Codelco公司执行新的Gaby铜矿扩张计划

　　文华财经（综合编译 刘娜）--据圣地亚哥11月8日消息，全球最大的铜矿--智利Codelco公司周四表示，正在执行新的新矿计划，届时2009起新的Gaby铜矿年产量将超过160,000吨。

　　最初的计划为一旦全力生产，Baby铜矿每年将生产150,000吨阴极铜。

　　在国际铜价位于高位的时间好于预期之际，国有Codelco公司希望能够增产。

　　 State-run Codelco is working to boost output to take

　　advantage of copper prices that have stayed higher for longer

　　than expected -- in what many call a commodities super-cycle

　　supported by ravenous Chinese demand.

　　 The mining giant is also trying to bring new output on line

　　to compensate for aging mines where ore grades are falling.

　　 Codelco Chief Executive Jose Pablo Arellano said the mine,

　　which is due to start production in March, will have output of

　　100,000 tonnes in 2008.

　　 The $907 million copper mine is 83.6 percent complete and

　　will operate with fully remote control trucks, the first in the

　　world to do so, Arellano said.

　　 The Gaby mine is a joint-venture project with China's

　　largest metals trader, state-owned China Minmetals Corp.

　　 Under the terms of the Minmetals-Codelco agreement, the

　　Chinese partner will invest in the mine in exchange for

　　advanced sales of copper over the next 15 years.

　　 The agreement also gives Minmetals the option to buy a

　　stake in the mine of at least 25 percent, but no more than 49

　　percent.

　　 Arellano said on Thursday Minmetals has not exercised its

　　rights as of yet, and does not have a deadline to do so.

　　 China is the world's largest consumer of copper, but

　　imports more than half of its copper as metal, scrap and ore.

　　 Gaby Chief Executive Eliseo Perez said the company

　　continues explorations of copper sulfides at the property but

　　that those would not be exploited until after oxides are spent,

　　after some 15 years.

　　 The mining of the Gaby pit will involve processing 618

　　million tonnes of mineral oxides, with average grade of 0.41

　　percent copper.