According to the latest monthly bulletin, there are mine expansion projects being pursued by eight companies, with an investment of $9.05 billion dollars.

Southern Peru Copper Corporation (SPCC) invests $1.6 billion in four of these projects, including the Cuajone and Toquepala mines and the Ilo refinery in the south of the country.

Other big projects include Xstrata PLC's $4.2 billion Las Bambas copper project in Apurimac region and Newmont Mining Corp's 51.35%-owned Minas Conga gold project in Cajamarca. Conga has an estimated capital cost of $ 4.0 billion to $4.8 billion.

Peru's Compania de Minas Buenaventura SAA has a 43.65% stake in Conga, while the World Bank's International Finance Corporation holds the remainder.

Peru is the world's second biggest producer of copper and silver and a major producer of gold, zinc, lead and other minerals.

(END) EBS/RES