Re: Bonus Issue

Antofagasta PLC
19 June 2006

                                Antofagasta plc

                     4 for 1 Bonus Issue of Ordinary Shares

London, 19 June 2006

Following shareholder approval at the Annual General Meeting and Class Meetings
on 14 June 2006, Antofagasta plc (the 'Company') confirms that it has issued, by
way of a bonus issue, four new ordinary shares of 5p each for every one ordinary
share held by shareholders of the Company at the close of business on Friday 16
June 2006. Each new ordinary share will carry the same rights as an existing
ordinary share. Following this issue, the Company has 985,856,695 ordinary
shares in issue.

As no similar bonus issue has taken place in respect of the 5% cumulative
preference shares in the capital of the Company, the rights of each preference
share have been amended so that each preference share now carries 100 votes on a
poll at any general meeting of the Company. This amendment maintains the voting
rights of each preference share as a proportion of the total votes entitled to
be exercised at a general meeting.


----------------------------                 ------------------------
Enquiries                                    Issued by
Antofagasta plc                              Bankside Consultants
Tel: [phone]                        Tel: [phone]
www.antofagasta.co.uk                          
                                               
Desmond O'Conor                              Keith Irons
Email: [e-mail]             Email: [e-mail]

Hussein Barma                                Oliver Winters
Email: [e-mail]              Email: [e-mail]




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