Xstrata Copper completes project to extend Lomas Bayas mine life by 16 years
Antofagasta, 21 December 2012
Xstrata Copper?s Lomas Bayas operation, located in northern Chile, has completed construction and commenced commissioning on schedule of its c.$300 million Lomas II project to extend the mine life by 16 years, until at least 2028, at existing production levels of 75,000 tonnes of copper cathodes per annum.
The Lomas II project involved the development of the Fortuna de Cobre open pit, located three kilometres from the operation?s original mine and infrastructure, and the construction of a new primary crusher, conveyor transport system and new heap and run-of-mine (ROM) leach pads. Copper cathodes are produced using the existing Lomas Bayas SX-EW plant.
During the project?s construction we employed more than 4,500 people and delivered over 100,000 hours of technical and safety training. In operation, Lomas II will add around 50 permanent positions to Lomas Bayas? existing workforce of approximately 1,850 people including employees and contractors.
Xstrata Copper Chief Executive Charlie Sartain said: ?I am delighted that we have been able to successfully complete this project to extend the life of Lomas Bayas, one of the world?s lowest grade mining operations. The Lomas II project team has achieved this with a commendable safety performance, recording only one lost time injury in over 3.7 million man hours and a Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate of 1.07 per million hours worked.
?Through the Lomas Bayas operation, we will continue to make a significant contribution to local communities, the Antofagasta Region and the country with continued regional employment, investment in social projects and partnerships, opportunities for local suppliers and enterprise development and fiscal payments to government.
?This is a great achievement by the Lomas Bayas team and wraps up a remarkable year for Xstrata Copper in which we have commissioned four major projects on schedule and in line with budget, establishing a solid platform for strong long term production and significant production growth from our operations in 2013.?
Photos, videos and further information about our Lomas Bayas operation in Chile are available on the web-based version of this press release on Xstrata Copper?s website: www.xstratacopper.com
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Xstrata Copper contacts:
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Notes to editors
About Xstrata plc
We are a major producer of a range of vital commodities used in everything from constructing buildings and delivering electricity, to developing jet engines and mobile phones. We are one of the top five global producers of copper, thermal and metallurgical coal, ferrochrome, zinc and nickel and we also produce silver, lead, platinum, gold, cobalt and vanadium.
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Switzerland, we operate in over 20 countries and employ over 70,000 people at more than 100 operations and projects around the world. We work in a responsible and sustainable way, with an entrepreneurial spirit and dynamic approach. For more information, visit www.xstrata.com
About Xstrata Copper
We are the fourth largest global copper producer and one of the world?s largest producers of smelter, refined and recycled copper, including from third party materials. The copper we produce is essential to our modern society, being used extensively in electronic, consumer and building products, and with its use in green-technologies, anti-microbial applications and ability to be recycled, it is playing a vital role in our sustainable future.
Headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, we have operations and projects in eight countries and employ over 20,000 people. We play an essential role in the communities in which we live and work, by providing jobs, training, infrastructure, income for suppliers and support for social development. For more information, visit www.xstratacopper.com
About Lomas Bayas
Lomas Bayas is an open pit mine and solvent extraction and electro winning (SX-EW) operation located at an altitude of 1,700 metres in Sierra Gorda, 110 kilometres to the north-east of the port of Antofagasta in the Region of Antofagasta, northern Chile. We produce 75,000 tonnes of copper cathodes per annum.
We began operations in 1998 and today form part of Xstrata Copper?s Southern Cone Operations Division. We approved the Lomas II mine-life extension project in the fourth quarter of 2009, commenced mining at Fortuna de Cobre in January 2010 and commissioned the new ROM system at the end of 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2012, we completed the heap leach system and commenced commissioning of the primary crusher and conveyor transport system. Our new Lomas Bayas Sulphides project, located under the open pit of the original mine, is currently in the prefeasibility study stage.