HANOI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A feasibility study conducted by the state-owned Vietnam Steel Corporation and Russia's Giproruda Institute shows the Thach Khe mine in central Ha Tinh province has370 million tons of ore at 60-percent concentration of iron, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Friday.

    The study also indicates that the mine's tapping could initially be carried out in two phases. The first phase would last for four years, with the exploitation of five million tons of ore per annum. In the second five-year phase, it would increase to 10 million tons.

    Total investment required for the two phases would be 327-378 million U.S. dollars.

    The corporation has already had a plan on manufacturing steel billets and finished steel products from the mine's ore.