Phoenix-based Southern Copper (SCC) (NYSE: PCU) aims to produce some 700,000t of copper in 2007, provided there are no disruptions similar to strikes last year at the company's Mexican mines Cananea and La Caridad, SCC CFO Eduardo Gonzalez said.

"It [would really] be back to normal," Gonzalez said of the forecast production during a conference call Monday to discuss quarterly financial results. SCC reported output of 667,000t of copper in 2006.

However, the La Caridad mine in Sonora state has still not ramped up past 93% of its 140,000t/y capacity after strikes halted output in last year's second and third quarters, the CFO said.

The executive anticipated the mine would be back to full output "in the next few weeks or months."

But Cananea, also in Sonora state, produced 175,000t of copper in 2005 and is near full capacity, he said. The mine also suffered significant production declines last year from strikes.

As for investments in 2007, Gonzalez said SCC has a US$500mn capex budget for the year that includes an expansion to bring Cananea to 300,000t/y in addition to replacing equipment at other operations.