South32 outlines Hermosa mine timeline, local hiring and water treatment plans in Nogales briefing

South32 representative Pat Reisner told the Nogales City Council on March 5 that the Hermosa project — a combined zinc and manganese development seven miles south of Patagonia — is moving from permitting and construction into expanded site work and workforce development. Reisner said the company has committed to a multibillion-dollar investment and is planning a remote operating center in Nogales to host many facility operators.

Reisner said, “we made a commitment to invest $2,200,000,000 over the next 3 years to build the project and get the Zinc deposit into production,” and added the company had already invested about $400,000,000. He described the site as “the only advanced mine development project in The United States that will produce 2 critical minerals off the federal government's critical minerals list.”

The update matters to Nogales officials because South32 said the operation will create hundreds of construction jobs in the near term and between 800 and 900 direct permanent positions at full production, with an additional roughly 1,500 indirect and induced jobs across the county and state. “We have committed to at least 80% of…