TECK STILL IN TALKS ON B.C. COPPER VENTURE
  &lt;Teck Corp> said it
  was continuing talks about joining a joint copper venture at
  Highland Valley, British Columbia, held by affiliates Cominco
  Ltd &lt;CLT> and &lt;Lornex Mining Corp>, but did not know when
  negotiations would be completed.
      Teck vice-president of administration John Guminski said in
  reply to a query that the talks had been "ongoing for a long
  time." He declined to speculate on the outcome.
      Cominco, 29.5 pct owned by a consortium led by Teck, is
  optimistic that the talks will soon be concluded, spokesman Don
  Townson told Reuters.
      "I think all partners are hopeful that the situation will be
  resolved," Cominco's Townson said.
      "We're optimistic that they will be concluded shortly," he
  added. Townson declined to specify when the talks might end.
      Cominco and Teck's 22 pct-owned Lornex agreed in January
  1986 to form the joint venture, merging their Highland Valley
  copper operations.
      Cominco and Lornex share equally in control and management
  of the Highland Valley operations, while Cominco has a 55 pct
  share of production and Lornex receives 45 pct.
      For the six months following July 1, 1986, when the venture
  officially started production, Highland Valley had total ore
  milled of 22.6 mln short tons, grading an average of 0.41 pct
  copper, Townson said.
      Cominco's share of production was 43,000 short tons of
  copper contained in concentrate, 1,200 short tons of Molybdenum
  in concentrate, 340,000 ounces of silver and 800 ounces of
  gold, he said.
      A consortium, 50 pct owned by Teck and 25 pct each by MIM
  (Canada) Inc and Metallgesellschaft Canada Ltd, acquired its
  Cominco stake last year from Canadian Pacific Ltd &lt;CP>.
  

