towards construction preparation. Gregorio retains strategic leadership and institutional representation, while Avecilla assumes executive management of Mendoza’s first copper project as it moves towards production.