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South32 outlines Hermosa mine plans: $2.2 billion investment, remote operating center in Nogales and local hiring commitments
Summary
South32 presented an update on the Hermosa critical‑minerals project, describing a $2.2 billion commitment for zinc development, a potential manganese operation, a remote operating center to be based in Nogales and workforce and environmental measures. Council members pressed for more detail on water, permitting and community protections.
South32 told the Nogales City Council on March 5 that it has committed roughly $2.2 billion to develop the Hermosa zinc deposit south of Patagonia and is studying a manganese deposit and an adjacent copper prospect.
Pat Reisner, a South32 representative, described the project as a strategic domestic source of critical minerals and said the company has already invested hundreds of millions of dollars. Reisner said South32 will sink two 25-foot-diameter shafts to roughly 3,000 feet to access the zinc deposit, drive a decline to access manganese and construct surface processing facilities. He said the company has between 600 and 700 construction workers now at the site with an expected ramp to about 1,000 by July, and that first zinc production is expected in 2027 with more routine revenue beginning by about 2028.
Reisner said South32 has committed that at least 80% of the long-term permanent workforce will be residents of Santa Cruz County and that more than 200 people will…
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