September 16, 2009 - Taseko Mines Limited (TSX: TKO; AMEX: TGB) (the “Company”) announced today that as a significant shareholder of Copper Mountain Mining Corp (TSX: CUM)(“Copper Mountain”) it has expressed concerns to Copper Mountain over its highly dilutive $1.15 brokered financing (the “Brokered Financing”) announced today.

Taseko advises that on September 15, 2009 it delivered a written share exchange merger proposal to the Copper Mountain Board which valued Copper Mountain at a large premium to the Brokered Financing announced by Copper Mountain today. The Brokered Financing will only net Copper Mountain less than $1.10 per share and will result in well over 130% dilution to its shareholders.

The Taseko offer also included an unconditional and immediate cash financing of $10 million at a similar premium price per Copper Mountain share relative to the Brokered Financing. Taseko plans to take legal steps to try to subject the Brokered Financing to a Copper Mountain shareholders’ vote. Other concerned Copper Mountain shareholders are invited to contact Taseko at the numbers below.

Russell Hallbauer, Taseko President and Chief Executive Officer commented: “We believe the $1.15 brokered financing badly undervalues Copper Mountain and we were astonished that our offer was not properly responded to before the brokered deal was priced. We see this as a large loss of value for the current Copper Mountain shareholders and we intend to do what we can to allow Copper Mountain shareholders to have a voice in this.”

For further information, contact Peter Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer - 778-373-4545, toll free 1-800-667-2114.

No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved of the information contained in this news release.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This document contains “forward-looking statements” that were based on Taseko’s expectations, estimates and projections as of the dates as of which those statements were made. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “outlook”, “anticipate”, “project”, “target”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “should” and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These included but are not limited to:

• uncertainties and costs related to the Company’s exploration and development activities, such as those associated with continuity of mineralization or determining whether mineral resources or reserves exist on a property;
• uncertainties related to the accuracy of our estimates of mineral reserves, mineral resources, production rates and timing of production, future production and future cash and total costs of production and milling;
• uncertainties related to feasibility studies that provide estimates of expected or anticipated costs, expenditures and economic returns from a mining project;
• uncertainties related to our ability to complete the mill upgrade on time estimated and at the scheduled cost;
• uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary licenses permits for development projects and project delays due to third party opposition;
• uncertainties related to unexpected or ongoing judicial or regulatory proceedings;
• changes in, and the effects of, the laws, regulations and government policies affecting our exploration and development activities and mining operations, particularly laws, regulations and policies;
• changes in general economic conditions, the financial markets and in the demand and market price for copper, gold and other minerals and commodities, such as diesel fuel, steel, concrete, electricity and other forms of energy, mining equipment, and fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly with respect to the value of the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar, and the continued availability of capital and financing;
• the effects of forward selling instruments to protect against fluctuations in copper prices and exchange rate movements and the risks of counterparty defaults, and mark to market risk;
• the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover mining risks;
• the risk of loss of key employees; the risk of changes in accounting policies and methods we use to report our financial condition, including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates;
• environmental issues and liabilities associated with mining including processing and stock piling ore; and
• labour strikes, work stoppages, or other interruptions to, or difficulties in, the employment of labour in markets in which we operate mines, or environmental hazards, industrial accidents or other events or occurrences, including third party interference that interrupt the production of minerals in our mines.

For further information on Taseko, investors should review the Company’s annual Form 40-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission www.sec.gov and home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Back to the News Releases page