Chile, the world’s biggest copper producing country, has warned that the global resources sector needs to pay far more attention to its environmental and social licence obligations if new projects worth billions of dollars are to get up.

As Argentina heads into its turbulent President election in October, a senior economic forecaster visiting Australia says the poll will fuel renewed interest in that country’s mining sector – but also raise the spectre of its uncertain post poll financial framework.

The increasing engagement of Latin America with Asia may potentially be at the expense of Australia’s traditional sense of right to be a major Asian player, expert says.

An average nickel price of US$20,000 per tonne has been forecast for Australian nickel producers in 2015 – but the sector has been urged to keep its grass roots focus on untapped potential nickel discoveries in Australia, rather than overseas.