NEWS RELEASE

xstrata nickel SUDBURY OPERATIONS and UNITED STEELWORKERS local 2020 reach tentative collective agreement

Sudbury, Ontario -1 March, 2010

Xstrata Nickel announces that the Company's Sudbury Operations has reached a tentative agreement for a new Collective Agreement with the United Steelworkers Union Local 2020, which represents Xstrata Nickel's Sudbury office, clerical and technical employees. The prior agreement expired at midnight on February 28, 2010.

The Union's bargaining team has recommended acceptance of the new agreement.  Details of the agreement will be presented to Union members and will be followed by ratification voting.  Ratification meetings will be held early this week.

"This tentative agreement presents an offer to the Union membership that both bargaining committees believe is fair and equitable. We are very pleased that we can continue to work with the United Steelworkers Union to pursue our goals in Sudbury," said Marc Boissonneault, Vice-President of Xstrata Nickel's Sudbury Operations.

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Editors Notes

Xstrata plc

Xstrata is a global diversified mining group, listed on the London and Swiss Stock Exchanges, with its headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. Xstrata's businesses maintain a meaningful position in seven major international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, nickel, vanadium and zinc, with a growing platinum group metals business, additional exposures to gold, cobalt, lead and silver, recycling facilities and a suite of global technology products, many of which are industry leaders. The Group's operations and projects span 19 countries.

Xstrata Nickel
Xstrata Nickel, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is one of Xstrata Group's global commodity businesses. Xstrata Nickel's operations include mines and processing facilities in Canada, the Dominican Republic and Australia, and a refinery in Norway. Xstrata Nickel has a promising portfolio of growth projects in Canada, New Caledonia, Tanzania and Brazil. Xstrata Nickel is the world's fifth largest nickel producer, with annual managed production of more than 107,000 tonnes of refined nickel.

Xstrata Nickel's Sudbury Operations

Xstrata Nickel's Sudbury Operations consist of the Nickel Rim South project, a mill and a smelter. The facilities are spread throughout the 60 kilometre, oval-shaped geological formation known as the Sudbury Basin. Nickel and copper are the primary metals but cobalt and precious metals such as platinum are also produced.