About us — 01

Founders & technical leadership.

The La Huayca Project is led by a small group of Chilean professionals with mining, engineering, and financial expertise — supported by named external geological, petrographic, and laboratory consultants.

Technical leadership — 02

A geophysicist with a copper discovery on his record.

The geophysical exploration program at La Huayca has been directed throughout its twelve-year history by Rafael Alarcón — a senior geophysicist with approximately 45 years of consulting experience in Chilean mineral exploration.

RA

Rafael E. Alarcón Rodríguez

Technical Lead · Founder

Mining Engineer, Universidad de Chile · General Manager, DPI Ingenieros Ltda.

  • ~45 years in geophysical consulting; senior geophysicist at Geoexploraciones S.A. before founding DPI Ingenieros Ltda.
  • Author of Annex B (IP & Resistivity Survey, 2016) and Annex C (AMT Survey & 3-D Resistivity Model, 2024) — the two geophysical surveys underlying the project.
  • Director of the La Huayca geophysical and exploration program from project inception in 2013.
  • Controlling shareholder of the Project Company (60% beneficial interest) through Sociedad Inmobiliaria Alarcón y Garrido Compañía Ltda.
Rosario Porphyry · Collahuasi
Senior IP geophysicist on the discovery team for one of Chile's major copper deposits, conducted under Geoexploraciones S.A.
CL

Carlos E. Longeri

CFO · Investor Relations · Founder

Electronic Engineer, Universidad de Concepción · MBA, Northwestern University

  • Lead point of contact for prospective partners and investors; manages the NDA-gated data room and external communications.
  • Coordinates commercial structuring of Phase 2 partnership conversations (equity, royalty, streaming, earn-in JV).
  • CFO/CTO experience across Chilean corporate groups with international operations.
  • Beneficial owner of the Project Company (10%) through Lonco Villuco SpA.
Project Contact
carlos.longeri@lahuayca.com
HC

Hernán E. Cortés

Founder · Strategic Advisor

Chemical Engineer, Universidad de Chile · MBA, Universidad Gabriela Mistral · Postgraduate, Business Management for Engineers, Universidad de Chile

  • Partner at ALV & Asociados since 2003 — a Chilean consulting firm specialising in industrial valuations, regulatory cost audits, and corporate due diligence for energy, sanitation, and industrial sectors.
  • Industrial valuation specialist — has directed valuations of industrial machinery, electrical lines and substations, agricultural plantations, and concessions, including IFRS fair-value assessments and M&A due diligence engagements.
  • 20-year operational career at Goodyear de Chile, progressing from process engineer to Operations Manager, then Business Analysis & Cost Manager in Finance with responsibility for corporate planning and capital investment budgets.
  • Beneficial owner of the Project Company (10%) through Inversiones Zahori SpA.
ALV & Asociados · Partner
Specialist in industrial valuations, regulatory audits, and M&A due diligence for Chilean corporates.
MC

Mario B. Castillo

Founder · Civil & Structural Engineering

Civil Engineer (Structural Specialization), Universidad de Chile · Diploma in Integrated Project Management, CODELCO División Chuquicamata

  • ~47 years of civil and structural engineering across offshore oil & gas, metallic mining, and industrial infrastructure — including a decade (1978–1989) at ENAP Magallanes' offshore project on the Strait of Magellan, designing fixed platforms to API and AISC standards.
  • 14+ years in Chilean copper mining — structural and multidisciplinary engineering for CODELCO (Chuquicamata, El Teniente, Andina, Radomiro Tomic, Gaby), Compañía Minera Collahuasi, Minera Los Pelambres, Xstrata Copper, and Pascualama, among others.
  • Project Manager at CODELCO División Chuquicamata (1992–2001) and EPC Projects Manager at ANCORTECMIN S.A. (2010–2013); subsequently project management at CIS Ingenieros.
  • Largest minority beneficial owner of the Project Company (20%) through Huayco Servicios Mineros e Inversiones SpA.
CODELCO Chuquicamata · 1992–2001
Project Manager at the world's largest open-pit copper mine — followed by structural and EPC project leadership across Collahuasi, Los Pelambres, El Teniente, and Pascualama.
Independent verification framework No mineral resource estimate compliant with JORC 2012 or NI 43-101 has been prepared for the La Huayca Project. The technical lead, by virtue of his role as controlling shareholder, cannot satisfy the independence requirements of those standards. Engagement of an independent Competent Person or Qualified Person with relevant Andean copper exploration experience is contemplated as part of Phase 2 and is a stated prerequisite for any future preliminary mineral resource estimation.

External technical network — 03

Specialist consultants by name.

The technical work documented in the project's eight supporting annexes has been carried out, in part, by named external specialists engaged by the Project Company.

DPI Ingenieros Ltda.Led by R. Alarcón
Geophysical surveys (IP & resistivity, 2014; AMT, 2023–2024) and overall geophysical interpretation.
Annexes B & C · Geophysics
J. CortésGeologist
Author of the 2023 prospect geology and mineralogy report. Structural interpretation of the Huaytiquina anticline and proposed link to the Olacapato–El Toro lineament.
Annex E1 · Geology
N. BrizuelaGeologist, Universidad de Chile
Author of the 2023 drilling campaign geological framework and stratigraphic synthesis of Boreholes S1 and S2.
Annex E2 · Geology
Petrogenesis Ltda.L. Cuitiño & team
Petrographic and chalcographic laboratory studies on drill core and an outcrop sample collected within the project area.
Annexes D1 & D3 · Petrography
Andes Analytical AssayIndependent laboratory
Independent mineralogical and ICP-AES multi-element assay laboratory.
Annex D2 · Assay