UPDATE 1-Hecla Mining says lenders amend credit facility

* Says prepaid $18.2 mln to its term loan

* Says repaid $341.7 million of $380 mln loan

* Says amendment lift limits on capex

June 30 (Reuters) - Precious metals miner Hecla Mining Co (HL.N) said lenders amended its credit agreement, reducing borrowing costs and giving flexibility to control its capital program.

The company, which made a prepayment of $18.2 million to its term loan under the amendment, said the amendment waived a 3.75 percent semi-annual fee paid on 12 percent convertible preferred stock and relaxed limitations on its capital spending to allow investments up to $75 million through year end.

The amendment also eliminates the current requirement that Hecla retain a chief restructuring officer, the company said in a statement.

Hecla added it had repaid about $341.7 million of $380 million drawn from its credit facilities.

"After the repayment, the cash on our balance sheet is similar to the amount we had at the beginning of the second quarter 2009," Chief Executive Phillips Baker said in a statement.

Shares of the company were down 3 percent at $2.70 Tuesday afternoon on the New York Stock Exchange.

For the alerts, please double click [ID:nWNAB3380] (Reporting by Arup Roychoudhury in Bangalore; editing by Unnikrishnan Nair) (arup.roychoudhury@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780; outside U.S. +91 80 4135 5800; Reuters Messaging: arup.roychoudhury.reuters.com@reuters.net))