It is reported that Aditya Birla Minerals Ltd has placed its Mt Gordon copper mine in the north-eastern state of Queensland on care and maintenance because of low copper prices.

Aditya said that the project's mill would continue to process stockpiles of ore and was likely to produce 1,800 tonne of copper in concentrate per month for about 12 months.

Aditya added that it has also suspended crushing and stacking of ore at its Nifty oxide operations in Western Australia but would continue to leach copper until the leaching operation became uneconomic.

However, the oxide operation produced 3,605 tonne of copper cathode in the year to September 30th the last period for which data was available.

Aditya Birla Minerals is 51% owned by India's Hindalco Industries Ltd Hindalco is Asia's largest integrated aluminium producer and a growing producer of copper metal from copper in concentrate.