First Quantum cuts production estimate

Canadian copper producer First Quantum Minerals has trimmed full-year production forecasts after cut-backs in capital investment at the Frontier mine led to weaker than planned output in the second quarter.Output at Frontier fell to 16,200 tonnes from 24,058 a year earlier and slipped from 60,392 tonnes to 56,100 at Kansanshi. That cut total production to 85,400 tonnes of the red metal from 92,486 in 2009.FQM now expects production for 2010 to come in at 360,000 tonnes compared with previous estimates of 385,000 tonnes.In May, the group said the Supreme Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo had cancelled a decision withdrawing exploration rights for state-owned mining company to work in areas where its subsidiaries Comisa and Frontier SPRL operate copper mines."We are extremely concerned with the orchestrated attack on the company's Frontier and Lonshi operations in the RDC," said chief executive and chairman Philip Pascall at the time.The company, which also produced 51,400 ounces of gold in the three months to 30 June, said it will continue to manage the capital investment at Frontier in this manner until a satisfactory clarification of the decision by the Supreme Court is received.