SMG, based in Antofagasta, is a mining engineering company that has invented the Conjunto Manto Irrigador, or CMI. The CMI streamlines the recuperation of copper, a process called leaching, by combining the irrigation tubing and plastic liner necessary for optimizing extraction. Minera Escondida, SMG’s flagship client and operator of the largest copper mine in the world, saved 30% in operational costs and boosted copper recovery by 12%, leading to a US$10.5 million increase in revenues. SMG hopes to sign four to long-term contracts by the beginning of next year. Going forward, the company seeks to further automate the installation of the CMI while considering expansion into different markets such as Peru and Australia.