[miningmx.com] — CHINA’S Minmetals Resources has succeeded with its C$1.3bn bid for Africa-focused copper miner Anvil Mining, winning 90% acceptances, the Hong Kong-listed firm said on Friday.
Minmetals (MMR), a unit of China’s biggest metals trader, wanted Anvil for its Kinsevere copper project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is expected to produce 60,000 tonnes of copper cathode a year.
“Anvil is the first step in the expansion of MMR’s global footprint,” its Melbourne-based chief executive, Andrew Michelmore said.
Minmetals has been looking to expand beyond its holdings in Australia and Laos and last year missed out on its first attempt, a $6.6bn bid for Canadian miner Equinox Minerals, when it was trumped by Barrick Gold.
Both Equinox and Anvil have mines in central Africa’s rich copper belt, where several other mines are being developed by companies like Tiger Resources and China’s Jinchuan Group, which recently took over South Africa’s Metorex.
Michelmore said Minmetals would be interested in other assets in the African copper belt.
“We bid for Equinox, now we’ve got Anvil, so we’re interested in that part of the world,” he said. “We like that prospectivity.”
The company would continue looking for copper, zinc and nickel sulphide assets in Africa, North and South America, parts of Asia and Australia, he said.
“We’re always looking,” Michelmore told Reuters in an interview.
He said the company would target assets in varying stages from exploration projects to mines near completion, with more multibillion dollar deals possible.
“For something close to production in construction phase it’s that $1-$7bn range,” he said, when asked how much Minmetals could spend on further acquitions.
The biggest hurdle to the Anvil takeover was cleared last week, when Minmetals secured an agreement with DRC’s state-owned mining body Gecamines confirming that Anvil’s title to the Kinsevere project and the Mutoshi copper and cobalt project were valid and in good standing.
Gecamines had almost scuppered the deal, first announced last September, when it flagged that the takeover would trigger a review of the leases to the two projects.
Minmetals’ C$8 a share offer closed on Thursday, securing 90% acceptances and the company said it would move to take over the remaining shares compulsorily, as allowed under Canadian and Australian rules.
Anvil’s shares last traded at C$7.95, indicating investors had expected the deal to go ahead.
Anvil has effectively been up for sale since last August, when its biggest shareholder, commodities trader Trafigura , said it wanted to sell its 39% stake.
China accounts for nearly 40% of global copper consumption and its demand for the industrial metal, used in everything from power lines to plumbing, is expected to rise 6% to 7% this year.
Michelmore, who has strong ties with Jinchuan from his days working for Australia’s WMC Resources, said Minmetals would be willing to consider working with Jinchuan on mine developments.
