| VIEW FROM THE TOP
LATAM, A STRATEGIC REGION FOR CHEMOURS’ MINING SOLUTIONS CLAUDIA MÁRQUEZ Latin America Regional Director of Mining Solutions at The Chemours Company
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Q: How does doing business in Mexico differ from doing
As lower grades become a growing reality, measurement
business in other mining jurisdictions in Latin America?
technology will continue to play a bigger role in the
A: Mexico faces challenges in security and with the
processing circuit. It is important to analyze and use mega
implementation of additional taxes. Even with those
data trends to predict output. Our customers need help
challenges Mexico has done quite well when compared to
with prediction the production output based on certain
other mining jurisdictions in Latin America. It’s number one
grades and the effect sodium cyanide can have on these.
in silver and number nine in gold production worldwide. In Latin America, Mexico is the second largest gold producer.
It will be interesting to see how the connection between
This implies a large number of operations, and in fact, an
automatization and digitalization continues to interact with
important consumption of chemicals to process these
mining and chemistry. We are experts in chemistry concerns
minerals. For us, Mexico has the largest demand of sodium
and we are introducing technology to further improve
cyanide in the region.
sodium cyanide usage and reduce risks.
Chemours is a global company but we have a very strong
Q: Why does Chemours internally promote a strong sense
local team that is close to our customers and understands
of entrepreneurship considering it is a global company?
their needs. Chemours sees itself as an enabler and strives
A: The prioritization of a start-up culture has been key for
to help its clients continue to grow while increasing
our success in Mexico. We treated entering the country the
productivity at a low cost. We have two strategically-
same way someone would treat the creation of a start-up.
located sites in Mexico, one in San Luis Potosi and one in
All of our team members feel a strong sense of ownership
Hermosillo, that can support the largest gold and silver
of the company and treat the business as if it were their
regions in the country. Additionally to those sites, we are
own. It also allows us to be autonomous, make faster
investing in a new production facility in the state of Durango
decisions, discover errors faster and therefore learn faster.
to meet the growing demand in Mexico.
Entrepreneurship is part of our five core values, followed by safety, customer centricity, simplicity and unshakeable
Q: In what ways can Chemours help operators that struggle
integrity. This guides the way we do business around
with falling grades in mine projects?
the world.
A: Many operators are struggling with grades that are not as high as they used to be, which affects their ability to
The mining industry is making a great effort to promote
maintain their production levels. This means the industry
human talent development and attraction in the country.
needs to use chemicals in more efficient ways to maintain
In Mexico’s mining history, there have been times when it
production levels. Our plan is to help the industry take
didn’t have a positive public perception but this is starting
better advantage of the power of chemistry to improve their
to change. The industry has started to communicate the
operations, and we are using our knowledge in chemistry to
reality of mining which should result in new generations
find innovative solutions for lower grade operations. Each
by raising interest in the sector. Also, public relations are
mine represents a unique opportunity to better measure
important to attract and retain talent within the newer
systems and create a more efficient output.
generations. At Chemours, we are making our own effort by having a diverse and inclusive team. In addition, to better understand the industry, we have included team members
The Chemours Company is a global leader in titanium
with an important background in the sector to make sure
technologies, fluoroproducts and chemical solutions, providing
we are speaking the same language as our clients. This
customers
helps feed the innovation in the company and allows the
with
market-defining
products,
expertise and chemistry-based innovations
application
adoption of new and more sophisticated solutions.
