martes, 11 de marzo de 2008

Transelec to invest US$1.1bil before 2013

Transelec of Chile has announced investment of US$1.1bil up to 2012. The firm, controlled by Canada's Brookfield Asset Management, will split this five-year plan as follows, according to general director Andres Kuhlmann: US$500mil in trunk systems, US$240mil in sub-transmission and US$360mil in other systems such as energy injections for big (mining or electricity-generating) companies (Transelec already does business with Endesa, AES Gener and Carmen de Andacollo among others).

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
Date: March 12, 2008

Embotelladora Polar buys into Ecuadorean Coke market

Yesterday, Embotelladora Polar of Chile announced an agreement via which it will buy 34.5% of Ecuador Bottling Company Corp (EBC), a holding company boasting 100% of manufacturing, bottling, distribution and sales rights on products of The Coca Cola Company in Ecuador. The firm controlled by the family Chadwick, boasting 12.4% of total Coca-Cola sales in Chile, will pay out US$64.3mil for the stake of just over a third. The deal should be done once the Ebitda for 2007 for EBC is known (by mid-March).

Ecuador will become Polar's fourth national market, the Chilean group already boasting filials in Argentina and Paraguay with 9.8% and 100% shares of said markets respectively (according to a report from January 2008 by Fitch Ratings). Polar's Chilean rivals are Embotelladora Andina, with its 53% share of the local Coke market and with operations in Brazil and Argentina, and Embonor, with over 35% of the Chilean Coke market and a 98% share of the Bolivian Coke market.

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
Date: March 12, 2008

domingo, 9 de marzo de 2008

Besalco will expand its alliance with Spanish Dragados

At the moment, they are work partners for the Metro. Besalco, controlled by the Bezanilla family, after the new contract that signed in alliance with the Spanish Dragados for Transportes de Pasajeros Metro, affirmed to ESTRATEGIA that "it is studying and negotiating different contract possibilities in this new alliance".

The contract with Metro includes the construction of civil works in Manquehue Station and interstation tunnels in Escuela Militar; in addition the construction of civil works Tramo 3 in stations Plaza Maipu and Santiago Bueras, and interstations extension 5 Line Maipu. This contract, for being one of construction, does not imply investment on the part of the company, whereas by works will collect US$100 million approximately. It is possible to indicate that Dragados in Chile from 1998, and it has participated in urban concessions like SCL Airport, Central Freeway and Vespucio Norte Express. On the other hand Besalco, created in 1944, has concessions such as Variante Melipilla, Route Interportuaria Talcahuano-Penco, Penitentiary Infrastructure Group 1 and 2, and the Convento Viejo dam second stage, among others.

Publication: Estrategia
Provider: Estrategia
Date: March 7, 2008

miércoles, 5 de marzo de 2008

Teck Cominco updates Quebrada Blanca Cu resource

Vancouverite Teck Cominco (TSX: TCK.A, TCK.B) has reported an inferred resource estimate of primary sulfide mineralization at its Quebrada Blanca property in Chile of 11Blb (4.99Mt) of contained copper and 450Mlb of molybdenum.

The resource in grades is 1.03Bt at 0.50% copper and 0.020% molybdenum, according to a Teck Cominco statement.

The company added that within the 1.03Bt resource, it has identified a higher-grade area beneath the existing sulfide pit with roughly 300Mt grading 0.55% copper and 0.020% molybdenum.

"That portion of the deposit could provide a substantial starter pit for a period of 5-10 years that would benefit from having been largely pre-stripped by ongoing mining of the supergene ore body," company CEO Don Lindsay said in the statement.

Teck Cominco acquired Quebrada Blanca with its purchase of compatriot company Aur Resources last year.

Publication: Business News Americas - English News
Provider: Business News Americas
Date: March 5, 2008

martes, 4 de marzo de 2008

Vik to open luxury hotel in Millahue

Next southern-hemisphere summer, the Spanish chain Vik will open its first luxury boutique hotel in Chile as part of its aggresive plan of internationalisation which also includes the purchase of two establishments in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic, and the building of two others in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

The Chilean hotel Vik will open will be called the Vik Bodega and will be located in Millahue, the VI Region, featuring just 22 rooms. Details will be formalised soon. The family Vik has two hotels in Lanzarote, the Villa Vik (a 14-room five-star hotel) and the San Antonio (a very different type of hotel with 300-plus rooms but still carrying four stars). The family Vik also owns 26% of capital in Ifa Hotels.

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
Date: March 4, 2008