News
Media outlets highlight the inauguration of the SMI Chile Advanced Training Centre
Various specialized news outlets and media platforms reported on the advanced mining training program launched by our Centre, an event attended by Queensland’s Minister for Trade, Ms. Ros Bates, and Australia’s Ambassador to Chile, Mr. Andrew Martin.
Nathalie Jamett makes new scientific contribution to optimise water management in mineral processing
Together with an international scientific team, SMI Chile researcher Nathalie Jamett has published a paper in the journal Minerals Engineering, proposing an approach to optimise water management in the flotation circuit of a concentrator plant.
Queensland Minister for Trade inaugurates SMI Chile Advanced Training Centre
As part of a mission to Chile and other countries in Latin America, the Hon. Minister Ros Bates officially launched the advanced mining training programme of the Sustainable Minerals Institute International Centre at The University of Queensland in Chile.
Francisca Rivero presents at international social performance and sustainability event in Peru
SMI Chile General Manager and Social Performance and Resource Governance researcher Francisca Rivero, together with Mónica Morales, who leads this area at the Centre, are representing SMI Chile at GESS 2026, the International Social Performance and Sustainability Forum, taking place in Lima, Peru.
SMI Chile team delivers workshop to test water management tool
The collaborative workshop took place at the campus of the Universidad Católica del Norte and brought together representatives from academia, industry and the public sector, with the aim of validating scenarios and criteria related to water use and supply in the...
SMI-ICE-Chile and Codelco analyze results of the climate risk model
Within the framework of the climate change resilience project that SMI-ICE-Chile is developing for Codelco, the teams from both companies met to review the climate projections obtained for high-altitude regions and the progress of the geospatial results visualization tool.
SMI-ICE-Chile gives a technical course on emerging challenges and solutions related to water and mineral processing
As part of the preliminary courses for the Procemin-Geomet International Conference, speakers from SMI-ICE-Chile and the Sustainable Minerals Institute delivered this training, which was attended virtually by more than 80 participants.
Yendery Ramírez presented at the FoMPEM international congress
SMI-ICE-Chile researcher Dr. Yendery Ramírez Ángel spoke at the Foundation of Mineral Processing & Extractive Metallurgy (FoMPEM) international conference, organized by the University of Antofagasta and Wuhan University (China), which recently took place in San Pedro de Atacama.
Sarah Mackenzie and Nigel Wight deliver masterclass for Vicuña Project executives
Sarah Mackenzie, Senior Manager and researcher at the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) at The University of Queensland, together with Dr Nigel Wight, Senior Researcher at SMI Chile, travelled to San Juan, Argentina, to deliver a masterclass for executives from the Vicuña Project, focusing on the social performance risks associated with a large-scale mining operation.
SMI Chile brings together junior mining companies to discuss territorial challenges
The meeting took place during the visit to Chile of Sarah Mackenzie, a University of Queensland expert in social responsibility in mining and aimed to foster discussion on the global context of mineral exploration and the challenges facing the sector amid growing territorial, social and environmental complexity.
SMI Chile Visits the Community of Machuca
A team from SMI Chile recently visited the Machuca Atacameño Indigenous Community as part of the services we provide in our role as a Collaborating Organisation, reaffirming our commitment to the sustainable development of communities across the region.
Nigel Wight publishes a scientific article on the critical minerals policy of Australia, Chile, and Finland
Together with five international researchers, the SMI Chile researcher has published a study in the journal Resources Policy that is of great interest to the ongoing discussion regarding the global energy transition.
Jacques Wiertz presented at the opening of Tailings 2025
The leader of the Environmental Rehabilitation and Ecosystem Dynamics area at SMI-ICE-Chile made a sharp assessment of the main challenges the mining industry must address in terms of tailings management.
SMI-ICE-Chile and SMI UQ teach a course on tailings water chemistry at the Tailings 2025 Congress
The event had a high turnout of registrants and was held within the preliminary framework of the International Congress on Tailings Management, organized by Gecamin.
SMI-ICE-Chile’s work to curb acid drainage from mine dumps
Using pyrite microencapsulation technology, a team from the Environmental Rehabilitation and Ecosystem Dynamics area is working to address one of the mining industry’s greatest environmental and economic challenges.
SMI-ICE-Chile and the UDD team present results from the first field in the Lagunillas bofedal
Researchers from SMI-ICE-Chile and the C+ department of the UDD held an internal seminar to present the preliminary results of the first monitoring campaign, conducted for the project “Estimation of the net balance of greenhouse gas emissions from the Lagunillas Wetland and carbon offset proposal,” which is being carried out for a mining company.
SMI-ICE-Chile conducts safety training for Nexa Resources supervisors in Peru
SMI-ICE-Chile provided three courses on risk management for supervisors of the mining company’s operations in the neighboring country.
SMI-ICE-Chile delivers training program on safety and critical control management
We have successfully completed a series of courses on comprehensive safety for Chilean and international professionals in the mining, gas and oil industry, taught in part by a specialist from The University of Queensland, Libby Humphries.
SMI-ICE-Chile participated in international mining safety seminar in Lima
Alexander Dabner, an expert from SMI-ICE-Chile, presented a paper on controlling critical risks at the International Seminar on Mining Safety-ISEM 2024, held recently in Peru.
SMI Chile Participates in Australian Embassy’s Scientific Programme at Exponor 2026
As The University of Queensland’s representative in Chile, our Centre played an active role in the scientific and academic activities organised by the Australian Embassy in Chile and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) as part of Exponor 2026. The initiative aimed to further strengthen research and development links between Australia and Chile.
SMI Chile Team Takes Centre Stage at Planning for Closure 2026
Through the presentation of research studies and participation as keynote speakers at the opening ceremony, SMI Chile played a prominent role in this latest edition of the region’s leading international mine closure conference.
SMI Chile kicks off Planning for Closure with technical course
With strong attendance, a multidisciplinary team from SMI Chile launched its participation in the leading mine closure conference by presenting an approach that calls for rethinking mine closure as a long-term territorial governance challenge.
SMI Chile appoints Mary Valdés as Executive Director
The Sustainable Minerals Institute Chile (SMI Chile) has appointed Chilean executive and academic Mary Valdés as its new Executive Director.
Media highlight Mary Valdés appointment
El Mercurio de Antofagasta and several specialised mining industry publications have highlighted the appointment of Chilean academic and executive Mary Valdés to lead SMI Chile.
Chilean Mining Magazine Reports on Visit of Argentine Mining Secretary to SMI Chile
The specialized publication reports on the meeting between Luis E. Lucero, the top mining official in Argentina, and the senior staff of the University of Queensland’s International Center in Chile.
José Ojeda publishes analysis on the scope of circularity in mining
In the March print edition of Revista Minería Chilena, an SMI Chile researcher examines the impact and innovation opportunities arising from the recent regulatory change that now allows the use of copper slag in infrastructure projects.
Revista Minería Chilena publishes column by Nathalie Jamett
Coinciding with the opening of the ACADES 2026 Congress, SMI Chile Senior Researcher Nathalie Jamett argues in this opinion piece for the need to transition towards shared water management as the most efficient and sustainable model to address the severe water stress affecting mining regions in Chile.