Antofagasta Regulatory News (ANTO)

15 Aug 2006 09:39

Antofagasta PLC15 August 2006 Antofagasta PLC AMP announce intention to accept Antofagasta's offer for Equatorial London, 15 August 2006 Antofagasta PLC ("Antofagasta") announced earlier today that it had entered intoan agreement to acquire a 19.99% shareholding in Equatorial Mining Limited("Equatorial") and had made a cash takeover offer of A$11.20 per share for allof the issued shares of Equatorial ("the Offer"). Antofagasta is pleased to note today's announcement in Sydney by AMP CapitalInvestors Limited, as Investment Manager for, and on behalf of, AMP Life Limited("AMP"), the majority shareholder of Equatorial, of its intention to acceptAntofagasta's Offer for shares representing approximately 57% of Equatorial'soutstanding issued shares (in the absence of a higher offer). AMP has announcedthey intend to accept the Offer for these shares within 5 business days ofAntofagasta receiving approval from Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board. Further, AMP has also announced today that, if it is entitled to do so, AMPintends to terminate the option deed entered into with Quadra Mining Ltd on 20July 2006 at the earliest opportunity and within 5 business days thereafter,accept Antofagasta's Offer (in the absence of a higher offer at that time) inrespect of those shares, representing a further 19.99% of Equatorial's issuedshares. Enquiries - Chile / North America Enquiries - UK Antofagasta Minerals S.A.Antofagasta PLC Alejandro RiveraTel: +44 20 7808 0988 Tel: +56 2 377 5145www.antofagasta.co.uk Email: arivera@aminerals.cl Hussein Barma Rothschild Inc. (financial adviser)Email: hbarma@antofagasta.co.uk Tel: +1 202 862 1660 Bankside Consultants Hugo DrylandTel: +44 20 7367 8873 Mob: +44 7885 356 639 Enquiries - Australia Rothschild Australia (financial adviser)Keith Irons Tel: +61 2 9323 2000Email: keith@bankside.com Marshall Baillieu Chris Forman This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange