FCX Operates Seven Copper Mines In North America
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. reported third-quarter 2011 net income attributable to common stock of $1.1 billion, $1.10 per share, compared with $1.2 billion, $1.24 per share, for third-quarter 2010. For the first nine months of 2011, FCX reported net income attributable to common stock of $3.9 billion, $4.10 per share, compared with $2.7 billion, $2.94 per share, for the first nine months of 2010.
James R. Moffett, Chairman of the Board, and Richard C. Adkerson, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our third-quarter 2011 results reflect strong operating performance and favorable markets for our products. While the near-term economic outlook is uncertain and has resulted in a decline in copper prices over the last several weeks, the fundamentals of our business are strong and we have a positive view of the long-term market fundamentals. As we address union labor issues at our mines, our strategy continues to focus on effective execution of our operating plans, aggressive cost management and investing in projects with attractive rates of return to enhance our global portfolio of large-scale, long-lived and high-quality assets."
FCX operates seven open-pit copper mines in North America - Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita and Miami in Arizona, and Tyrone and Chino in New Mexico. All of the North America mining operations are wholly owned, except for Morenci. FCX records its 85 percent joint venture interest in Morenci using the proportionate consolidation method. In addition to copper, the Morenci, Bagdad and Sierrita mines also produce molybdenum concentrates.
During 2010, FCX initiated plans to increase production at its North America copper mines, which had been curtailed in late 2008 because of weak market conditions. The projects included restarting milling operations and increasing mining rates at Morenci and Chino, and restarting the Miami mine. The project at Morenci is complete with an incremental impact of 125 million pounds of copper per year, and the ramp up of activities at Miami and Chino are continuing. Production at Miami currently approximates 60 million pounds of copper per year. Production at Chino, which is expected to produce approximately 70 million pounds of copper in 2011, is expected to increase to approximately 200 million pounds of copper per year by 2014.
FCX also has a number of opportunities to invest in additional production capacity at several of its North America copper mines. Positive exploration results in recent years indicate the potential for additional sulfide development in North America.
At Morenci, FCX is advancing a feasibility study to expand mining and milling capacity to process additional sulfide ores identified through positive exploratory drilling. This project, which would require significant investment, would increase milling rates from the current level of 50,000 metric tons of ore per day to approximately 115,000 metric tons of ore per day and target incremental annual copper production of approximately 225 million pounds within a three year timeframe. Completion of the feasibility study is expected in early 2012.
Consolidated copper sales volumes from North America of 307 million pounds in third-quarter 2011 were higher than third-quarter 2010 sales of 267 million pounds primarily reflecting increased production at the Morenci, Miami and Chino mines.
FCX expects sales from the North America copper mines to approximate 1.2 billion pounds of copper for the year 2011, compared with 1.1 billion pounds of copper in 2010.
As anticipated, average unit net cash costs (net of by-product credits) for the North America copper mines of $1.42 per pound of copper in third-quarter 2011 were higher than unit net cash costs of $1.36 per pound in third-quarter 2010, primarily reflecting increased mining and milling activities and higher input costs. Higher molybdenum credits partly offset the increase in site production and delivery costs.
FCX estimates that average unit net cash costs (net of by-product credits) for the North America copper mines would approximate $1.42 per pound of copper for the year 2011, based on current sales volume and cost estimates and assuming an average molybdenum price of $14 per pound for fourth-quarter 2011. North America's average unit net cash costs for 2011 would change by approximately $0.01 per pound for each $2 per pound change in the average price of molybdenum during fourth-quarter 2011.
FCX operates four copper mines in South America - Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra, Candelaria and Ojos del Salado in Chile. FCX owns a 53.56 percent interest in Cerro Verde, a 51 percent interest in El Abra, and 80 percent of the Candelaria and Ojos del Salado mining complexes. All operations in South America are consolidated in FCX's financial statements. South America mining includes open-pit and underground mining. In addition to copper, the Cerro Verde mine produces molybdenum concentrates, and the Candelaria and Ojos del Salado mines produce gold and silver.
During 2011, FCX commenced production from El Abra's newly commissioned stacking and leaching facilities to transition from oxide to sulfide ores. Production from the sulfide ore is expected to approximate 300 million pounds of copper per year, replacing the currently depleting oxide copper production. The aggregate capital investment for this project is expected to total $725 million through 2015, including $580 million for the initial phase of the project expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
FCX is also engaged in pre-feasibility studies for a potential large-scale milling operation at El Abra to process additional sulfide material and to achieve higher recoveries. Positive exploration results at El Abra indicate the potential for a significant sulfide resource. Exploration activities are continuing.
At Cerro Verde, plans for a large-scale concentrator expansion continue to be advanced. The approximate $4 billion project would expand the concentrator facilities from 120,000 metric tons of ore per day to 360,000 metric tons of ore per day and provide incremental annual production of approximately 600 million pounds of copper beginning in 2016. FCX expects to file an environmental impact assessment in fourth-quarter 2011.
During third-quarter 2011, production and sales of copper and gold were adversely affected by labor disruptions at PT Freeport Indonesia (PT-FI). The estimated impact on third-quarter 2011 production, including the eight-day strike in July 2011 and the ongoing strike that commenced on September 15, 2011, totaled approximately 70 million pounds of copper and 100 thousand ounces of gold. Without the impacts of the strike, third-quarter 2011 sales from Grasberg would have exceeded forecasted production and sales because of access to higher grade ore previously scheduled to be mined in future periods. PT-FI has developed revised operating plans to produce and ship concentrates at modified levels with a reduced workforce and sold concentrate from inventory during third-quarter 2011, which partly mitigated the lower production levels.
The company’s address is 333 N. Central Ave.,Phoenix, AZ 85004, 602.366.8100, email: [email protected].