LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
This announcement is for our U.S. $5,000,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note Programme authorised by UKLA on 8th September 2011.
Caserones Copper and Molybdenum Deposit Development Project in Chile
JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
Mitsui Mining & Smelting
Co., Ltd.
Pan Pacific Copper Co., Ltd.
Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Pan Pacific Copper Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "PPC"; head office: Otemachi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; president: Yoshimasa Adachi), an integrated copper enterprise jointly established by JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation (head office: Otemachi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; president: Masanori Okada) and Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd. (head office: Osaki 1-chome, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; president: Sadao Senda), and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Mitsui"; head office: Otemachi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; president and CEO: Masami Iijima) have reviewed the investment to develop the Caserones Copper and Molybdenum Deposit Development Project (hereinafter "the Project"), taking stronger Chilean peso against the US dollar led by higher copper price, inflationary effects on construction materials, equipments and labor costs and engineering design development into consideration. As a result, estimates for the capital expenditure (production facilities and related costs) for the Project is increased to approximately US$ 3 billion from original estimates of US$ 2 billion. Despite the increase in the capital expenditure, we believe that the Project still has sufficient economics driven by the increase in copper price.
Additional funding from each shareholders shall be provided to SCM Minera Lumina Copper Chile (head office: Santiago, Chile; percentage of investment: PPC 75%, Mitsui 25%), the project company, as necessary.
Construction of the project is progressing in line with the original schedule. Detailed engineering and construction of the camp and access roads to the mine site have been mostly completed. The groundwork for each of the facilities has started and it is expected that the commercial production will commence in 2013 as planned originally.
PPC and Mitsui will continuously strive for the smooth development of the Project.
For diagrams omitted, please see our home page. (http://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/release/2011/1197029_1803.html)