http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2006071369140.html

Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company will resume commercial copper production by September this year through its Victoria Copper-Gold Flotation project in Benguet.
Lepanto chairman Felipe Yap said in an interview yesterday that they have already begun rehabilitation work and should be able to start commercial production in two months.

Lepanto vice president Odette Javier also informed the Philippine Stock Exchange that the firm has filed with the Board of Investments an application for the registration of the Victoria Copper-Gold Flotation project for incentives as a new project, non-pioneer status.

Yap said they have decided to resume operations since the current high price of copper, at around three dollars a pound, makes the project viable again. He said they shut down the mine when copper price fell to only 70 cents a pound.

He said the copper concentrates produced by the firm will be sold to Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation (PASAR) for smelting in Leyte or to China where there is huge demand for base metals.

Lepanto operated a copper flotation plant from August 2000 to December 2001, when copper operations were suspended due to the presence of excessive penalty elements in the mill feed and copper concentrate.

Lepanto has been one of few old mining companies still in operation in the country.
Another mining firm, Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., is also undertaking rehabilitation and development of its copper mine in Toledo City, Cebu. (JAL)