FQM.L Regulatory News (FQM)

6 Dec 2007 14:00

First Quantum Minerals Ld06 December 2007 NEWS RELEASE 07-15 December 6, 2007 www.first-quantum.com First Quantum Minerals ACQUIRES 17.27% INTEREST IN Equinox Minerals Limited First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum" or the "Company", TSX Symbol "FM",LSE Symbol "FQM") announces that on December 5, 2007 the Company acquired41,300,000 common shares in Equinox Minerals Limited representing 7.31% of theissued and outstanding shares. After the acquisition of the shares, FirstQuantum will beneficially own 97,556,700 common shares representing 17.27% ofthe issued and outstanding shares of Equinox Minerals Limited. The securities were acquired through the facilities of the Toronto StockExchange. First Quantum has acquired the common shares for investment purposesand may acquire further common shares or dispose of its holdings of commonshares both as investment conditions warrant. Equinox Minerals Limited is developing its 100% owned Lumwana copper minelocated in the North Western Province of Zambia approximately 65 kilometres westof First Quantum's Kansanshi copper-gold mine. For additional information or for a copy of First Quantum's Early WarningReport, please contact: Clive Newall, President at +44 140 327 3484 or GeoffChater, Manager Corporate Relations at +1 604 614 7830. On Behalf of the Board of Directors 12g3-2b-82-4461of First Quantum Minerals Ltd. Listed in Standard and Poor's G. Clive NewallPresident For further information visit our web site at www.first-quantum.com North American contact: Geoff Chater 8th Floor, 543 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 1X8 Tel: (604) 688-6577 Fax: (604) 688-3818 Toll Free: 1 (888) 688-6577 E-Mail: info@fqml.com United Kingdom contact: Clive Newall, President1st Floor, Mill House Mill Bay Lane Horsham West Sussex RH12 1TQ United Kingdom Tel: +44 140 327 3484 Fax: +44 140 327 3494 E-Mail: clive.newall@fqml.com. Or Harriet Pask or Sarah MacLeod Hogarth Partnership Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7357 9477 The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained in this news release "forward-looking statements"within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 andforward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation.Such forward-looking statements or information, including but not limited tothose with respect to the prices of gold, copper, cobalt and sulphuric acid,estimated future production, estimated costs of future production, the Company'shedging policy and permitting time lines, involve known and unknown risks,uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performanceor achievements of the Company to be materially different from any futureresults, performance or achievements expressed or implied by suchforward-looking statements or information. Such factors include, among others,the actual prices of copper, gold, cobalt and sulphuric acid, the factualresults of current exploration, development and mining activities, changes inproject parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factorsdisclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the Alberta,British Columbia, and Ontario Securities Commissions, the Autorite des marchesfinanciers in Quebec, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission andthe London Stock Exchange. ENDS This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange