FORM 6-K
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United States
Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of
April 2007
Companhia Vale do Rio Doce
Avenida Graça Aranha, No. 26
20030-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
(Address of principal executive office)
(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.)
(Check One) Form 20-F þ Form 40-F o
(Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1))
(Check One) Yes o No þ
(Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7))
(Check One) Yes o No þ
(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.)
(Check One) Yes o No þ
(If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b). 82-___.)
 
 


 

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(CVRD LOGO)   (PRESS RELEASE)
CVRD revises 2007 capex budget to US$ 7.4 billion
Rio de Janeiro, April 26, 2007 — Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) hereby announces that its Board of Directors approved the revision of its investment budget for 2007 to US$ 7.351 billion1, an increase of US$ 1.017 billion compared to the US$ 6.334 billion budget announced in January 26, 2006. This review basically reflects changes in the average price of currencies in which our expected disbursement are denominated (US$ 383 million) and additional investments in the nickel operations (US$ 500 million).
The increase in the investments is consistent with the evolution of the Company’s cash flow and its financial policy guidelines, which aim to preserve a healthy balance sheet and, more specifically, a level of leverage indicative of a low-risk debt profile.
According to the revised capex budget, US$ 5.356 billion is to be invested in organic growth, of which US$ 4.904 billion on projects and US$ 452 million on research & development (R&D). The maintenance of existing operations has been estimated at US$ 1.995 billion.
US$ 3.125 billion will be spent on non-ferrous minerals, representing 42.5% of the total capex budget for 2007, given the development of various large projects such as Goro and Onça Puma, which are extremely important to the consolidation of CVRD as a global leader in the nickel industry. Investment of US$ 1.869 billion has been earmarked for the ferrous minerals business. US$ 885 million will be allocated to the aluminum division, while US$ 784 million has been allocated to the Company’s logistics business.
2007 INVESTMENT BUDGET
US$ million
                                 
    Revised           Previous    
By category   budget   %   budget   %
Organic growth
    5,356       72.9       4,636       73.2  
Projects
    4,904       66.7       4,230       66.8  
R&D
    452       6.1       406       6.4  
Maintenance of existing operations
    1,995       27.1       1,698       26.8  
Total
    7,351       100.0       6,334       100.0  
By business area
                               
Ferrous minerals
    1,869       25.4       1,635       25.8  
Non-ferrous minerals
    3,125       42.5       2,550       40.3  
Logistics
    885       12.0       811       12.8  
Aluminum
    784       10.7       720       11.4  
Coal
    224       3.0       209       3.3  
Electricity generation
    107       1.5       101       1.6  
Steel
    143       1.9       114       1.8  
Others
    214       2.9       197       3.1  
Total
    7,351       100.0       6,334       100.0  
The major projects in terms of financial disbursement in 2007 are: Goro (US$ 938 million), Onça Puma (US$ 658 million), Alunorte 6&7 (US$ 520 million), Itabiritos (US$ 417 million), Paragominas II (US$ 115 million) and Fazendão (US$ 111 million), together with investments in logistics necessary
 
1   The budget considers investments on a cash basis, consolidated according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (US GAAP). The main subsidiaries of CVRD according to US GAAP are: CVRD Inco, MBR, RDM, RDME, RDMN, Urucum Mineração, Alunorte, Albras, Valesul, Cadam, PPSA, Docenave and Ferrovia Centro Atlântica.

 


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(CVRD LOGO)   (PRESS RELEASE)
to sustain the expansion of our iron ore operations. The new budget includes investments of US$ 78 million in Salobo I project in 2007.
Goro is one of the largest and best lateritic nickel deposits in the world. It is located in New Caledonia, in the South Pacific, with proven and probable reserves of 120 million tons, with a nickel content of 1.48%, and cobalt content of 0.11%. The estimated production capacity is 60,000 tons a year of finished nickel and 4,600 tons of cobalt.
The project was recently subjected to revision, in which was included the implementation of measures to reduce environmental, operational and technology risks. Its total cost was estimated in US$ 3.212 billion, of which US$ 1.435 billion was already spent from 2001 to 2006. Disbursement of US$ 938 million is budgeted for 2007. The start-up of operations of Goro will occur in the end of 2008.
Salobo I is a project for the production of copper concentrate, with an estimated nominal capacity of 100,000 tons a year of copper in concentrate form, with an annual production of 130,000 oz. of gold as by-product, based on the deposit of Salobo, located in Carajás region, in the Brazilian state of Pará. Salobo has proven and probable reserves of 385 million tons, with copper content of 0.87%.
The cost of the project is estimated at US$ 855 million. The start-up of the development is conditioned to some government approvals including an appropriate tax structure.
(SMALL CVRD LOGO) Description of main projects
                     
        Budgeted    
        US$ million    
        2007   2007        
Area   Project   Revised   Previous   Total   Status
Ferrous
  Expansion to iron   66   14   1,828   This project will add 30 million tons a year of
minerals
  ore production               production capacity to CVRD, with the building of a
 
  capacity at Carajás               new plant, consisting of primary crushing, and processing
 
  to 130 Mtpa --               and classification units. Completion scheduled for 2009.
 
  Northern system               Subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
 
  Fazendão iron ore   111   101   129   Project for the production
 
  mine --               of 15.8 million tons of ROM (unprocessed
 
  Southeastern               ore) iron ore per year.
 
  system               This project will make it possible for Samarco's
 
                  third pellet plant to begin operations. Works began in
 
                  2H06 and will be completed in 1Q08, with the start-
 
                  up of operations.
 
  Itabiritos   417   385   759   Construction of a pellet plant in Minas Gerais, with
 
                  a nominal production capacity of 7 million tons a
 
                  year, and an iron ore Concentration plant.
 
                  Operational start-up is scheduled
 
                  for the second half of 2008.
Non-ferrous
  Cobre -- Salobo I   78     855   The project will have an estimated nominal capacity of 100,000 tons a year of copper in concentrate form.
minerals
                 
 
  Vermelho - nickel   97   92   1,452   Annual production capacity is estimated at 46,000
 
  mine               tons of nickel in ferronickel form and 2,800 tons of
 
                  cobalt. The process of obtaining of an environmental
 
                  licence is ongoing.

 


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(CVRD LOGO)   (PRESS RELEASE)
                     
        Budgeted    
        US$ million    
        2007   2007        
Area   Project   Revised   Previous   Total   Status
 
  Onça Puma -   658   613   1,437   The project will have a nickel production capacity of
 
  nickel mine               58,000 tons a year. Construction began in July 2006
 
                  and the supply of the main equipment has already
 
                  been contracted. Operational start-up is scheduled
 
                  for 2H08.
 
  Níquel -- Goro   938   680   3,212   The project has na estimated production capacity is
 
                  60,000 tons a year of finished nickel and 4,600 tons
 
                  of cobalt. Production start-up is scheduled for 2009.
Aluminum
  Alunorte modules 6   520   473   846   The project for the construction of modules 6 and 7
 
  and 7 -- alumina               will increase refinery production capacity to 6.26
 
                  million tons of alumina per year. Completion is
 
                  scheduled for 2Q08.
 
  Paragominas II -   115   105   196   The second phase of Paragominas will add 4.5
 
  bauxite mine               million tons to the capacity of 5.4 million tons a year
 
                  obtained in the first phase. Completion is scheduled
 
                  for 2Q08.

For further information, please contact:
+55-21-3814-4540
Roberto Castello Branco: roberto.castello.branco@cvrd.com.br
Alessandra Gadelha: alessandra.gadelha@cvrd.com.br
Marcelo Silva Braga: marcelo.silva.braga@cvrd.com.br
Theo Penedo: theo.penedo@cvrd.com.br
Virgínia Monteiro: virginia.monteiro@cvrd.com.br
This press release may contain statements that express management’s expectations about future events or results rather than historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements, and CVRD cannot give assurance that such statements will prove correct. These risks and uncertainties include factors: relating to the Brazilian and Canadian economy and securities markets, which exhibit volatility and can be adversely affected by developments in other countries; relating to the iron ore and nickel business and its dependence on the global steel industry, which is cyclical in nature; and relating to the highly competitive industries in which CVRD operates. For additional information on factors that could cause CVRD’s actual results to differ from expectations reflected in forward-looking statements, please see CVRD’s reports filed with the Brazilian Comissão de Valores Mobiliários and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 


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Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
         
  COMPANHIA VALE DO RIO DOCE
(Registrant)
 
 
Date: April 26, 2007  By:   /s/ Roberto Castello Branco    
    Roberto Castello Branco   
    Director of Investor Relations