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Hudbay outlines Mason project prefeasibility, says it has secured water rights and plans community open house
Summary
Hudbay Minerals presented an early-stage update on the Mason mining project, saying it has purchased land and claims of roughly 7,600 acre-feet/year of existing water rights, anticipates a multi-decade mine life and is conducting prefeasibility and baseline studies with an Aug. 18 open house planned in Smith Valley.
Hudbay Minerals updated the Board on its Mason project on July 2, emphasizing a staged, data-driven approach. Company lead Chantay Lessard described the project as a greenfield copper development in Smith Valley with a long timeline for permitting and engineering; prefeasibility and environmental baseline work are underway in 2026'2027.
Lessard said Hudbay has purchased more than 3,000 acres and secured existing water rights totaling approximately 7,600 acre-feet annually, stating that the project is planned to use those existing rights rather than taking new agricultural water. She described ongoing hydrologic and geotechnical drilling, continuous air and wildlife baseline monitoring, tribal consultation, and a socioeconomic-impact assessment intended to guide infrastructure and housing planning.
Commissioners and residents pressed Hudbay about depth of aquifer testing, potential need for additional water if processing scales to 120,000 tons per day, traffic and rail logistics, and impacts to Smith Valley agriculture and housing. Hudbay said the prefeasibility phase will refine plant size to available water and that the company is negotiating with neighboring projects about rail and shared infrastructure. Hudbay reiterated a commitment to community engagement and invited residents to an Aug. 18 open house in Smith Valley.
Next steps: Hudbay will continue prefeasibility, hydrologic studies and socioeconomic baseline work, and hold an open house Aug. 18 in Smith Valley to gather community input.
