Nippon Mining & Metals to Expend 200 billion yen in 3-years

Nippon Mining & Metals plans to invest around 200 billion yen in fiscal 2007-2009. The firm expends around 80 billion yen for copper development in Chile in fiscal 2007 and 2008. The firm expands the copper business from mining to smelting while the firm improves the business line including recycling, sputtering target materials, rolling copper foil and offshore metal fabrication. The firm is under feasibility study for Caserones project in Chile, which the firm called Regalito before, and plans to invest US$ 70 million for the project through fiscal 2007 and 2008 after US$ 300 million investment in fiscal 2006. The firm also develops next generation copper smelting technology and tries to commercialize bio-leaching technology with CODELCO of Chile. The firm tries to recover gold, silver and copper from low grade metal scrap through the 5 billion yen investment. The firm also recovers antimony, bismuth and tin from byproduct from Saganoseki smelter. The firm invests 10 billion yen for 50% expansion of sputtering target material output starting the operation by March 2009. The firm also expands the rolling copper foil capacity and other fabrication businesses.