Cantabria grants mining permit for zinc and lead on the coast

Grant of the ANA ISABEL research permit

The Department of Industry, Employment, Innovation and Trade of the Government of Cantabria, through the Directorate General of Industry, Energy and Mines, has granted the company Variscan Mines Cantabria, S.L. a research permit called ANA ISABEL, number 16680, for the exploration of zinc, lead and other mineral resources of Section C). The resolution is published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria (BOC) number 158, of 18 August 2026, on pages 37939 and 37940, with the official reference CVE-2026-6473.

The grant was signed on 3 August 2026 in Santander by José Luis Ceballos Pereda, Director General of Industry, Energy and Mines, at the proposal of the Inspection and Safety Service. In the processing of the file, the formalities provided for in Law 22/1973, of 21 July, on Mines, as amended by Law 54/1980, of 5 November, and other applicable provisions have been complied with.

Surface area and location of the mining register

The permit covers an area of 76 mining blocks, delimited by means of a demarcation plan drawn up on 5 May 2025, in accordance with the reference system ETRS89, zone 30. The granted perimeter extends across the following municipal districts:

• Alfoz de Lloredo
• Reocín
• Santillana del Mar

The area is located in the western coastal strip of Cantabria, between the meridians 4° 5’ 40" W and 4° 8’ 20" W, and the parallels 43° 20’ 00" N and 43° 25’ 20" N. The document establishes 12 vertices that define the polygon of the granted perimeter.

Holder and term of validity

The holder of the permit is Variscan Mines Cantabria, S.L., with registered office at Bº Ronaz, s/n, 39526 Novales (Alfoz de Lloredo). The application was promoted by Martín Silván Gutiérrez-Cortines, in his capacity as representative of the sole administrator of the company.

• Class: Research Permit
• Number: 16680
• Name: ANA ISABEL
• Resources: zinc, lead and other resources of Section C)
• Surface area: 76 mining blocks
• Term of validity: 3 years

Legal context and scope

The granting of a research permit, in accordance with Spanish mining regulations, authorises the holder to carry out exploration and prospecting work in the delimited area, without this necessarily implying future commercial exploitation. The grant nevertheless opens up the possibility for the company to apply in the future for an exploitation permit if the research work yields favourable results.

Cantabria has a mining tradition linked to the Valle de Reocín coal basin, which was exploited for decades until its closure. The presence of zinc and lead deposits in the area has been of interest to various companies in the sector, in a context of growing European demand for strategic minerals for the energy transition. Resolution CVE-2026-6473 represents an administrative step that places the Cantabrian coastal area back on the map of regional extractive activity.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, number 158, August 18, 2026, Section 7.2 Environment and Energy, pp. 37939-37940 (official reference: CVE-2026-6473).