FACTBOX-Mines and plants hit by low prices, high costs

The global financial crisis and sharp falls in metals prices have forced several companies to abandon or put on hold their plans to bring new mines onstream.

Some existing producers also have shut down or curtailed output at mines and plants and announcements continue to trickle through despite the recent metals price rises.

Below are details of major projects and facilities affected in recent months, as well as other related news.

July 2 - The Philippines' Samirara Mining Corp said its 50-percent held unit has suspended operations a nickel project north of Manila due to low prices.
June 25 - Russia's UC RUSAL plans to reduce output at its Guinea alumina plant by more than 50 percent from July 1. Plans to return to normal production levels in August.

June 18 - HudBay Minerals said it would close its ageing Flin Flon, Manitoba copper smelter before July 2010 and its White Pine, Michigan refinery shortly thereafter, citing the deteriorating economics of the operations.

June 16 - Mirabela Nickel Ltd said a delay in financing had impacted delivery of equipment. First concentrate at Brazilian mine is now expected in September.

June 12 - Ormet Corp said it had cut production capacity to five potlines from six as of May 20 at its Hannibal primary aluminium smelter in Ohio after trimming output to 5-1/2 potlines on May 1. Cites lack of alumina.

June 10 - Kazakh metals firm Kazakhmys said it had suspended zinc production at its Balkhash plant. Produced 48,000 tonnes of zinc and 138,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate in 2008.

June 9 - The Philippines has slashed its investment target for the mining sector this year to just over $600 million from an earlier goal of up to $1 billion.

June 5 - Glencore said it had placed its 80,000 tonnes per year (tpy) lead production line at Portovesme in Sardinia on temporary care and maintenance.

June 2 - Century Aluminum ( CENX - news - people ) said it had delayed repairing damaged pots at its Hawesville, Kentucky primary aluminium smelter.

June 2 - Doe Run Peru said it would halt all operations at its La Oroya polymetallic smelter because financial and environmental setbacks had prevented it from buying concentrates.

May 26 - PT International Nickel Indonesia revised down its capital expenditure budget for this year by more than a quarter.

May 20 - Alcoa Inc ( AA - news - people ) reduced primary aluminium production at its three smelters in Spain by some 18 percent in line with global cutbacks announced already by the company.

May 13 - Denison Mines Corp ( DNN - news - people ) said development of the Midwest uranium project had been postponed.

May 12 - BHP Billiton ( BBL - news - people ) said planned to stop mining at the Rocky's Reward open-pit mine at the Leinster Nickel Operation in Australia.

May 11 - Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) said it had put plans to boost its production capacity to 1.2 million tonnes per year on hold.

May 11 - The future of an aluminium smelter project at Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Economic City is 'uncertain', an executive of state-owned smelter Dubai Aluminium Co (Dubal) said.

May 11 - Dubal said it expected Q2 aluminium sales to fall 20 percent from a year earlier.

May 10 - Oman's Sohar Aluminium, part-owned by Rio Tinto ( RIO - news - people ) , said it had put the second phase of its plant on hold.

May 8 - PT International Nickel Indonesia asked the government for more time to assess plans for a new 20,000-30,000 tonnes per year (tpy) plant after a study showed the project may not be feasible.

May 7 - Breakwater Resources ( BWLRF.OB - news - people ) said if base metals prices returned to late 2008/early 2009 lows they may cut mill throughput and mine only gold-bearing deposits for the rest of 2009 at Toqui zinc-lead-gold mine in Chile.

May 6 - Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation said annual production rate of smelter-grade alumina at Gramercy refinery in the United States halved to 500,000 tonnes per year (tpy). It continues to evaluate options to cut purchase cost of alumina, including assessing the curtailment of Gramercy.

May 5 - Suriname Aluminium Company LLD (Suralco) said it would cut about 40 percent, or 870,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of production at its Paranam alumina refinery. Suralco is part of the Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals group.

April 30 - Hydro Aluminium, the German unit of Norway's Norsk Hydro ( NHY - news - people ) said it may stop production at its loss-making aluminium smelter at Neuss in Germany in June.

April 30 - Eramet's said nickel output would continue to be adjusted in relation to the market surplus and low prices. Also said it would continue to limit capital expenditure.

April 30 - Kazakhmys posted a 20 percent fall in Q1 copper cathode output from the previous quarter as part of stated move to cut production. Said it suspended output at sections of a fifth mine in addition to four mines previously announced.

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