Concession applications rise in Oct.

The number of applications for mineral exploration concessions in Peru more than doubled in October to 354 compared to 176 in same-month 2002, according to the country's national concessions and mining registry institute, Inacc. In the first nine months of 2003, there were 4,369 requests, 43.5% more than the 3,045 requests for the whole of 2002. October's requests cover a total of 176,203ha, compared to 65,196ha in same-month 2002, the state agency reported on its website. Attracting by far the most interest that month was the southern department of Arequipa with 82 requests, followed by Ayacucho, also in the south, and La Libertad in the northwest, with 26 each. Arequipa now leads La Libertad in the number of applications for the first nine months of the year with 547 requests, followed by La Libertad (495) and Puno (309), in the far southeast.