Galan Lithium gains another former SQM vice president to help progress HMW to production
Juan Carlos Barrera will provide advisory and consulting services to Galan Lithium as it advances its flagship Hombre Muerto West lithium brine project towards production.
Galan Lithium (ASX: GLN) has gained more talent to advance its lithium brine assets in Argentina with the appointment of world brine expert and former Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) vice president as consultant and board adviser.
The company announced this morning it has secured the services of Juan Carlos Barrera to assist with the ramp-up of activities at the flagship Hombre Muerto West (HMW) lithium brine project in Argentina, where a definitive feasibility study is nearing completion.
Mr Barrera has two masters’ degrees and is a qualified civil engineer with more than 33 years’ mining experience across Chile, Argentina and Australia.
This includes 28 years working with lithium major SQM. For the past 12 years at SQM, Mr Barrera was lithium and potassium senior operations vice president. He was responsible for exploration, mining, production, expansions, and new projects in lithium chloride and carbonate and lithium hydroxide and sulphate.
As part of this, Mr Barrera managed more than 1,700 direct workers and 5,300 contractors, and the operation of 11 production plants.
He was also instrumental in building more than 27 square kilometres of solar evaporation ponds for lithium brine operations.
Advancing HMW
Galan managing director JP Vargas de la Vega said securing people with Mr Barrera’s calibre and experience is “not easy”.
“The fact that he has joined the Galan team and agreed to consult to the board and management is a further testament to the high calibre of our projects and the quality of work we have achieved to date.”
“His expertise will greatly assist us at this critical time in the development and future operational aspects of the HMW project, especially with the planned mineral reserve/resource estimate and the definitive feasibility study slated for completion in the coming weeks.”
Also assisting at HMW is another ex-SQM senior vice president Daniel Jimenez who is a non-executive director on Galan’s board.
Mr Vargas de la Vega said the company is “proud” to have secured Mr Jimenez and Mr Barrera’s services as HMW moves towards first lithium production in 2025.
Galan is also developing the nearby Candelas lithium brine project.