Born under a lucky mineral - KGHM sponsored a film about the prominent geologist Ignacy Domeyko

On the 220th anniversary of the birth of Ignacy Domeyko, a prominent Polish geologist who revolutionized mining, a documentary film was made about his remarkable life and impact on the mining industry. The scientist lived and worked in Chile, among other places, and is the patron of the KGHM’s Sierra Gorda mine.

The film titled “Born under a lucky mineral” featuring, among others, the descendants of Ignacy Domeyko, was co-produced with the Polish Television. Its premiere will take place on television on November 15. Special guests at the pre-release screening at the Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw were Ignacy Domeyko’s great-grandson Jose Fernando Domeyko Perez and his wife Maria, their daughter Jacqueline Maria Dominga Domeyko Cassel, and the geologist’s great-great-granddaughter Bernadita Sofia Domeyko Dobry with her son Francisco Pero Domeyko.

Ignacy Domeyko was an outstanding scientist and founder of modern mining in Chile. He was a researcher, geologist, and longtime rector of the University of Chile. His heritage includes dozens of scientific papers. Many places and objects are named after him, including a mineral, an asteroid, and a mountain range in Chile. The Sierra Gorda Cordillera located in the Atacama desert was so named by Domeyko himself, who explored this area.

The copper deposit discovered in 2006 in Sierra Gorda is also named after Ignacy Domeyko. The mine, which is owned by KGHM, is one of the main copper producers in Chile that works on a sulfide deposit with mineralization of copper, molybdenum, and gold found in fine veins.

In addition to attending the screening of the film about their famous ancestor, Ignacy Domeyko’s family visited the Copper Belt as well as other places. The descendants of the famous geologist went underground at the Lubin Mining Facility, where they saw what the mining process looks like. The foreign visitors were impressed by the machinery used to mine copper. Earlier, at the Royal Castle, they got acquainted with the original memorabilia of Ignacy Domeyko.

It is worth mentioning that the Sierra Gorda mine, whose patron is Ignacy Domeyko, is one of the main foreign assets in the KGHM’s portfolio. According to data from Chile’s Copper Commission, last year the Cochilco Sierra Gorda SCM achieved the second best result in mining production increase in Chile. In 2021, both the payable copper production (+28%) and the operating profit of PLN 3.2 billion (an almost 2.4-fold increase on the KGHM’s 55% share) increased compared to the previous year.

The financial situation of the KGHM’s Chilean mine has made possible, for the first time ever, the reversal of financial flows to the parent company. The money flowed from Chile to Poland. In 2021, for the KGHM’s 55% share, the Sierra Gorda mine paid about USD 420 million, while in the first quarter of 2022 - more than USD 100 million.