Altiplano Metals Inc. reported that final processing approval has been received from the Chilean Mining authority SERNAGEOMIN (Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería). This final permit allows operations to begin at the Company's processing facility constructed at El Peñón, approximately 15 kms from the Farellon Copper Gold mine located near La Serena, Chile. Processing of stockpiled material currently stored at the El Peñón site has begun as a part of the commissioning of the plant, with the first concentrate expected to be produced for shipment in July.

Production from Farellon will be split shipped to the facility and ENAMI for the next few months to maximize copper sales while the plant ramps up to full operational capacity. Operation of the plant provides the Company the opportunity to reduce trucking costs by 75% and processing costs by 45% while recovering additional payable metals. The El Peñón crushing and flotation plant will incorporate a high efficiency water recovery circuit designed to produce dry tailings and an iron separator to recover high value iron oxide from the tailings output.

This process will reduce the tailings output by 50% where dry tailings can be moved and stored in an environmentally efficient manner replacing the need for a conventional tailings dam system. In addition, the de-watering stack circuit will reduce the overall freshwater consumption needed at the plant by 75%. This eco-friendly system will be one of the first to be used in the small mining sector in Chile and elevates Altiplano to a leader in reducing its environmental footprint.