:: Technip and Hatch Awarded Koniambo Smelter Contract

A joint venture between Technip and Hatch has been awarded the EPCM contract, valued at over US$250 million, for construction of the smelter at Falconbridge's Koniambo nickel project in New Caledonia. The planned smelter will have an annual production capacity of 60 kt of ferrous nickel alloy. Koniambo is one of the world's largest and highest-grade undeveloped nickel laterite deposits, and the overall investment in the project will total about US$2.2 billion. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2007, with the earliest production start-up targeted for 2009/10.