Xstrata smelter receives concentrate from Liberty Mines

Company ships 302.95 metric tons to Sudbury

Posted 23 hours ago

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Canada-based metal-mining company Liberty Mines Inc. said Monday that it shipped 302.95 metric tonnes of concentrate last week to Xstrata PLC's nickel smelter in Sudbury.

The concentrate was processed from material mined at the Redstone mine, which was re-opened in late August after being on care and maintenance since the end of October last year due to low prices.

Since the mine reopened, 5,352 tonnes of material was delivered to the Redstone Mill for processing into concentrate as of Sept. 24, Liberty said.

Liberty aims to produce 500,000 tons of ore a year by 2010, which is about 500 tons of nickel. Production from McWatters underground mine is scheduled for November 2009.

Concentrate from Redstone will be shipped to Xstrata's nickel smelter in Sudbury at first. It will then be split between Xstrata and its largest shareholder, Jilin Jien Nickel Industry Co.

Liberty Mines produces nickel and also has exploration projects for copper, cobalt and platinum group metals from its properties in Ontario.