Xstrata Copper is planning to start production from its $1.47bn Antapaccay copper project in Peru in the second half of 2012.

The project, located in the Cusco region, has resources equivalent to 817Mt of ore with 0.52% copper, and an average annual production of 140,000t of metallic copper in concentrate during its mine life of 20 years.

In the first ten years, the project will produce 160,000tpa of metallic copper in concentrate.

Xstrata Copper has also scheduled the start-up of the $4.7bn Las Bambas project, which has resources of 1.55 billion tonnes with 0.61% copper, in the second half of 2014.

The project will have a mine life of 18 years, and average annual production will reach 315,000t of metallic copper in concentrate.