COPPER DEVELOPMENT: Copper Mountain work on schedule

BRITISH COLUMBIA - Copper Mountain Mining of Vancouver says that construction work at the Copper Mountain copper mine is proceeding on schedule and as planned. Work to date has focused on the pouring of concrete for the concentrator building foundations which is now approximately 92% completed. Work to date is on schedule and on budget with steel erection anticipated to start late in first quarter of 2010.

So far the company has incurred a total of $285 million in spent and committed expenditures out of a planned $438 million on the project. There are currently 175 construction people at site and this is expected to increase to 200 once steel erection begins.

The overall schedule of the project has remained unchanged with preproduction mining expected to start by the middle of this year with the delivery of half the mining fleet, while construction is expected to be completed by April 2011 and full production expected by June 2011 at a milling rate of 35,000 t/d.

Copper Mountain has added some construction photos to its web page at www.CuMtn.com.