Mexican mining company Grupo Mexico said Wednesday it plans to raise its copper production through expansions in Mexico and Peru.

In a press release, Grupo Mexico said its subsidiary Southern Copper Corp. (PCU) has concluded studies on its Tia Maria project in southern Peru, which will produce copper cathode using the SX-EW process.

The Tia Maria project is expected to take two years to complete, and coupled with an expansion at the Cananea mine in northwestern Mexico, could increase output by 110,000 metric tons a year.

The company said that it expects to make decisions on the Los Chancas project in Peru and El Arco in Mexico by the end of November.

All the projects combined could raise copper output by 470,000 metric tons, and molybdenum production by 20 million pounds, within about four years, the company said.

Grupo Mexico produced 690,000 metric tons of copper in 2005. In the first half of 2006, output was down 13.8% from the year-ago period to 285,000 metric tons, affected by strikes at La Caridad and Cananea mines.