Cobre del Mayo is a Mexican copper mining company whose principal asset is the Piedras Verdes Mine, a large producing open pit copper mine in Sonora, Mexico. Since being acquired by Invecture Group in 2009, the mine has been transformed into a high quality copper producing asset through implementing three processing methods and expanding reserves to 3 billion pounds of copper. Cobre del Mayo has a stable production profile, low costs, a long mine life of 17 years, and generates reliable cash flow from its established operations in the favorable and low-risk mining jurisdiction of Sonora, Mexico.
2. 2
Content
I. Introduction & Overview
II. Piedras Verdes Project
III. Operational Environment
IV. Industry and Commodity Overview
V. Conclusion
3
8
14
18
21
COBRE DEL MAYO 2
4. 4
Cobre del Mayo, S.A. de C.V. (“Cobre del Mayo”, “CDM” or the “Company”) is a Mexican based company
whose principal asset is the Piedras Verdes Mine (“Piedras Verdes” or the “PV Mine”) which is a large,
producing open pit copper mine located near the town of Alamos in Sonora, Mexico
— The PV Mine produces LME Grade A copper cathode and sells refractory and vein type ore for its
processing into concentrate
CDM became 100% owned by Invecture Group S.A. de C.V. (“Invecture”) subsequent to Invecture’s
acquisition of Frontera Copper Corporation (“FCC”), a Canadian TSX-listed company, in May 2009
Since the acquisition by Invecture and under the stewardship of new management, the PV Mine has been
transformed into a high quality copper producing asset
Introduction
COBRE DEL MAYO 4
5. 5
Business Strategy
The key principles of our current business strategy include:
Continue to operate the PV mine on a stable basis, pursue opportunities to improve cash cost and free
cash flow with lower capital consumption
Implement low capex operational optimization such as Mines Dispatch System to lower mining costs and
improve truck utilization, electrowinning titanium anodes to reduce unit electricity consumption and enable
increase cathode production and crushing system upgrades to further improve recoveries
Focus on maintaining low costs and take advantage of stable production to generate reliable cash flow
— As such, CDM is a 3rd Quartile producer including by-product credits and a 2nd Quartile producer
excluding by-products
The overall business strategy is built on a commitment to sustainable and safe mining
— Strong culture and philosophy of prioritization of safety measures
COBRE DEL MAYO 5
14
6. 6
Company overview
COBRE DEL MAYO 6
10
Successful
Completion of
Turnaround and
Ramp-Up
Transformed PV Mine from poorly performing Run of Mine (“ROM”) heap leach SX/EW
to a crushed and conveyor stacked leach, with a low grade ROM leach, and a contract
to sell high grade vein type refractory ore to Kupari Metals (“KM”) for flotation
— Enabled PV to process substantially all of the ore type present with rates of recovery
commensurate with grade
Expanded the reserve from under 1 billion pounds of copper in 2009 to an estimated 3
billion pounds today
Creation of:
— Additional revenues from the sale of ore to Kupari Metals’ flotation plant
— Stable production of cathode at or above nameplate capacity
— Mine life that has increased from 9 to 17 years
— Stable profitability, cash flow and enterprise value generation resulting from the
implementation of three processes with sound grade control and the expansion of
the deposit
Established and
Stable Producer
Ramp up of the crushing system in mid 2010 and stacking system in late 2010 has
enabled improved recoveries and lower operating costs
Processes in use at CDM are based on proven and broadly used technologies
The mine and process equipment is modern
— Mine fleet has on average approximately over half of its useful life remaining
— Crushing, screening and stacking system was completely rebuilt when acquired
— The SXEW system was acquired new in 2006 and is state of the art
7. 7
Company overview (cont’d)
COBRE DEL MAYO 7
10
Favorable Mining
Jurisdiction
Mexico is an OECD and WTO country with free trade agreements in place with over 40
countries
— Signatory to all major international conventions and treaties
Foreign trade represents over 60% of GDP; central bank reserves of US$167 billion
Sonora is safe
Privileged location with full infrastructure in place
— 30 minutes from Alamos and Navojoa provides access to skilled labor and
management
— Connected to high voltage, low cost electricity grid
— Access via modern paved highways to the rest of Sonora and Arizona; deep water
port is within 5 hours
— Water available at the mine exceeds requirements by about 60%
The union is cooperative and modern in its approach to labor relations
Proven
Management Team
Operating team at site complemented by the strategic and technical team based in
Vancouver and Invecture team in Mexico City
Multidisciplinary operating management drawn from three countries
The size and operating margins at CDM enable it to pay very competitive compensation
The track record and successful turnaround of PV evidences the strength of
management
9. 9
Piedras Verdes Mine History
2002 20092003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
March ’02
FCC purchases Phelps
Dodge's 70% interest
in Piedras Verdes Mine
May ’03
FCC acquires remaining 30%
stake in Piedras Verdes Mine
from Azco Mining
December ’04
FCC lists on the TSX
February ’05
FCC signs letter of intent with
Grupo Peal for the provision of
contract mining services
October ’06
Commercial production at
Piedras Verdes Mine
April ’07
Inaugural ceremony to
commemorate completion of
construction, commissioning
and ramp up toward full
production of Piedras Verdes
November ’08
Development of the Piedras
Verdes Mine was suspended
due to low copper prices to
preserve cash
May ’09
FCC delisted from TSX,
although Series 1 and 2
Notes remained listed
(until later extended and
prepaid by Invecture)
December ’08
Invecture announces
offer to acquire all of
the common shares of
FCC
COBRE DEL MAYO 9
15
10. 10
Key Initiatives Implemented Under New Ownership and Management
Changed from contract mining to owner operation and purchased the former contractor’s equipment fleet
Purchased, re-engineered and installed a crushing, screening, conveying and stacking system to convert
the operation from Truck Dump Run of Mine to a primarily crush-conveyor stacked heap leach
Undertook the successful recharacterization and modeling of alternative styles of mineralization
Developed new mining and processing plans and implemented an effective ore quality and grade control
system
Initiated an aggressive resource definition and expansion drill campaign
Completed an agreement with Kupari Metals to supply crushed ore
Developed a new resource model and mine plan to produce a target 32 ktpa of copper cathodes
COBRE DEL MAYO 10
16
11. 11
Fully Developed Infrastructure and Advantaged Location
COBRE DEL MAYO 11
All infrastructure is in place
Extremely competitive transportation costs for off-takers given Piedras Verdes’ location and nearby
infrastructure
Huatabampo
Chihuahua
Sinaloa
Piedras
Verdes Alamos
Navojoa
Sonora
Ciudad
Obregon
Guaymas
Baja
California
P
C
Deep Water Port
Commercial Airport
Railway
Rail Station
Major Highway
Private Airport
C
P
Easily Accessible by:
Air:
— Ciudad Obregón Airport (~90 minute drive - 111
km) has 10 commercial flights daily
— Álamos-5,000 foot paved runway (22 km)
available to general aviation
Road:
— 14 km access road to secondary road that
reaches (i) the State Highway 162, (ii) the
Álamos/Navojoa Highway or (iii) the Pan-
American Highway that passes through Navojoa
Rail:
— ~50 km to Sonora’s mainline north-south railway
Port:
— 250 km to deep-water port of Guaymas (from
which copper concentrate is blended and
exported by both trading and mining companies)
Power: Connected to CFE grid to the mine owned and maintained substation with continuous capacity of
25 MW; CDM is CFE’s single largest customer in the area
— Cost of electricity is ~0.10/kWh, which is ~35% cheaper than Chile, largest copper producing country
Water: CDM holds 16 titled water concessions with a combined tested industrial water totaling ~8.1
Mm³/y while the requirement for the operation of the PV mine and flotation plant is ~5.5 Mm³/y
22
12. 12
Disciplined Exploration and Drilling Program To Solidify Resource Base
CDM controls a portfolio of 30 titled mining concessions
— Encompasses area of ~57k hectares
Fully paid all claim license fees and taxes for concessions owned and under control
— No litigation pending with respect to any concessions
— All concessions have been surveyed by a certified and registered mineral lands surveyor
Piedras Verdes is on 3,809 hectares of land
CDM initiated a highly successful exploration program in Q4 2011, scheduled for completion in Q4 2013,
that has added resources at a rate of ~15 Mt per month
COBRE DEL MAYO 12
19
13. 13
Mine Plan Flow Diagram
COBRE DEL MAYO 13
PV Mine utilizes conventional
truck and shovel mining
methods
Two alternative process options
are utilized for copper recovery:
— ROM heap leach
— Crushed ore heap leach
Copper is produced as:
— LME Grade A cathode from
the SX/EW process
Ore is mined 24 hours per day,
365 days per year
Customers / Off Takers
— Trafigura: 18 months since
June 2013 & LME +
US$0.25 cents / lb
— Kupari Metals
— CDM’s copper is used in
end-markets in the U.S. and
Mexico
— Strong quality and brand that
is recognized in the market
20
High%Grade%%
Sale%to%KM%
High Grade
Crushing System
Sale to KM
15. 15
Stable Operating Environment in Mexico
COBRE DEL MAYO 15
Mexico is an economic leader in Latin America and is the worlds 11th largest economy by GDP
— 2013E and 2014E real GDP growth of 3.4% per year
— High degree of political stability
— OECD/WTO country and member of 12 free trade agreements, including NAFTA
— Mexican Peso has long history of one of the ten most traded global currencies
Mexico is recognized as a mining friendly jurisdiction
— Largest producer of silver globally (17% of global production)
— Largest producer of zinc in Latin America (2011 production of 626kt)
— 3rd largest producer of copper in Latin America (2011 production of 414kt)
As a result of mining-supportive governmental policies, stability, OECD tax regime and abundance of
resources, Mexico has attracted extensive investment from international mining companies
— Over 200 mining companies operate in Mexico, of which 60 have producing assets; 53 of those 60
belong to subsidiaries of foreign companies
— ~40% of mine production and ~70% of investments in exploration are undertaken by foreign investors
Sources: IMF, Brook Hunt.
26
16. 16
Sonora is Among the Most Prolific Mining Areas in Mexico
COBRE DEL MAYO 16
Sonora is one of Mexico’s safest states and the only U.S. border state that has not been significantly
affected by recent violence associated with the war on drugs
Sonora represents Mexico’s most important state in terms of mining production
— Largest copper producing state in Mexico
Sources: Ministry of Public Safety and Security, Mexican Mining Statistics 2011, Metals Economic Group.
(1) Based on the methodology of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security
2011 Total Mining Production in Mexico
Very High / High
Medium
Low
Risk Ratings1
Sonora
2011 Copper Production in Mexico
Crime Index (Crimes per 1,000 people)
Sonora
27%
Zacatecas
25%
Chihuahua
12%
Coahuila
9%
Others
27%
Sonora
67%
Zacatecas
14%
San Luis Potosi
8% Others
11%
48
17 16
13
10
6 4 2 1
Chihuahua
Baja
California
Baja
California
Sur
Quintana
Roo
Aguas-
calientes
Sonora
Chiapas
Colima
Campeche
National Average = 9
27
17. 17
Pristine Track Record of Safety, Environmental and Labor Relations
COBRE DEL MAYO 17
Safety, Environmental compliance and Labor relations are key areas of focus of CDM
Since current management took control of the operation, Piedras Verdes has had a solid safety track record
— The amount paid by CDM for “Riesgo de Trabajo” (worker risk) as classified by IMSS is in the lowest
quota, demonstrating the improvements of safety standards at CDM
— Framework and policies and procedures to mitigate operational risk and ensure regulatory and
environmental requirements compliance
— Employee training programs support the effective execution of these policies and procedures which are
consistently reviewed
CDM has obtained all necessary permits for the construction and operation of the mine
— Future permits for further construction and operation such as leach pad expansion would be required; to
date, such permits have been issued in the normal course of business
Piedras Verdes complies with all applicable environmental standards that are among the world’s most
advanced
Labor relations:
— Large pool of nearby qualified labor
— Approx. 70% of the workforce lives in Navojoa with the remaining 30% living in Alamos
— Approx. 40% of the ~310 line employees are represented by the Confederación de Trabajadores de
Mexico (“CTM”) which is one of Mexico’s largest unions characterized by constructive and open approach
towards labor relations (unlike SNTMMSSRM)
— CDM and Piedras Verdes have historically held a positive relationship with CTM
— No work stoppages in the history of the Piedras Verdes Mine
Certified as Industria Limpia (“Clean Industry”) by PROFEPA (enforcement arm of SEMARNAT; Mexican
environmental protection agency) and Empresa Socialmente Responsible (“Socially Responsible Company”)
by Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía
28
19. 19
Incentive Price Drives the Value of Copper
COBRE DEL MAYO 19
The incentive price required to justify investments in the expansion of existing mines and the construction
of new ones is estimated by Goldman Sachs at US$3.23/lb
Although short term copper prices are unpredictable, copper must ultimately trade above US$3.23/lb for
global mine copper supply to be maintained
Source: Goldman Sachs Research estimates.
20. 20
Evolution of Copper Estimates Overtime
The market has consistently underestimated copper prices when forecasting long term
Copper Price
(US$ / lb)
--
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2010
2009
2008
Actual
‘10 LT
‘09 LT
‘08 LT
‘07 LT
‘06 LT
‘05 LT‘04 LT‘03 LT‘02 LT
‘01 LT2000 LT
‘11 LT
2011
2012
2013 LT
Long Term Price (as forecast during Q4 of year indicated)(1)
Actual Copper Price
Broker Consensus (as forecast during Q4 of year indicated)
‘12 LT
Source: Bloomberg, Wall Street Broker Estimates.
COBRE DEL MAYO 20
32
22. 22
Conclusion
Proven
Management Team
COBRE DEL MAYO
Strong Copper
Fundamentals
Established and
Stable Producer
Low Financial Risk
and Robust Cash
Flow Generation
Favorable Mining
Jurisdiction
COBRE DEL MAYO 22
Successful
Completion of
Turnaround and
Ramp-Up
46