FACTBOX-Mines and plants hurt by low prices, high costs

Oct 30 (Reuters) - The global financial crisis and sharp falls in metals prices have forced several companies to abandon or put on hold their plans to bring new mines on-stream.

Some existing producers also have shut down or curtailed their output at mines and plants as high costs and low prices bite. Below are details of the major projects and facilities which have been affected in recent months, as well as other related news.

Oct 30 - Australian miner Kagara Ltd (KZL.AX) cut its 2008/09 zinc production target by 12.5 percent, citing "difficult times" caused by the dramatic drop in the metal's price. The new forecast of 35,000 tonnes also places in doubt Kagara's ability to meet a longer-term annual target of 100,000 tonnes of zinc in about two years, a company spokesman said. The revised plans are designed to help reduce overall capital spending and will delay indefinitely final construction of the firm's Mungana zinc ore treatment plant.

Oct 30 - Kazakh copper producer Kazakhmys (KAZ.L) said it may cut copper output next year due to lower projected spending arising from global financial instability.

Oct 30 - Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (CHZNq.L), Russia's largest zinc producer, will cut planned 2009 output to 150,000 tonnes due to the global financial crisis. The company produced 165,007 tonnes of zinc and alloys in 2007.

Oct 30 - Tin output from Indonesia's PT Timah (TINS.JK) may be between 4-10 percent lower than initial targets due to falling prices. The firm may produce between 45,000-48,000 tonnes of refined tin this year, below an earlier target of 50,000 tonnes.

Oct 30 - Australian miner Mincor Resources Nl (MCR.AX) said it expects its production of nickel ore to be in a 16,000-19,000 tonnes range in fiscal 2009, down from an original plan of 19,500-20,500 tonnes.

Oct 29 - Chile trimmed its 2008 copper output forecast for the second time since July, to 5.45 million tonnes, citing operational issues but not slumping prices. But limited financing due to the global credit crisis may delay or cancel some new projects, the executive vice-president of Chile's state-owned copper commission Cochilco said.

Oct 29 - The Doe Run Company, the largest U.S. lead producer, said it will close in the next week one of the two furnaces at its Herculaneum smelter in Missouri. It was unclear exactly how much production would be cut. Previously when the plant has had to turn one furnace off, its output rate was lowered to a monthly rate of about 10,500 tonnes, compared with its recent average of about 12,000 tonnes of lead a month.