Nonferrous

• Xstrata launches Fraser Morgan nickel project in Sudbury Dec 01, 2006

  Xstrata Plc’s Fraser Morgan nickel project in Sudbury, Ontario, could begin production by early 2009, the company said Friday.

• Xstrata outlines goal to become No. 1 in copper Nov 30, 2006

  Xstrata Plc plans to boost capacity at its current copper operations and bring new projects online in a push to become the world’s largest copper producer following the recent acquisition of Canada’s Falconbridge Ltd., according to Charlie Sartain, chief executive officer of the company’s Xstrata Copper unit.

• Teck seeks smaller targets; casts 2007 zinc predictions Nov 30, 2006

  Teck Cominco Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, expects the zinc concentrate market to be in balance by the end of 2007 following crushing deficits that have constrained refined metal production in past years.

• Teck executive rules out PD offer as company eyes smaller targets Nov 30, 2006

  Teck Cominco Ltd. will not make a play for Phelps Dodge Corp., Phoenix. Instead, the Canadian company will turn its attention to smaller acquisitions after losing out on its bid for nickel giant Inco Ltd.

• Eramet Marietta labor contract vote could come next week, union says Nov 30, 2006

  A vote on a new labor contract at Eramet SA’s Marietta, Ohio, plant could be held as early as next Tuesday, union officials said.

• Alcoa shuffling mining operation execs Nov 30, 2006

  Alcoa Inc., Pittsburgh, is shuffling a number of executives at its mining operations.

• Novelis invests in multi-alloy casting at Korean plant Nov 30, 2006

  Novelis Inc., Atlanta, said its Korean joint venture, Novelis Korea Ltd., plans to invest $4.1 million to install Novelis Fusion casting technology at its Ulsan, South Korea, facility.

• Doe Run Peru opens third wastewater treatment facility Nov 30, 2006

  Doe Run Peru, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Doe Run Co., has started its third wastewater treatment facility near its La Oroya metals complex in order to reduce waste that currently runs into Peru’s Mantaro River from its housing and plant sanitation facilities.

• Teck rules out bid for Phelps Dodge Nov 30, 2006

  Teck Cominco Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, will not make a play for Phelps Dodge Corp., Phoenix, as the Canadian company turns its attention to smaller acquisitions after losing out on its bid for nickel giant Inco Ltd.

• Zinc concentrate mart to balance in 2007 Teck exec Nov 30, 2006

  Teck Cominco Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, expects the zinc concentrate market to come back into balance in 2007, following crushing deficits which have constrained refined metal production in past years.

• Scotia Mine concs production could start earlier Acadian Nov 30, 2006

  Acadian Gold Corp., Halifax, Nova Scotia, said first concentrate production at its Scotia zinc-lead mine in Nova Scotia could start as early as the first quarter of 2007, ahead of its original forecast of second-quarter 2007 production.

• Union expects contract vote soon at Eramet Marietta Nov 30, 2006

  A vote on a new labor contract at Eramet SA’s Marietta, Ohio, plant could take place as early as Tuesday, according to union officials.

• Grasberg Mine to produce 1.25B pounds/year of copper Freeport ceo Nov 30, 2006

  Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.’s giant Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia is expected to produce about 1.25 billion pounds of copper per year for the next five years, according to the company’s chief executive officer Richard Adkerson.

• RMSM agrees to support national mercury switch recycling system Nov 29, 2006

  Rocky Mountain Steel Mills (RMSM) has decided to implement the voluntary national vehicle mercury switch removal program developed in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• CVRD-Inco’s Creighton Mine still operating after small earthquake Nov 29, 2006

  Operations continued at the Cia. Vale do Rio Doce-Inco Ltd. Creighton Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, after an earthquake shook the area Wednesday morning.

• Nymex discloses specifications for new contracts Nov 29, 2006

  The New York Mercantile Exchange late Wednesday unveiled specifications for its new Comex e-miNY, Asian metals and London metals futures contracts.

• Nymex sets Comex contract e-trading hours, fees Nov 29, 2006

  The New York Mercantile Exchange has announced the hours and fees for Comex division gold, silver, copper and aluminum contracts to be offered for electronic trading on the CME Globex platform for Dec. 4 trade.

• Asarco facing liability claims of $21.6 billion Nov 29, 2006

  Asarco LLC faces claims totaling $21.6 billion, according to a new tally of its liabilities as it struggles to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

• CVRD mine spared damage in Sudbury earthquake Nov 29, 2006

  Mining operations at the Cia Vale do Rio Doce-Inco Ltd. Creighton Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, remain open after an earthquake struck the site early Wednesday morning.

• Silicon prices firm despite end of import duties Nov 29, 2006

  Silicon prices have firmed slightly as the market remains nervous about 2007 supplies, despite the fact that Brazilian companies may now export to the U.S. market free of anti-dumping duties.

• CBOT sets daily gold contract trading record Nov 29, 2006

  The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) said that trading of its full-sized 100-ounce gold contract totaled a record 78,133 Tuesday, surging past the previous record of 72,836 contracts set the previous day.

• Alcan plans $27.5M upgrade of Pharma Center Nov 29, 2006

  Alcan Inc., Montreal, plans to spend $27.5 million to expand its Pharma Center in Shelbyville, Ky. “This expansion will provide additional capacity that will meet the projected growth in the North American pharmaceutical packaging industry over the coming years,” Michael Rubenstein, president of Alcan Global Pharmaceutical Packaging, said in a statement Wednesday.

• Globe mulls duty appeal as silicon prices firm Nov 29, 2006

  Silicon prices have firmed slightly as the market remains nervous about 2007 supply, in spite of the fact that Brazilian companies may now export to the U.S. market free of anti-dumping duties.

• Alcoa allocates $6M for expansion of its Howmet facility in Tennessee Nov 29, 2006

  Alcoa Inc., Pittsburgh, will spend more than $6 million to increase capacity at its Howmet Products & Services facility in Morristown, Tenn.