18/12/08

Xstrata Copper, the red metal branch of diversified resource provider Xstrata (LSE: XTA), has officially inaugurated a US$70mn expansion at its Lomas Bayas copper mine in northern Chile that will increase capacity from 65,000t/d to 75,000t/d, a company spokesperson confirmed to BNamericas.

The project will generate 90 new jobs and extend the mine`s life from 2013 to 2020.

Lomas Bayas produced 61,401t of copper cathode in 2007 out of the company`s total fine copper output that year of 986,663t.

Xstrata Copper`s operations in South America also include 44% of Collahuasi, Chile`s third largest copper mine, the compatriot Altonorte smelter, 50% of the Alumbrera copper-gold mine in Argentina and 33.8% of the Antamina polymetallic mine in Peru.Maximiliano PichonBusiness News Americas

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