Our Antapaccay open pit mine and processing facilities are located 4,100 metres above sea level in the Yauri district of Espinar Province in southern Peru’s Cusco Region. Antapaccay is situated approximately 10 kilometres from our Tintaya operation where mining activities are scheduled to end by the first quarter of 2013. Antapaccay will benefit from Tintaya’s existing administrative and logistics infrastructure and experienced workforce.

In November 2012, Antapaccay commenced production of commercial grade copper in concentrates and delivered its first shipment to Matarani Port for delivery to customers worldwide.

Plant commissioning activities continue as Antapaccay progressively ramps up to the nameplate processing capacity of 70,000 tonnes per day in the first half of 2013. The mine will produce an average of 160,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate per annum, plus gold and silver by-products, in the initial years of production.  

The Xstrata plc Board approved a $1.5 billion investment Antapaccay in July 2010 following approval of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment by the Peruvian Mining Ministry earlier that month. In August 2012 we announced the commencement of major plant commissioning together with a 27% increase to Antapaccay Mineral Resources to over 1 billion tonnes at a grade of 0.49% copper using a cut-off grade of 0.15% copper, including gold and silver by-product credits.