UPDATE 1-FACTBOX-Recent major base metals mergers

(Adds production details)

Jan 22 (Reuters) - Brazilian mining giant Vale has said it
was in talks to buy Swiss-based diversified miner Xstrata in a
deal analysts said could top $100 billion.

Vale (VALE5.SA) (RIO.N), the world's largest iron ore
producer, said market conditions would determine whether it
launched its takeover bid, the biggest by a Brazilian firm.

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A deal would make it the world's top nickel producer with
around one-fifth of total mined and refined output. It would
also reinforce Xstrata's position as the world's fourth largest
copper miner.

The acquisition talks come at a time when the world's
biggest mining house BHP Billiton (BLT.L) is trying to buy Rio
Tinto (RIO.L). BHP has until Feb. 6 to sweeten its offer worth
around $130 billion or step aside for at least six months.

Following are details of earlier merger moves.

2008

Jan 17 - Anglo American Plc (AAL.L) says it is in talks to
buy control of two Brazilian iron ore projects owned by MMX
Mineracao (MMXM3.SA)XMM.TO for around $5.5 billion to boost
exposure to a commodity with buoyant prospects.

2007

Dec 21 - Russia's United Company RUSAL will buy a strategic
stake in Norilsk Nickel (GMKN.MM) from Mikhail Prokhorov's
Onexim Group as it seeks to build a globally competitive Russian
metals and mining major. On Tuesday, one of RUSAL's shareholders
told Vedomosti business daily the company was discussing a full
buyout or a merger.

Dec 21 - BHP Billiton (BHP.AX) will have to decide by Feb. 6
whether to make a formal bid for rival Rio Tinto (RIO.AX) or
walk away under UK regulatory rules. BHP announced its plan on
Nov. 8 to take over third-ranked Rio and forge a mega-mining
group with a market capitalisation of around $350 billion.

Dec 17 - Australia's Zinifex Ltd ZFX.AX, the world No.3
zinc producer, offers up to A$775 million in cash for nickel
miner Allegiance Mining AGM.AX, the latest move in a hectic
round of consolidation among Australian miners.

Dec 7 - China's state-owned Sinosteel makes a $1 billion
cash takeover proposal for Australian iron ore miner Midwest
Corp MIS.AX, way above a rival all-share offer from Murchison
Metals Ltd (MMX.AX), as Chinese companies push overseas to
secure resource assets.

Dec 5 - Xstrata makes a A$960 million cash bid for coal
miner Resource Pacific, trumping an all-share offer by New Hope
Corp, as it seeks to grow in Australia's booming resource sector.

Dec 4 - Palmary Enterprises Ltd looks set to win a battle
for Australian manganese miner Consolidated Minerals Ltd
CSM.AX after raising its offer to $1 billion and securing
rival bidder Pallinghurst's stake.

Oct 29 - Xstrata said it offered A$3.1 billion for
Australia's Jubilee Mines NL JBM.AX. Potential counter-suitors
are thought to include BHP, Vale and Norilsk Nickel. Norilsk
outbid Xstrata earlier for Australian nickel miner LionOre. July
12 - Rio Tinto said it agreed to pay $38.1 billion for Canadian
aluminium company Alcan. By Oct 25, 79.4 percent of Alcan's
shares had been tendered to Rio, which extended its bid to Nov.
8 to buy the remaining Alcan shares. The acquisition makes Rio
the world's largest aluminium producer.

June 25 - Germany's Norddeutsche Affinerie (NAFG.DE) offered
777 million euros to buy Belgian rival Cumerio CUMR.BR. The
combination would create the world's third-biggest copper
refiner and Europe's largest producer. The European Commission
is expected to decide by Feb. 5 whether to clear the deal.

June 19 - Norilsk Nickel said it would complete the
acquisition of LionOre Mining International Ltd (LIM.TO) by
end-June, when Xstrata's rival offer expired. By mid-August,
Norilsk said it had over 97.7 percent of LionOre shares,
reinforcing Norilsk's position as the world's top nickel
producer.

May 8 - Alcoa said it would make a hostile bid for Canada's
Alcan Inc for nearly $27 billion after talks between the two
aluminium producers failed to lead to a deal. Alcoa dropped the
bid after Rio Tinto said it agreed to buy Alcan.

2006

Dec 12 - Australia's Zinifex Ltd ZFX.AX and Belgian metals
firm Umicore ACUMt.BR agree to combine their zinc smelters to
create the world's largest zinc metal producer. The two will
offer shares in the newly formed Nyrstar, worth up to $1.6
billion, on Euronext some time after the third quarter of 2007.

Nov 20 - Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold Inc (FCX.N) agrees
to buy much larger Phelps Dodge Corp PD.N for $25.9 billion to
create the world's largest publicly traded copper company,
ranked second only to Chile's state-owned Codelco.

The table below details the top producers of mined copper in
2006:

Copper output

(million tonnes)

Codelco 1.832

Freeport/Phelps* 1.397

BHP Billiton 1.229

Xstrata/Falconbridge* 898

Rio Tinto 827

(Freeport figures include Phelps Dodge, Xstrata figures
include Falconbridge to give an idea of current likely ranking.)

The table below details top producers of mined nickel in
2007:

Nickel

(percent)

2007

Norilsk Nickel 18.0

Vale 14.0

BHP Billiton 9.0

Xstrata 6.0

Eramet 5.0

Global nickel mine output around 1.7 million tonnes.

Sources: CRU Analysis, Brook Hunt, Reuters Metal Production
Database.
(Compiled by Michael Urquhart and Karen Norton, Editing by
Peter Blackburn)