Interview with Hayden Locke, CEO & Jose Antonio Merino, CFO of Marimaca Copper

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/marimaca-copper-tsxmari-industry-leading-economics-meet-growth-potential-7830

Recording date: 10th November 2025

Marimaca Copper has secured environmental approval for its oxide copper project in northern Chile, marking a significant milestone that positions the company to break ground by the end of Q1 2026. The approval, granted through Chile's Declaration of Environmental Impact (DIA) pathway, represents years of strategic planning and proactive stakeholder engagement that distinguished the company's approach from typical mining development.

The DIA approval followed submission of a comprehensive 4,800-page document that underwent rigorous review by 17 separate government agencies. Each agency examined whether the project would generate "significant environmental impact" within their specific scope, from water resources and flora to archaeology and air quality. Managing Director Jose Antonio Merino emphasized that the pathway selection was not arbitrary but rather "a result of your environmental impact assessment," with the company's design qualifying for the streamlined DIA process by demonstrating minimal environmental impact.

Marimaca's strategic approach centered on designing the project around environmental sensitivities from the outset rather than retrofitting considerations after engineering completion. This methodology, while adding approximately one quarter to the submission timeline, proved instrumental in securing approval. The company also engaged proactively with local communities despite no regulatory mandate, opening dialogue about expectations and concerns that informed the final community engagement plan.

The approval arrives amid favorable shifts in Chile's political environment, where Merino noted "more consensus in the Chilean political and regulatory agencies about the importance of economic growth" compared to the environmentalist wave of four to five years ago. CEO Hayden Locke views the timing as optimal, stating that "the next 5 to 10 years in copper is going to be very favorable, and we are coming to market with a new project at exactly the right time."

With primary environmental approval secured and remaining sectoral permits considered low-risk, Marimaca has successfully navigated what Locke described as permitting issues that have "delayed junior companies in some cases by two decades," positioning the oxide project for near-term construction commencement.

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/marimaca-copper

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