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Europe's second largest copper miner KGHM KGHM.WA has earmarked 6 billion zlotys ($2 billion) for takeovers until 2014, chief executive Herbert Wirth said on Wednesday. KGHM, which announced a joint-venture with Abacus Mining and Exploration (AME.V) worth $37 million on Tuesday, was eyeing more projects in Canada. "We are preparing more projects. We are deeply interested in Canada," Wirth told a news conference.

Outotec has agreed with the First Quantum Minerals Limited Projects Office based in Perth, Australia, for the delivery of flotation, thickening and automation technologies for several of its operations around the world. The total value of the contracts exceeds EUR 20 million. These orders include the delivery of 14 units of Outotec TankCell® 300 and 54 smaller TankCell® units for nickel and copper concentrate production for the Kevitsa project, located in northern Finland. This flotation technology delivery complements the earlier agreed supply of Outotec® grinding mills for the same project.

Lundin Mining and Inmet Mining have agreed to join forces to create a C$9 billion ($9.1 billion) copper producer, forging the latest in a series of deals involving Canadian miners.

Xstrata Copper has found increased mineral reserves and indicated resources at the Horse-Ivaal-Trukai (HIT) deposit in the Frieda River copper-gold project, Papua New Guinea.

“For a mining company, the only way to add value is to buy new assets,” he said.

Rio Tinto and Chinalco, China's largest alumina producer, agreed Wednesday on a tie-up to explore copper resources in mineral-hungry China, the Anglo-Australian mining giant said.

“We are currently actively seeking more titles in the country,” Ian Maxwell, president of BHP Billiton minerals exploration, said today at Zambia’s first mining conference, in Lusaka. “We intend to build our position in this country.”

Polish miner KGHM (KGHM.WA: Quote) Europe's No. 2 copper producer, expects to boost 2010 production above the 502,000 tonnes forecast for this year, its chief executive said on Tuesday.

Global miner Rio Tinto Ltd is ready to commit funds for an exploration drive in Central Asia that it hopes could unearth the world's next giant copper deposit, a company official told Reuters. The company hopes to start drilling in Uzbekistan this year and is ready to proceed with a joint venture in Kazakhstan to explore multiple copper targets, Rio Tinto's general manager for exploration in Central Asia Chris Welton said.

Rio, which published its mine-production report on Thursday, disclosed the drop ahead of BHP, the larger partner at Escondida. The production report came ahead of the big miners disclosing their financial results for the first half.

In the first six months of the year Rio’s share of copper production at Escondida, the Chilean mine that accounted for 7 per cent of global production last year, fell 23 per cent to 118,000 tonnes over the same period in 2010.

About Quellaveco Copper Mine New Development Project of Peru, Mitsubishi Corporation Mineral Resources Investment Division B positions one of next core assets, copper production is expected to increase to annual average of 280,000 tons from 225,000 tons which is existing plan.

EY, the consultancy, said affordable water and energy should now be viewed as one of the 10 biggest problems for miners. The threat was particularly acute in South America and Africa, it said. These continents are significant in the global supply of many metals, particularly copper.

This study examines the geopolitical role of 14 metals and metalloids needed for renewable energy technologies. The analysis focuses on three factors with potential geopolitical importance: the geographic concentration of resources, potential revenues of resources rich countries and the size of total global markets.