January 6, 2011 - Vancouver-based First Quantum Minerals Ltd. yesterday closed its Bwana Mkubwa copper mine in Ndola, Zambia because copper reserves have been exhausted, the Zambia Daily Mail reported, citing Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale and Andries Scott, the mine’s technical manager.   First Quantum has also closed its Lonshi mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Lusaka-based newspaper said on its website. Mwale appealed to First Quantum to transfer workers from the closed mine to its Kansanshi mine, the Daily Mail said, adding that at least 600 workers may be affected.  Bwana Mkubwa is the oldest mine in Zambia’s Copperbelt region. The mine was opened in 1902, the Daily Mail said.

2010 Annual Report - The expansion project currently underway is expected to increase annual production capacity to approximately 285,000 tonnes of copper. It is focused on expanding the treatment capacity of the oxide circuit by about 20% to 8.5 million tonnes and building in flexibility to allow for the mixed and sulphide circuits to be switched as needed to suit mining activity. The expansion will include the use of relocated equipment from the recently closed Bwana Mkubwa copper SX/EW plant as well as new installations. This phase of the expansion project is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2011. Optimization of the sulphide circuit to derive the required throughput gains expected from the installation of secondary crushing capacity is ongoing.

January 26, 2010 - First Quantum Minerals has restarted operations at the Bwana Mkubwa copper SX/EW (solvent extraction and electrowinning) processing plant in Zambia. Production is expected to average approximately 800 tonnes of copper cathode per month until the end of 2010. The plant will process the stockpiled ore from the now depleted Lonshi open pit mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo following the recent re-opening of the border between the countries.  The mining company said it continues to seek additional sources of economically suitable feed for the plant.  Operations at the Bwana Mkuba plant were suspended amid challenging conditions, primarily the combination of low copper prices and restrictions on the supply of copper into the plant. Copper feed supply Bwana Mkubwa was constricted due to Zambia’s ban on imports from the DRC imposed in November 2007, as the plant was primarily supplied from First Quantum’s mining operations in the DRC.  Lonshi’s mine life ended in Q3 2008. Subsequently 500 tonnes of copper cathode were produced from some remaining low grade ore before First Quantum suspended processing operations. It placed the copper plant on care and maintenance until the Lonshi ore would become available or alternative feed sources were obtained.  In November, First Quantum acquired Kiwara Plc in a in a cash and shares deal, valued at approximately US$260.2 million. Kiwara’s primary asset is a controlling interest in mineral prospecting licences on the periphery of the Kabombo Dome in North Western Province, Zambia.  The licence area includes the Kalumbila copper deposit, where an infill drilling programme is ongoing as part of a study by Snowden Mining Consultancy to advise on a pre-feasibility study. The initial focus of the study is to establish an indicated resource on the open-pittable mineralization identified by drill results to date.  Also in northern-western Zambia, the company owns an 80% stake in the Kansanshi copper deposit, which produced 245,000 tonnes of copper in the year ended 31st December 2009.