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<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001144204-09-001496.txt : 20090323
<SEC-HEADER>0001144204-09-001496.hdr.sgml : 20090323
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20090112151032
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001144204-09-001496
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20090112

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			BUENAVENTURA MINING CO INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001013131
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	METAL MINING [1000]
		IRS NUMBER:				000000000
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		AVE CARLOS VILLARAN 790
		CITY:			LIMA
		STATE:			R5
		ZIP:			13
		BUSINESS PHONE:		5114192536

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		AV. CARLOS VILLARAN 790
		CITY:			LIMA
		STATE:			R5
		ZIP:			13
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>
<html>
  <head>
    <title></title>
    </head>
    <body bgcolor="#ffffff" style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Milbank,
Tweed, Hadley &amp; McCloy LLP</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">One Chase
Manhattan Plaza</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">New York,
NY&#160;&#160;10005</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">(212)
530-5000</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 252pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">January
12, 2009</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Compa&#241;&#237;a de Minas
Buenaventura S.A.A.</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Form 20-F for Fiscal Year
Ended December 31, 2007</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">File No.
001-14370</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Mr. Karl
Hiller</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Division
of Corporation Finance</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Securities
and Exchange Commission</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">100 F
Street, N.E.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Washington,
D.C. 20549-7010</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Dear Mr.
Hiller:</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>We note the receipt by Compa&#241;&#237;a de
Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. (the &#8220;Company&#8221;), a <font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-STYLE: italic">sociedad an&#243;nima abierta</font>
(open stock company) under the laws of the Republic of Peru (&#8220;Peru&#8221;), of the
comment letter (the &#8220;Comment Letter&#8221;) dated November 26, 2008 from the staff
(the &#8220;Staff&#8221;) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#8220;Commission&#8221;)
regarding the above-referenced Form 20-F (the &#8220;Form 20-F&#8221;).&#160;&#160;On behalf
of the Company, we hereby provide the responses set forth below to the comments
in the Comment Letter.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>To assist the Staff review, we have
included the text of the Staff&#8217;s comments below in bold type.&#160;&#160;Except
as otherwise noted in this letter, the information provided in response to the
Staff&#8217;s comments has been supplied by the Company, which is solely responsible
for such information.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Form 20-F for the Fiscal
Year Ended December 31, 2007</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Operating and Financial
Review and Prospects, page&#160;106</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div>
      <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
          <tr valign="top">
            <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
              <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">1.</font></div>
            </td>
            <td>
              <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Your
      disclosure on page&#160;106 indicates that in fiscal years 2005 and 2006,
      certain sales contracts previously accounted for as derivative
      instruments, although apparently not as hedges, were replaced with new
      contracts that qualified as normal sales, thus alleviating the need to
      apply fair value accounting to these
contracts.</font></div>
            </td>
          </tr>
      </table>
    </div>
    <div>&#160;</div>
    <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
      <div id="FTR">
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        </div>
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      <div id="PN" style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always">
        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
        </div>
        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
          <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
        </div>
      </div>
      <div id="HDR">
        <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">However,
you also explain that you calculated the fair value of the replaced contracts
immediately prior to their replacement and recorded the calculated amounts as
deferred revenues to be realized upon future settlements of the new sales
contracts.&#160;&#160;As the amount of deferred revenue was neither generated
from billings nor collections from customers, please explain how it is
appropriately identified as revenue related to the new contracts.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Additionally,
tell us how your accounting is consistent with the guidance IAS 39, including
paragraphs&#160;39 through 41, and 50; and since the accounting for the
replacement of these sales contracts has not been disclosed as a departure from
U.S.&#160;GAAP in Notes 35 and 36, please cite the U.S.&#160;GAAP accounting
guidance that you identified as a basis for recording deferred revenue at fair
value.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company respectfully clarifies that the original sales contracts referenced in
the Staff&#8217;s comment were not replaced with new contracts, but were modified to
change certain terms.&#160;&#160;The only significant change to the applicable
2005 and 2006 sales contracts was the method of settlement, which is now
required to be a physical settlement by delivery of gold pursuant to the
modified contract terms.&#160;&#160;Most of the other significant terms of the
applicable sales contracts, such as the agreed upon fixed price, quantity and
delivery dates, were not changed.&#160;&#160;The Company will revise its
disclosure in future filings of the Form 20-F to clarify that certain terms of
the applicable sales contracts were modified, but that the original contracts
were not replaced with new contracts.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Under
Peruvian generally accepted accounting principles (&#8220;Peruvian GAAP&#8221;), the Company
considered the guidance in paragraphs 39, 40, 41 and 50 of International
Accounting Standards (&#8220;IAS&#8221;) 39.&#160;&#160;The Company concluded that the
modified contracts did not qualify for de-recognition per the guidance in
paragraph 40 of IAS 39 because the Company had not extinguished its obligation
as specified in the modified contracts to deliver the gold and total cash flows
were not changed.&#160;&#160;However, the Company notes that IAS 39 does not
contain specific guidance related to the Company&#8217;s specific
circumstances.&#160;&#160;The Company further notes that Peruvian GAAP
Resolution No. 013-98-EF/93.10 allows Peruvian companies to apply United States
generally accepted accounting principles (&#8220;US GAAP&#8221;) in the absence of a
specific rule that applies to a transaction under Peruvian GAAP.&#160;&#160;This
resolution is commonly used by Peruvian companies in developing and applying
accounting policies.&#160;&#160;Pursuant to this guidance, the Company decided
to rely upon and adopt an accounting policy which is consistent with US
GAAP.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">US GAAP
guidance relating to derivative instruments is contained in paragraph 10 of
Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (&#8220;SFAS&#8221;) 133, which states that
certain contracts are not subject to the requirements of that
standard.&#160;&#160;One such exception from SFAS 133 is for &#8220;normal sales
contracts&#8221; that qualify for the &#8220;Normal Purchase and Normal Sales&#8221; exception, as
discussed more fully in paragraph 10(b) of SFAS 133. As explained above, the
Company modified the terms of certain sales contracts that were being accounted
for as derivatives under SFAS 133 such that they qualified for the normal sales
exception and elected the exception as discussed in SFAS Implementation Issue
C12, &#8220;Interpreting the Normal Purchase Sales Exception as an Election&#8221; (&#8220;Issue
C12&#8221;).&#160;&#160;As a result of these contract modifications and the Company&#8217;s
election to apply the normal sales exception, the applicable contracts were no
longer subject to the requirements of SFAS 133.&#160;&#160;There was a final
mark to market for the period up to the moment before the election was
made.&#160;&#160;Once the election was made, the contracts were no longer in the
scope of SFAS 133, and thus there was no guidance in that standard to address
what to do with the recorded balance.&#160;&#160;Further, the Company wishes to
note that Issue C12 allows for that election at any time in the life of the
instrument.&#160;&#160;Importantly, it states that once elected, &#8220;the entity is
not permitted at a later date to change its election and treat the contract as a
derivative.&#8221;&#160;&#160;The Company respectfully submits that this is further
evidence that once the election is made, the guidance in SFAS 133 is no longer
applicable to the contracts.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
      <div id="FTR">
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        </div>
      </div>
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        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">2</font></div>
        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
          <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
        </div>
      </div>
      <div id="HDR">
        <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Once the
exception was elected, the Company looked to the only guidance that exists on
accounting for a contract that was once a derivative, but no longer is required
to be accounted for as such.&#160;&#160;SFAS Implementation Issue K5,
&#8220;Transition Provisions for Applying the Guidance in Statement 133 Implementation
Issue&#8221; (&#8220;Issue K5&#8221;) states, in part, in Question 2, Part I, paragraph (a), &#8220;If
an entity had been accounting for a contract as a derivative under Statement 133
but will not do so under the newly issued implementation guidance, the
contract&#8217;s fair value at the effective date shall become its net carrying amount
at that date.&#160;&#160;The entity should apply other generally accepted
accounting principles that are applicable to that contract prospectively from
the date that the contract ceased to be accounted for under Statement
133.&#8221;&#160;&#160;The Company believes this guidance can be applied by analogy
in&#160;&#160;cases where an instrument ceases to be a derivative.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company further concluded that the reversal of the entire liability at the date
of the modification of the terms of these contracts against income would have
implied that the Company had been legally released from its obligation, which
was not the case.&#160;&#160;It is the Company&#8217;s view that the future commitment
of gold delivery as provided by the modified contracts could not be deemed to
settle a liability of the Company under the original contracts and, accordingly,
the guidance to which the Company analogized in Issue K5 seemed appropriate
because it did not permit the reversal of the liability.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">With
respect to the Company&#8217;s income statement classification of the change in fair
value as deferred revenue, SFAS 133 does not explicitly address income statement
classification for gains and losses resulting from a derivative instrument&#8217;s
change in fair value upon the conversion of such derivative instrument into a
normal sales contract.&#160;&#160;In the absence of explicit guidance, the
Company adopted, and consistently applied, an accounting policy that it believes
is appropriate under Peruvian GAAP for the classification of such gains and
losses related to normal sales contracts as part of Sales (operating revenues),
since these contracts are clearly related to the delivery of
gold.&#160;&#160;The Company disclosed this policy in Note 3(t) to the Company&#8217;s
consolidated financial statements, under the heading &#8220;Significant accounting
principles and policies&#8212;Revenue recognition&#8212;Commercial sales contracts,&#8221; as
follows: &#8220;Gains and losses on derivative contracts qualifying as normal sales
are initially deferred in the consolidated balance sheets and then recognized as
income in the years in which the Company makes a physical delivery of the
committed ounces of gold and tons of mineral.&#8221;&#160;&#160;The amounts of
deferred revenue related to these sales contracts are further disclosed in Note
18 to the Company&#8217;s consolidated financial statements, under the heading &#8220;Net
sales and sales commitments&#8212;Fixed price sales contracts.&#8221;&#160;&#160;For
transparency purposes, the Company has separately disclosed this in a separate
line item on the balance sheet and income statement to enable investors to more
clearly understand the effect of these transactions.&#160;&#160;However, to
avoid confusion and clarify the description in future filings of the Company&#8217;s
Form 20-F, the Company will rename the balance sheet line item from &#8220;Deferred
income from sale of future production&#8221; to &#8220;Executory gold delivery contracts
liability&#8221; and the income statement line item from &#8220;Realization of deferred
income from sale of future production&#8221; to &#8220;Revenue associated with performance
on executory gold delivery contracts.&#8221;</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
      <div id="FTR">
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        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
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      <div id="HDR">
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        </div>
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    </div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">With
respect to the disclosure of departures from US GAAP in Notes 35 and 36 to the
Company&#8217;s consolidated financial statements, the Company concluded, as discussed
above, that there was no Peruvian GAAP guidance specifically applicable to the
Company&#8217;s accounting for the aforementioned transactions and, therefore, the
Company applied US GAAP.&#160;&#160;As a result, with respect to these
transactions, the Company has not disclosed or reconciled any differences
between Peruvian GAAP and US GAAP in Notes 35 and 36 to the Company&#8217;s
consolidated financial statements.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Financial
statements</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Note 3 &#8211; Significant
accounting principles and practices, page F-13</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">(d) Business combinations
page F-13</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div>
      <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
          <tr valign="top">
            <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
              <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">2.</font></div>
            </td>
            <td>
              <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">We
      note your disclosure stating that the excess of the cost of the business
      combination over your interest in the fair value of the acquiree&#8217;s
      identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as Mining Rights within
      the Property Plant and Equipment caption.&#160;&#160;Tell us how your
      accounting is consistent with paragraph&#160;32 of IFRS 3, if that is your
      view.&#160;&#160;Under U.S.&#160;GAAP, the excess of purchase price over
      the fair value of identifiable assets and liabilities acquired in a
      business acquisition should be recorded as goodwill in accordance with
      SFAS 141.</font></div>
            </td>
          </tr>
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    </div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company notes the Staff&#8217;s comment and will revise the disclosure in the notes to
its consolidated financial statements in future filings of the Form 20-F to
clarify its accounting treatment for business combinations.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company respectfully submits that its accounting treatment in connection with
business combinations complies with International Financial Reporting Standards
3 (amended as of March 2004), in force in Peru, and SFAS 141.&#160;&#160;The
Company uses the purchase accounting method to account for business
combinations, which requires it to allocate the cost of the acquired entities to
the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair
values at date of acquisition.&#160;&#160;The excess cost of the business
combination over the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and
liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill.&#160;&#160;The Company
supplementally advises the Staff that no goodwill has been recorded as a result
of prior business combinations because the cost of each acquired entity was
fully allocated to the identifiable assets acquired (which included the mineral
reserves acquired) and liabilities assumed.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company will revise the disclosure in Notes 3(d) and 3(k) to its consolidated
financial statements in future filings of the Form 20-F as follows:</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#8220;(d)
Business Combinations &#8211;</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Business
combinations are accounted for using the purchase accounting method. This
involves recognizing identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at
fair value on the date of the acquisition. The excess of the cost of the
business combination over the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and
liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill.&#8221;</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
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        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">4</font></div>
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    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#8220;(k)
Mining concessions &#8211;</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
mining concessions balance corresponds to the mineral reserves resulting from
the allocation of the cost of the business combinations that occurred in prior
years. The mining concessions are shown as part of the property, plant and
equipment caption and represent the ownership of the mining sites which contain
the mineral reserves acquired. The mining concessions are amortized using the
units-of-production method, based on the proven and probable
reserves.&#8221;</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">&#160;(m) Determination of
mineral reserves and resources, page F-16</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div>
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          <tr valign="top">
            <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
              <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">3.</font></div>
            </td>
            <td>
              <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">We
      note your disclosure stating that your proven and probable reserve
      estimates have been audited by an independent third
      party.&#160;&#160;Please disclose the name of this third party expert in
      compliance with Instruction 1(b)(iii) to Item&#160;4.D of
      Form&#160;20-F.</font></div>
            </td>
          </tr>
      </table>
    </div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>The Company notes the Staff&#8217;s
comment.&#160;&#160;The independent consultant that audits the Company&#8217;s proven
and probable reserve estimates is Algon Investment S.R.L. and the Company will
disclose the name of this consultant in future filings of the Form
20-F.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Note 5 &#8211; Cash and cash
equivalents, page F-20</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div>
      <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
          <tr valign="top">
            <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
              <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">4.</font></div>
            </td>
            <td>
              <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Your
      policy note under point (g)&#160;on page F-15 indicates that cash and cash
      equivalents include &#8220;highly liquid investments with original maturities of
      three months or less.&#8221;&#160;&#160;However, under this heading, you
      disclose that time deposits with maturities greater than 90&#160;days are
      also included in the ending balance of cash and cash equivalents presented
      on your Balance Sheet.&#160;&#160;Therefore, your presentation on the
      Balance Sheet appears to be inconsistent with your policy note and with
      your presentation in the Statements of Cash Flows.&#160;&#160;Please
      resolve these discrepancies in terminology and
    presentation.</font></div>
            </td>
          </tr>
      </table>
    </div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company notes the Staff&#8217;s comment and will revise the disclosure in the notes to
its consolidated financial statements in future filings of the Form 20-F to
clarify its policy with respect to cash and cash equivalents.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company supplementally advises the Staff that cash and cash equivalents
presented on its balance sheet as of December 31, 2007 included cash on hand and
time deposits, including time deposits with maturities of more than three
months.&#160;&#160;In accordance with paragraph 7 of IAS 7 and paragraph 8 of
SFAS 95, for purposes of the Company&#8217;s statement of cash flows, only cash on
hand, time deposits and highly liquid investments with maturities of less than
three months are presented as cash and cash equivalents.&#160;&#160;Note 5 to
the Company&#8217;s consolidated financial statements presents a reconciliation
between the cash and cash equivalents shown on its statement of cash flows with
cash and cash equivalents shown on its balance sheet as of December 31, 2006 and
2007.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
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        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">5</font></div>
        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
          <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
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      </div>
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        </div>
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    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company will revise the disclosure in Note 3(g) to its consolidated financial
statements in future filings of the Form 20-F as follows:</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#8220;(g) Cash
and cash equivalents -</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Cash and
cash equivalents presented on the Company&#8217;s consolidated balance sheet include
all cash on hand and time deposits, including time deposits with maturities of
more than three months.&#160;&#160;Cash and cash equivalents presented on the
Company&#8217;s consolidated statement of cash flows include cash on hand, time
deposits and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months
or less.&#8221;</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;&#160;
In order to further clarify this accounting policy, the Company will label this
balance sheet item &#8220;Cash and cash equivalents and time deposits&#8221; in future
filings of the Form 20-F.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Note 14 &#8211; Other Liabilities,
F-27</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Stock Appreciation Rights,
page F-28</font></font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div>
      <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
          <tr valign="top">
            <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
              <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">5.</font></div>
            </td>
            <td>
              <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Within
      your table that presents the principal assumptions used to estimate the
      fair value of stock appreciation rights, we note that you changed your
      valuation methodology from Black-Scholes-Merton to Turnbull and Wakeman in
      2007.&#160;&#160;The guidance in paragraph&#160;39 of IAS 8 appears to
      require disclosures about the effects of your
      change.&#160;&#160;Similarly, the guidance in paragraph&#160;A23 of SFAS
      123(R), and paragraph&#160;22 of SFAS 154, would ordinarily require
      disclosures of the effects when material, also indicating when and why the
      change in method was implemented.&#160;&#160;Additionally, please clarify
      if the Black-Sholes-Merton method continues to be applied in determining
      the fair value of stock appreciation rights granted in periods prior to
      the change in valuation
methodology.</font></div>
            </td>
          </tr>
      </table>
    </div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>The Company supplementally advises the
Staff that the change in the valuation methodology did not have a material
effect on the Company&#8217;s balance sheet.&#160;&#160;The change in valuation
methodology resulted in an increase of approximately US$0.7 million to other
liabilities (representing approximately 0.11% of pre-tax income attributable to
the Company, 0.56% of other liabilities, 2.0% of general and administrative
expenses and 0.14% of net income attributable to the Company for the year ended
December 31, 2007).&#160;&#160;Due to the immateriality of the change, the
Company respectfully submits that paragraph 5 of IAS 8, paragraph A23 of SFAS
123(R) and paragraph 22 of SFAS 154 do not require disclosure of immaterial
effects as a result of changes in methodology.</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company notes the Staff&#8217;s comment with respect to the requirements under
paragraph A23 of SFAS 123(R) and paragraph 22 of SFAS 154 to disclose the reason
for any change in methodology and will add the following paragraph in Note 14 to
its consolidated financial statements in future filings of the Form
20-F:</font></div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left">&#160;</div>
    <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
      <div id="FTR">
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        </div>
      </div>
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        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">6</font></div>
        <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
          <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
        </div>
      </div>
      <div id="HDR">
        <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left">&#160;</div>
    <div><br>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;&#8220;In
2007 the Company changed the valuation methodology used to estimate the fair
value of stock appreciation rights from Black-Scholes-Merton to Turnbull and
Wakeman.&#160;&#160;In accordance with paragraph A23 of SFAS 123(R), the Company
changed its valuation methodology after determining that Turnbull and Wakeman
would produce a better estimate of the fair value of the stock appreciation
rights granted under the award structure adopted by the Company.&#8221;</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company supplementally advises the Staff that Turnbull and Wakeman is used by
the Company to determine the fair value of all of its outstanding stock
appreciation rights, including awards granted prior to the adoption of the new
methodology.&#160;&#160;The Company is required to measure the fair value of all
outstanding stock appreciation rights as of the end of each fiscal quarter and,
as a result, the new methodology was applied prospectively to all stock
appreciation awards outstanding as of December 31, 2007.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Note 17 &#8211; Tax Situation,
page F-32</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">6.</font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">We
      note your disclosure stating that while there are outstanding disputes
      with the Tax Administration concerning their audits of your prior year tax
      returns, in your opinion, the Tax Administration&#8217;s claims have &#8220;no legal
      basis.&#8221; Please confirm that you have accrued no amounts for these claims,
      as suggested by your disclosure, if true.&#160;&#160;Otherwise, please
      disclose the extent to which you have accrued for these matters, and
      identify the periods in which the accruals were made.&#160;&#160;Please
      ensure that you provide the information required under IAS 12 and
      paragraphs&#160;84 through 92 of IAS 37, as
  applicable.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Additionally,
tell us whether these tax contingencies have been assessed under the provisions
of FIN 48 for U.S.&#160;GAAP purposes, and explain how the accounting referred
to in Note 36, indicating the adoption of FIN 48 had no impact on your
consolidated financial statements, is an appropriate result under the
circumstances.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company supplementally advises the Staff that no amounts have been accrued for
the claims by the Peruvian Tax Administration disclosed in Note 17 to its
consolidated financial statements.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company confirms that the tax contingencies referenced in the Staff&#8217;s comment
have been assessed under the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board
Interpretation No. 48 (&#8220;FIN 48&#8221;) and respectfully submits that its disclosure in
Note 36 to its consolidated financial statements indicating that the adoption of
FIN 48 did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements
is appropriate.&#160;&#160;In accordance with FIN 48, the Company has analyzed
the technical merits of the aforementioned tax contingencies and determined that
its tax position will more likely than not be sustained upon examination by the
Peruvian Tax Administration.&#160;&#160;The Company has determined that its tax
treatment should be classified as a &#8220;highly certain tax position,&#8221; and,
therefore, no accrual for the tax contingencies is
required.&#160;&#160;Accordingly, the Company believes that its disclosure in
Note 36 regarding the immaterial effect of the adoption of FIN 48 is
appropriate.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
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      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Note 32 &#8211; Commitments and
contingencies, page F-44</font></font><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">7.</font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Your
      discussion on the Choropampa matter indicates that while multiple lawsuits
      still exist, you &#8220;&#8230;cannot reasonably predict the final outcome&#8221; of these
      lawsuits.&#160;&#160;You also express the view that claims of the
      plaintiff in the Hacienda Los Negritos matter are
      &#8220;baseless.&#8221;&#160;&#160;Please disclose the information required under
      paragraphs&#160;84 through 92 of IAS 37 for these matters,&#160;&#160;and
      for U.S.&#160;GAAP, indicate the extent to which you have accrued loss
      contingencies, identify the periods impacted, and include your estimate of
      the reasonably possible range of loss, following the guidance in SFAS 5
      and FIN 14.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company respectfully clarifies that each of the legal matters referenced in the
Staff&#8217;s comment relate to Minera Yanacocha S.R.L. (&#8220;Yanacocha&#8221;), a Peruvian
partnership in which the Company holds a 43.65% equity interest, and these legal
matters do not involve the Company directly.&#160;&#160;The Company confirms
that Yanacocha has not accrued any amount for loss contingencies related to the
Choropampa and Hacienda Los Negritos matters.&#160;&#160;Furthermore, the
Company supplementally advises the Staff as follows with respect to each of
these legal matters:</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 45pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman; TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><font style="DISPLAY: inline">A. Choropampa</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">As
disclosed in Note 32(c) to the Company&#8217;s consolidated financial statements, as
of December 31, 2007, Yanacocha was still negotiating a settlement agreement in
respect of the Choropampa matter with approximately 300 plaintiffs for alleged
damages suffered as a consequence of a mercury spill that occurred in Cajamarca,
Peru.&#160;&#160;Due to the ongoing negotiations, it was not possible for
Yanacocha to predict the exact amount of the loss at December 31,
2007.&#160;&#160;However, Yanacocha has informed the Company that, based on
previous settlement experience, it currently believes that a settlement will be
reached with the remaining plaintiffs in an aggregate amount of between
US$900,000 and US$1,500,000.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company supplementally advises the Staff that its equity share of the cost of
any such settlement, based upon the Company&#8217;s 43.65% equity interest in
Yanacocha, would be approximately US$392,850 to US$654,650, which the Company
considers to be immaterial under both Peruvian GAAP and US GAAP (representing
approximately 0.1% of net income and total liabilities, and 0% of net
equity).</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">In
compliance with IAS 37 and US GAAP, the Company will disclose in a note to its
consolidated financial statements to be included in the Company&#8217;s Form 20-F for
the year ended December 31, 2008, that no significant amount is expected to be
recorded as a result of the settlement of the pending claims.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">B. Hacienda Los
Negritos</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Yanacocha
has informed the Company that its management and external legal advisors believe
that the Hacienda Los Negritos lawsuit is without merit under Peruvian
law.&#160;&#160;As a result, Yanacocha made no provision for a loss contingency
as of December 31, 2007.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">On July
14, 2008, the Hacienda Los Negritos lawsuit was dismissed by the relevant
Peruvian court.&#160;&#160;The dismissal was not appealed by the
plaintiff.&#160;&#160;As of December 31, 2008, Yanacocha considered this matter
closed and had not recorded any loss in connection with this
lawsuit.</font></div><br>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
</font></div>
        </div>
        <div id="PN" style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always">
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">8</font></div>
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
</font></div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company will disclose the resolution of this lawsuit in a note to its
consolidated financial statements to be included in the Company&#8217;s Form 20-F for
the year ended December 31, 2008.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Engineering
Comments</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Colquijirca, page
85</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">8.</font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">We
      note your disclosure of ore reserves for the Colquijirca mine as
      13,317,007 dry short tones with a silver content of 1.76 ounces,
      4.4&#160;percent zinc, and 1.47&#160;percent lead followed by a second
      reserve estimate for the same property of 21,622,137 dry short tons
      containing 1.26 ounces silver, 0.005 ounces gold, 2.71&#160;percent of
      zinc, 0.91&#160;percent lead and 0.995&#160;percent of
      copper.&#160;&#160;Please clarify or resolve this discrepancy within your
      filing.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>The Company notes the Staff&#8217;s comment
and will revise its disclosure relating to the Colquijirca mine in future
filings of the Form 20-F.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>The Company supplementally advises the
Staff that the Colquijirca mine, <font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-STYLE: italic">excluding</font> the Marcapunta
deposit, had estimated ore reserves of 13,317,007 dry short tons (&#8220;DST&#8221;) with a
silver content of 1.76 ounces per DST, 4.4&#160;percent zinc and
1.47&#160;percent lead as of December 31, 2007.&#160;&#160;Total ore reserves of
the Colquijirca mine, <font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-STYLE: italic">including</font> the Marcapunta
deposit, were estimated to be 21,622,137<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">&#160;</font>DST containing 1.26
ounces of silver per DST, 0.005 ounces of gold per DST, 2.71&#160;percent zinc,
0.91&#160;percent lead and 0.995&#160;percent copper as of December 31,
2007.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>The Company will revise its disclosure
in future filings of the Form 20-F to clarify that reserves reported include the
following: (1) reserves for the Colquijirca mine on a stand-alone basis, (2)
reserves for the Marcapunta deposit on a stand-alone basis and (3) total
combined reserves for the Colquijirca mine and the Marcapunta
deposit.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Recuperada, page
84</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">9.</font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Please
      expand your disclosure to include a description of your mining/ processing
      operations at the Recuperada mine including the
  following:</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">A brief description of the rock
      formations and mineralization of existing or potential economic
      significance on the
property.</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">A description of any work
      completed on the property and its present
  condition.</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The details as to modernization
      and physical condition of your plant and equipment, including subsurface
      improvements and equipment.</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">A description of your
      equipment, infrastructure, and other
  facilities.</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
</font></div>
        </div>
        <div id="PN" style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always">
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">9</font></div>
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
</font></div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company notes the Staff&#8217;s comment and will revise its discussion in &#8220;Item
4.&#160;&#160;Information on the Company&#8212;Property, Plants and
Equipment&#8212;Operating Properties&#8212;Recuperada&#8221; in future filings of the Form 20-F to
add the following paragraphs:</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>&#8220;The&#160;&#160;Recuperada&#160;&#160;mining
district principally contains polymetallic zinc and lead veins (including the
Teresita, Esperanza and Angelica&#160;&#160;deposits), as well as some
silver-rich veins (including the Mar&#237;a Luz, Nancy Luz and Rico Antimonio
deposits). The stratigraphic column shows a layer of Mesozoic rocks beneath a
layer of Cenozoic volcanic rocks, with exposed or covered dacitic-rhyolitic
intrusive rocks penetrating each layer, which is frequently indicative of the
existence of mineral deposits.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>Recuperada is located in the province
of Huancavelica, in the department of Huancavelica, approximately 540 kilometers
southeast of Lima at an altitude of between 4,300 and 4,800 meters above sea
level.&#160;&#160;Access is by a 242-kilometer unpaved public road, which
connects to the Pan American highway.&#160;&#160;Electricity is supplied by
access to the Peruvian national electricity grid via a 50-kilometer power line,
which has a capacity of 22 kilovolts and 4,000 kilowatts.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>&#160;Mining at Recuperada is conducted
underground using the conventional cut and fill method.&#160;&#160;Mine ore is
processed at a concentrator plant on site, the processing capacity of which was
expanded from 400 metric tons per day to 600 metric tons per day in October
2008.&#160;&#160;Due to low zinc and lead prices, the concentrator plant is not
currently operating at full capacity.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Mining
operations at Recuperada are currently focused on the Teresita mine, an old
lead-zinc mine that ceased operating between 2001 and 2006 due to low metal
prices.&#160;&#160;Mineable resources are estimated to be located between levels
3850 and 4100.&#160;&#160;We are currently upgrading infrastructure at the
Teresita mine, including extracting systems, drifting equipment, ventilation
systems and water pumping equipment.&#160;&#160;In October 2007, we commenced
construction of shaft number 3, which will be used to access levels 3850 through
4370.&#160;&#160;During 2008, we completed three bore holes, two of which will
be used for ventilation and one of which will be used as a pilot for the
construction of shaft number 3 between levels 4150 and 4370.&#160;&#160;We are
also developing the main pumping station for shaft number 3 at level
4150.&#8221;</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">10.</font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">As
      footnotes or as part of your reserve tables, disclose the
      following:</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Whether the reserve estimates
      incorporate losses for mine dilution and mining
      recovery</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The metallurgical recovery
      factors for each mine.</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">All prices and currency
      conversion factors used to estimate your reserves in addition to gold or
      silver.</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 36pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Percent ownership of each mine
      and clarify whether quantities disclosed are for the entire mine or your
      share.</font></font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="PN" style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always">
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">10</font></div>
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">A. Losses for Mine Dilution
and Mining Recovery</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company supplementally advises the Staff that its reserve estimates incorporate
losses for mine dilution and mining recovery.&#160;&#160;The Company has
disclosed this in footnote 2 to the table of proven and probable reserves in
&#8220;Item 4.&#160;&#160;Information on the Company&#8212;Property, Plants and
Equipment&#8212;Reserves&#8221; on page 92 of the Form 20-F.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">B. Metallurgical Recovery
Factors</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company notes the Staff&#8217;s comment and will include a footnote in the reserves
table indicating the metallurgical recovery factors for each mine in future
filings of the Form 20-F.&#160;&#160;The recovery factors for each of the
Company&#8217;s mines are described below.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company supplementally advises the Staff that the metallurgical recovery factors
used to calculate the reserves for each mine are as follows:</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">ore
      quality;</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">gradation
      of ore to assess the effectiveness of reagents in releasing valuable
      particles;</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">quality
      of water used to treat ore;</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">quality
      of reagent used to treat ore;</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">equipment
      condition and maintenance; and</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">staff
      operational capabilities.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
metallurgical recovery factors that impacted proven and probable reserve
estimates for each of the Company&#8217;s mines as of December 31, 2007 were as
follows:</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Orcopampa:</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Water
      quality: recycled water contains impurities that can interfere with the
      chemical reaction of the reagents;
and</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Lower
      than estimated (or expected) ore
grade.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Uchucchacua:</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Complex
      ore: silver particles contained in the ore are smaller than one micron;
      certain silver particles can be identified, but are too small to be
      recovered;</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Variation
      of ore grade: ore is extracted from three areas with different
      characteristics, which requires the Company to vary the blending process
      (i.e. the mixture of ore derived from the three areas);
  and</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Ore
      contains oxide mineral.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br></div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Julcani:</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <div align="center">
          <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
              <tr valign="top">
                <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                  <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
                </td>
                <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                  <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">o</font></font></div>
                </td>
                <td>
                  <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Silver
      grade is lower than 7.0 ounces per metric ton;</font></div>
                </td>
              </tr>
              <tr valign="top">
                <td style="WIDTH: 54pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;</font></td>
                <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">

                  <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">o</font></font>&#160;</div>
                </td>
                <td>

                  <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Ore
      contains iron sulfide (Pirita) higher than 8%;
  and</font>&#160;</div>
                </td>
              </tr>
          </table>
        </div>
      </div><br>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
</font></div>
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          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">11</font></div>
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              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Water
      quality: water used for ore treatment varies in quality and can have PH
      values of lower than 5.</font></div>
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              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
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              </td>
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              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Recuperada:</font></div>
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      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">High
      volatility in ore grade; and</font></div>
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              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
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              </td>
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              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Water
      quality: recycled water requires strong PH
  control.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
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      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Antapite:</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">High
      volatility in ore grade; and</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Water
      quality: recycled water contains impurities that can interfere with the
      chemical reaction of the reagents.</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline;" face="Symbol, serif">&#183;</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Shila-Paula:</font></div>
              </td>
            </tr>
        </table>
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      <div>
        <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="hangingindent" width="100%">
            <tr valign="top">
              <td style="WIDTH: 54pt">
                <div><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
      </font></div>
              </td>
              <td style="WIDTH: 18pt">
                <div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">o</font></font></div>
              </td>
              <td>
                <div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">High
      volatility in ore grade.</font></div>
              </td>
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      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">C. Prices and Currency
Conversion Factors</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company notes the Staff&#8217;s comment and will include a footnote indicating the
prices used to estimate its reserves in future filings of the Form
20-F.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company supplementally advises the Staff that reserves are calculated by
reference to prices in U.S. dollars and, therefore, no currency conversion
factors are used to calculate reserves.&#160;&#160;For the year ended December
31, 2007, reserves for the Company&#8217;s wholly-owned operating mines were
calculated using the following prices: US$575 per ounce of gold, US$10 per ounce
of silver, US$1,901 per metric ton of zinc, US$1,050 per metric ton of lead and
US$1.20 per pound of copper.&#160;&#160;For the year ended December 31, 2007,
reserves for the Colquijirca mine, in which the Company owns a controlling
interest, were calculated using the following prices: US$1,543 per metric ton of
zinc and US$992 per metric ton of lead.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">D.&#160;&#160;Percentage
Ownership of Each Mine</font></font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company notes the Staff&#8217;s comment and will include a footnote indicating the
percentage ownership and equity share of reserves indicated for each mine in
future filings of the Form 20-F.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company supplementally advises the Staff that eight of the nine mines indicated
in the table of proven and probable reserves on page 92 of the Form 20-F are
wholly-owned by the Company.&#160;&#160;As of September 30, 2008, the Company
owned a 34.91% interest in the Colquijirca mine.&#160;&#160;The reserves shown
for Colquijirca are the total reserves of the Colquijirca mine and do not
indicate the Company&#8217;s equity share.&#160;&#160;The Company will revise its
disclosure in future filings of the Form 20-F to clarify that reserves for the
Colquijirca mine do not represent the Company&#8217;s equity share.</font><br></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">*&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;*&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;*</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center">&#160;</div>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="PN" style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always">
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">12</font></div>
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right">
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">The
Company would appreciate receiving any further questions or comments that the
Staff may have regarding this letter or the Form 20-F at the Staff&#8217;s earliest
convenience.&#160;&#160;You should contact the undersigned at (212) 530-5546 or
Trevor K. Truman at (212) 530-5237.</font></div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <div align="right">
          <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="50%">
              <tr>
                <td align="left" valign="top" width="50%">
                  <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Sincerely,</font></div>
                </td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td valign="top" width="50%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left" valign="top" width="50%">
                  <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">/s/
      Arnold B. Peinado, III</font></div>
                </td>
              </tr>
          </table>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div>
        <div align="left">
          <div align="left">
            <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="50%">
                <tr>
                  <td align="left" valign="top" width="4%">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">cc:</font></div>
                  </td>
                  <td align="left" valign="top" width="46%">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Securities
      and Exchange Commission:</font></div>
                  </td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td align="left" valign="top" width="46%" style="PADDING-LEFT: 0pt">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Craig
      H. Arakawa</font></div>
                  </td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td align="left" valign="top" width="46%" style="PADDING-LEFT: 0pt">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">George
      K. Schuler</font></div>
                  </td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td valign="top" width="46%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td align="left" valign="top" width="46%">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Compa&#241;&#237;a
      de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A.:</font></div>
                  </td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td align="left" valign="top" width="46%" style="PADDING-LEFT: 0pt">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Carlos
      Galvez</font></div>
                  </td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td align="left" valign="top" width="46%" style="PADDING-LEFT: 0pt">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Humberto
      Rodriguez</font></div>
                  </td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td valign="top" width="4%"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">&#160;
      </font></td>
                  <td align="left" valign="top" width="46%" style="PADDING-LEFT: 0pt">
                    <div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 9pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Daniel
      Dominguez</font></div>
                  </td>
                </tr>
            </table>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt">&#160;</div>
      <div id="PGBRK" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt">
        <div id="FTR">
          <div id="GLFTR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
</font></div>
        </div>
        <div id="PN">
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">13</font></div>
          <div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center">
            <hr style="COLOR: black" noshade size="2">
          </div>
        </div>
        <div id="HDR">
          <div id="GLHDR" style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;
</font></div>
        </div>
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