LONDON Nov 2 (Reuters) – Commodities trader Glencore
is among a group of suitors considering an offer for
miner Anglo American’s majority stake in the Amapa iron
ore operation in northern Brazil, according to sources familiar
with the matter.
Anglo bought control of Amapa in 2008 from Brazilian
billionaire Eike Batista’s MMX as part of the $5.5 billion Minas
Rio acquisition. But the asset has been deemed non-core, and has
been on the block since last year.
Other bidders in the current second phase of the sale
process include Russia’s Severstal, privately owned
mining group Zamin – founded by Indian commodities investor
Pramod Agarwal and which already owns assets in Brazil – and
Australia’s Centaurus, also already working in the
country.
Glencore has ambitions to grow in iron ore, a key
steelmaking ingredient in which it is not currently a major
player, but the commodities trader has also been selective on
the assets it targets.
Glencore, Severstal and Zamin declined to comment. It was
not immediately possible to reach Centaurus.
Anglo American also declined to comment.
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