Xstrata Nickel-Raglan Mine Supports Research Efforts on Caribou Migration

ROUYN-NORANDA, QUEBEC, May 19 (MARKET WIRE) --
Xstrata Nickel - Raglan Mine is proud to announce its participation in a
large-scale research program that aims to further understand the dynamics
and space use of migratory caribou populations in Quebec and Labrador in
the current climate change context.

The ambitious research program will be staggered over a period of five
years under the leadership of Universite Laval Professor Steeve Cote.
Professor Cote's team will work to determine the factors influencing the
density and space use of caribou and the potential impacts of changes to
their habitat.

Xstrata Nickel - Raglan Mine will invest $350,000 in this research
project over the five-year period.

"We are proud to support Professor Cote's research efforts," said Joel
Page, Director Sustainable Development at Xstrata Nickel - Raglan Mine.
"We believe it is important to better understand the caribou herd
interaction with its local environment, including food abundance,
predators and variation in snow and ice cover. Caribou lie at the heart
of Nunavik Inuit culture and remain a main staple of traditional Inuit
diet. Xstrata Nickel - Raglan Mine through its Sustainable Development
Policy takes a keen interest in migratory caribou herds numbering in the
hundreds of thousands roaming near our installations."

Partners

Professor Steeve Cote is a member of the ArcticNet Network of Centres of
Excellence. The project involves academic researchers from Universite
Laval (Louis Bernatchez and Jean-Pierre Tremblay), Universite de
Sherbrooke (Marco Festa-Bianchet) and the Ministere des Ressources
naturelles et de la Faune du Quebec (MRNF) (Christian Dussault). The
research project is also supported by the NSERC, the MRNF, Hydro Quebec,
the Federation des pourvoiries du Quebec and the Federation quebecoise
des chasseurs.

Xstrata plc

Xstrata is a global diversified mining group, listed on the London and
Swiss Stock Exchanges, with its headquarters in Zug, Switzerland.
Xstrata's businesses maintain a meaningful position in seven major
international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal,
ferrochrome, nickel, vanadium and zinc, with a growing platinum group
metals business, additional exposures to gold, cobalt, lead and silver,
recycling facilities and a suite of global technology products, many of
which are industry leaders. The Group's operations and projects span 19
countries.

Xstrata Nickel

Xstrata Nickel, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is one of Xstrata
Group's global commodity businesses. Xstrata Nickel's operations include
mines and processing facilities in Canada, the Dominican Republic and
Australia, and a refinery in Norway. Xstrata Nickel has a promising
portfolio of growth projects in Canada, New Caledonia, Tanzania and
Brazil. Xstrata Nickel is the world's fifth largest nickel producer, with
annual managed production of more than 107,000 tonnes of refined nickel.

Contacts:
Xstrata Nickel- Raglan Mine
Francis Beauvais
Coordinator Communications and External Relations
(819) 762-7800
Email: fbeauvaiss@xstratanickel.ca

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