Oct 12 2009
Xstrata Copper announces that its subsidiary Xstrata Copper Chile SA has entered into a formal sale agreement with Barrick Gold Corporation forXstrata's70% interest in El Morro SCM, the holder of the El Morro copper-gold project, and associated rights and assets, for a total cash consideration of US$465 million. The transaction remains subject to several conditions before completion and is expected to close prior to 30 January 2010.
Xstrata铜首席执行官查理·萨塔因（Charlie Sartain）表示：“剥离我们对El Morro项目的利益的协议代表了竞争过程的成功结果。尽管我们通过可行性研究证明了El Morro具有很强的前景，但我们与Barrick的协议是认可与Xstrata Copper's相比，它将作为Barrick投资组合的一部分创造更多的价值。这是鉴于与Barrick在该地区的现有利益以及Xstrata Copper在包括智利北部在内的许多国家 /地区的重要有机增长项目的潜在协同作用。。
"Xstrata Copper continues to have a world class pipeline of copper greenfield and brownfield expansion projects providing us with significant optionality for future growth. The sale of our interest in the El Morro project will enable us to better direct our resources towards our other priority development projects, five of which are progressing to the final decision stage over the coming months," said Sartain.
Xstrata Copper将继续通过其Lomas Bayas铜矿，Altonorte Metalarurgical Complex，Collahuasi合资企业和Energía澳大利亚水力发电厂项目的44％兴趣，继续在智利积极存在。