Name and Location
Las Bambas copper project, Apurímac region, Peru.

Client
China’s MMG bought Las Bambas for $7-billion from Glencore Plc in August this year 2014.

Project Description
Las Bambas will be a world-class copper mine, with an initial production of 400 000 t/y of copper in concentrate, including significant gold, silver and molybdenum by-products, as well as first-quartile cash costs.

Ore will be mined at a rate of 51.1-million tons a year from three openpit mines – initially the Ferrobamba and then the Chalcobamba and Sulfobamba pits – and processed in a 140 000 t/d sulphide grinding/flotation concentrator.

The $1.47-billion Antapaccay expansion to the Tintaya operation paves the way for the development of the major Las Bambas greenfield project.

Located 150 km apart, the Las Bambas and Antapaccay projects will benefit from important synergies. Concentrates from Las Bambas will be pumped through a 215 km pipeline to a molybdenum and filter plant, close to Tintaya-Antapaccay, and then transported on the same railroad to the Matarani port.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
The Las Bambas capital budget has been established at $7.4-billion.

Duration
The project is slated to start commercial production in May or June this year, and will ramp up to 400 000 t of copper in 2017.

Latest Developments
The Las Bambas copper project has shipped its first 10 000 t of copper concentrate, MMG has reported.

The copper concentrate was produced as part of the commissioning activities at Las Bambas and was shipped from the Port of Matarani for China on January 15.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
ThyssenKrupp Robins (overland conveyor) and Siemens Drive Technologies Division (gearless drive system for overland conveyor).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Xstrata Copper, Domingo Drago, tel + 51 1 372 2233 or email ddrago@xstratacopper.com.pe; or Emily Russell, tel +56 2 478 2204 or email erussell@xstratacopper.com.
ThyssenKrupp Robins, tel +1 303 770 0808  or fax +1 303 770 8233.
Siemens media relations, Stefan Rauscher, tel 49 911 895 7952 or email Stefan.rauscher@siemens.com.