UPDATE 1-Peru's Antamina eyes 2008 output, expansion

Tue Nov 11, 2008 1:06pm EST
 
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(Adds reserve estimate, context)

LIMA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Antamina, a leading copper-zinc mine in Peru, said on Tuesday it hoped to produce 1.1 million tonnes of copper concentrate and 600,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate in 2008, as it moves forward with expansion plans.

The mine expects to increase by 30 percent its capacity to process minerals by 2011, Ian Kilgour, president of Antamina, told reporters.

The mine is a joint venture of BHP Billiton Ltd (BHP.AX) (BLT.L), Xstrata Copper (XTA.L), Teck Cominco Ltd (TCKb.TO) and Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T).

Last week, Antamina raised its mineral reserves by 77 percent, lifting the estimate for contained copper by 69 percent and contained zinc by 35 percent.

In August, the mine raised its resource estimate for the deposit by 28 percent to 1.52 billion tonnes of ore.

Antamina is one of the world's largest copper-zinc pits. (Reporting by Teresa Cespedes; Writing by Dana Ford; Editing by Walter Bagley)

 

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