The Ministry of Commerce and Industries authorized Minera Panamá to process, export, and commercialize the rock material exposed at the Cobre Panamá Mine, located in Donoso. The resolution states that Minera Panamá must bear all costs associated with the processing, transportation, and export of the material, without this representing a reactivation of the mining activity. It is also clarified that the State will not contribute any resources for this activity. The MICI specifies that once the export is completed, Minera Panamá must pay the respective royalties to the State, as occurred in 2025 with the export of the copper concentrate that had been stored. Furthermore, the authorization is limited exclusively to the already extracted material, prohibiting new exploration, extraction, drilling, or blasting activities. “This authorization does not imply the reactivation of the mining activity, nor does it authorize the execution of new exploration, extraction, drilling, blasting, or mineral processing activities other than those expressly authorized,” clarifies the resolution from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries. Open-pit mining has been prohibited since the end of 2023 by the Mining Moratorium Law, and the ruling from the Supreme Court of Justice that declared the contract between Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals, and the Panamanian State unconstitutional, nullified the operation of the project in Donoso. These are the activities the mine will be able to carry out: Processing the stockpile of low and medium-grade ore located in the Botija pit. Processing the blasted ore located in the Botija pit. Processing the crushed ore located at the processing plant. Export and commercialization of the copper concentrate resulting from the processing of the aforementioned materials. Data from the MICI and the mining company indicate that the exposed material comprises more than 38 million tons of rock that can generate around 70,000 tons of copper concentrate that could be exported. The document also states that the operations will be subject to supervision and regulation by the MICI, the Ministry of the Environment, and other competent entities, as well as periodic inspections and monthly reports on the progress of the process and its impacts. “Minera Panamá, S.A. must submit monthly reports on the execution of the Preservation and Safe Management Plan (PGS), including the progress of processing, environmental control, water management, and other relevant indicators,” states the resolution. It is also warned that non-compliance with the provisions may lead to sanctions, while the authorized actions must focus on ensuring the stability of the site, the safety of the infrastructure, and the prevention of environmental risks. Resolution No. 30498 of April 7, 2026, authorizes the removal of the material that remains in the mine, as its exposure to climatic conditions poses a real risk of generating acid drainage and affecting the soil and water sources if not properly managed. The MICI stated that the decision was based on technical, environmental, and legal evaluations that identified risks in the exposed material. “This measure enables Minera Panamá, S.A., to execute a strictly controlled process for processing the material lying in the mine, and the removal and transfer of the resulting material out of the country, as a specific action to eliminate the dangerous conditions identified through the technical evaluations,” clarifies the MICI.
