Ocean Partners Press Release - 8th October 2004

Ocean Partners Launched as Management Buys out Ores and Concentrates Trading Division of Pechiney World Trade (USA), Inc. and Pechiney Trading Limited

Ocean Partners Maintains Experienced Team to Provide Relationship
Based Trading Services to Miners and Smelters of Copper, Lead and Zinc Raw Materials

The management team of the Ores and Concentrates trading division of Pechiney
World Trade (USA), Inc. and Pechiney Trading Limited (collectively PWT) has
announced the establishment of a private company, Ocean Partners Holdings
Limited, with operating subsidiaries Ocean Partners UK Limited and Ocean
Partners USA, Inc. Ocean Partners is wholly owned by the management team and a
minority strategic shareholder, Mineco AG.

Ocean Partners also announced that an agreement has been reached with Alcan
Inc. to purchase the net assets of PWT's copper, lead and zinc concentrate and
secondary/by-product trading positions. All rights and obligations of the PWT
contracts will be assumed and performed by Ocean Partners. The closing date of
the transaction is expected to occur in early October, 2004. Terms of the
transaction were not disclosed.

"Our stable and experienced team has been successful at PWT and now Ocean
Partners will continue with its hands-on, reputable approach in its dealings
with mines, smelters and refiners," said Jeff Beck, Ocean Partners' Managing
Director. "PWT deserves full recognition for supporting our activities over the
years, as does Alcan for their support of the management buy out mechanism
which assures our customers of the same services and maximizes job continuity
for our employees," he noted.

Beck pointed out that this approach to business had been successful not only
with clients, but was also well received by the banking and brokerage
community. With over US$100 million of equity capital/subordinated debt/bank
credit facilities/brokerage funding in place, Ocean Partners has a solid
financial platform to support current and expanded levels of trading in
concentrates. The company will also be in a position to consider equity
investments in the mining/smelting sector to complement its trading activities.

Bank funding is being provided by: SG Corporate & Investment Banking, BNP
Paribas, Fortis Bank, WestLB and ABSA Bank. Brokerage operations are being
funded by: SG Corporate & Investment Banking, BNP Paribas, Calyon, Man
Financial, Natexis and ADM.

Ocean Partners' adviser for the purchase from Alcan was Pillay & Associates.

Ocean Partners is a privately held company with 22 employees in London , England
and Stamford , CT and representative offices in Toronto , Hong Kong , Melbourne
and Ulaanbaatar . The company is additionally represented by agents in Lima ,
Santiago , Tokyo , Moscow , Belgrade , New Delhi and Istanbul . Ocean Partners
provides relationship based trading services to miners and smelters of copper,
lead and zinc raw materials.

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